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| Odin ~ Quincy Washington @albanusdesign Used With Permission |
God of my shadow self, you see
the implacable nature
of my intransigence:
My raven-beaked memory
pecking at old scars
and black thoughts on the wing
through the thunderstorms
of my own self-conception,
my wolf-panting anger
and teeth that tear flesh
from bone of my own demons.
Your gaze is a reckoning:
Knowledge demands sacrifice,
an eye, a befriending
of the severed head,
the subconscious voice
confirming my worst fears
that shadows have more substance
and weigh heavier than the light.
A poem for the last solstice of the decade, in honour of the Old Gods and Yuletide, inspired by the art of Quincy Washington.
"My raven-beaked memory pecking at old scars...." Oh my! If I had ever written lines like that I think I would rest content!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry. So kind of you to come over to read. I think my blog will be a very quiet place in the next decade.
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I'll keep coming. Is this the one you will be using?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Sherry. No fixed plans about this blog yet. But Skylover will definitely be updated with my new work.
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Hmm, yes, confirmed indeed. A wonderful write, albeit dark. (And really, what else could it be?)
ReplyDeleteWe can only head for the light when we have made piece with the dark.
DeleteKnowledge demands sacrifice - haunting in the context of the earth, as I came here from Earthweal - the endless growth is unsustainable and has cast us on a path of destruction. I read in your comment to Sherry that you think your blog will be a quiet place - I have much the same thoughts on my blog too... would love to exchange thoughts on this.
ReplyDeleteIf this is spoken in a universal voice of Mankind, I believe it is fitting in terms of the planetary chaos we are currently facing.
DeleteAt present, I will continue to use this blog when I write something I wish to link up to earthweal or other sites. My Skylover blog is comments-free and intended to be my Collected Works, so I will continue to update that as I write.
What a fine Old Year All Father poem Kerry -- your words bear very old linkages -- I think the shaman is the deep root of the poet, the affinities here to the one who sings in darkness and work is never finished. Crisp and sharp as a bucket of ice water or a venerated boar's tusk--amulets for the next work to come. Thanks so for carrying it to earthweal. The quiet is a very supple brush.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I thought you might enjoy this one, with a nod to the Old Gods, while the new gods of industry leads us all into perdition.
DeleteWhat a complete, dark being! The last two lines sound so much like death.
ReplyDeleteThe dark being in this poem is man. Death is peaceful, it is living that is full of strife.
DeleteFirst, thank you for leading me to Earthweal. Secondly thank you for the inspiration and example, words like these confirming our worst fears:
ReplyDelete"that shadows have more substance
and weigh heavier than the light."
Lets direct our "wolf-panting anger" at all the ignorant men in positions of power.
You are welcome! And I agree.. we need to stop fighting ourselves/each other and direct our energy in a more positive direction to correct the chaos before it corrects us... as it already is.
DeleteI wonder how many of us would give an eye to have the knowledge (and the poetry)that Odin was granted for it? Do you see clearer with only one eye, or is everything just a bit distorted by that single view? I am glad to see the All Father any time of year in any poem, but particularly now, as we come to our own ragnarok of one form or another. The ravens of Thought and Memory never cease to peck, or to whisper their tidings, welcome or unwelcome, regardless. "Your gaze is a reckoning.." what magic.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joy. This means a lot to me, as I have always held your poetical tributes to the Old Gods in high regard. I am glad you enjoyed this poem.
DeleteThe shaman must walk in the shadow world of darkness to learn how to become a guardian of light. Perhaps, we need to show our teeth and claws to those who obstruct our right to light.
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point. Thank you.
DeleteShadows are heavier and dominate, we keep raging for the light, hope that we can keep on
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed. No place to go but up.. or further into darkness.
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