You've become the hot ocean
Under a raging moon
Attributing to me this petty crime
Of having mistaken. . . .this thing
Of course I have mistaken many things
In my time
But not this thing
The runt in the pig's litter
Should not live
But living, it must remember
(Or suffer an almost-memory of remembering)
The sleepy and fat life of potency
Conveyed here and there under
These inadequate, inescapable conditions
Seldom penetrated to interior
Glittering stars, but
Oscillating wildly, perturbed,
We learn to compensate for a while
For a while
We learn to compensate for a while until
Our balance falters
This mad circus, or dance,
Parade of stochastic circumstance,
Dazzles the unsophisticated eye
Splashing across
My bare feet and toes
Like blood, or a red tide
Walking along your midnight beach
I long to fling my arms around you, but
You're so far out of reach
20090930
Red Tide
Copyright © 2009 Ernest Bloom.
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My soul is entirely submerged in these verses. The metaphors are refreshing and deep. The ocean/Earth is so dimly aware of the distant spot of pale white in the cosmic void and cannot know the fullest intensity and dimension of the love, affection and protection the moon provides us. He is sort of like a clandestine lover, indeed. The 2nd stanza is a wonderful description of the human condition. Stars oscillating wildly, palpitating, ever on the edge of Heaven and Hell, we may have a distant and hidden knowledge of what we should be experiencing, this "salvation" the religion so fondly prescribes but we don't know exactly what it is. If we did, we would be halfway there, I guess. The red tide is pretty diabolical. It portrays both the intensity of life/love and the sorrows and trepidations that are the constant and seemingly inherent companions of these two. Also, kind of reminds of Poe and the Mask of Red Death. Great job.
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