I hate the answers I mouth
from fear rather than conviction.
I hate the weakness which runs through soul
and brain and claims an ineffectual voice.
I hate the ugliness I sometimes bring
into the world.
But I love the candle's bud of flame, the reflections
caught in an old and empty decanter.
I love the rim of wall and roof in soft-lit room
and the dripping dark beyond.
I love the surprising grace of sharing a book
after a long, hard day.
from fear rather than conviction.
I hate the weakness which runs through soul
and brain and claims an ineffectual voice.
I hate the ugliness I sometimes bring
into the world.
But I love the candle's bud of flame, the reflections
caught in an old and empty decanter.
I love the rim of wall and roof in soft-lit room
and the dripping dark beyond.
I love the surprising grace of sharing a book
after a long, hard day.
Wow! This poem is powerful. And especially so in the latter half, where the images are vivid and beautifully contrast with the weakness and ugliness you speak of in the first half. (Aside: It is difficult for me to imagine that you bring ugliness of any kind into the world!)
ReplyDeleteThe first half of the poem has fear, weakness, and ugliness. Do you want to leave these (very real!) emotions/sentiments as named, or do you want to enhance the imagery with a comparison or two, a vivid simile? For instance, "I hate this weakness that leaks from my soul like oil through a crack in a plastic bottle," or some such thing? Or would that over-burden the poem?
Perhaps it is best the way you have it, because we are all the more grateful for the "turning" from the weakness and ugliness, to the beauty and "surprising grace" of the second half!
Thank you! That first part is bland for the lamentable reason that I didn't like thinking about the subjects enough to assign good imagery to them. Sloppy, but this was more for the relief of writing than for quality.
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