Friday, September 28, 2007

Power


A distant sun
with no one to see it rise.

The ocean has the power
to crush a ship,
throw a survivor on shore,
or burry him deep.

Do clouds have power?
Insubstantial wisps of white fluff
carried on a sigh,
but when they turn gray and dark
and crowd the sky fighting with flashes for space;
then we see their power.

Where do you keep your power?
It seems small and frail
tucked away deep
in a quiet space.

It’s been slapped down
too many times to come out aggressively
and claim what it wants,
so it is timid and unsure.
Waiting for certainty,
the slightest bit of encouragement
to stretch out just a little bit more.

But a scattering wind can blow out a storm
before it has a chance to gain its potential.
And so your power builds just a little,
testing the breeze,
wondering if this will be the moment.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

"It’s been slapped down
too many times to come out aggressively
and claim what it wants,
so it is timid and unsure.
Waiting for certainty,
the slightest bit of encouragement
to stretch out just a little bit more."

When you least epect it, it comes out!

nonizamboni said...

Very interesting how you used the ocean and wind to represent how our creative power can be doused, but not completely. . .that's the encouraging part of life isn't it? Great poem. Keep writing!

Jo said...

I really liked the imagery in this!

paisley said...

i am for some reason reminded of lauren becall's line in to have and have not...."you just put your lips together ... and blow...."

maybe some day i will realize that in all of my talk about power,, all i ever really had to do ... was blow....

thank you for the feeling i derived from this.....

Crafty Green Poet said...

very true, power is only really discovered when its tested.

Hope said...

Thanks too all. I really needed this.

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful, wise poem about the ebb and flow of power, rising and falling.

My favorite line: "Where do you keep your power?" I will be asking myself this question for awhile, basking in the answers. Thanks for this, and for your visit to my site.

Menopauseprincess said...

Yes, power can build, and be available when you need it most.

Tumblewords: said...

Beautiful poem! Provocative and powerful - you write with a great style.

Beau Brackish said...

The creative muse can overtake you like force of nature when you least expect. Great poem!

ANA said...

beautiful poem indeed. The line "where do you keep your power" played on in my head even after I had finished reading the poem...

Robin said...

I love the imagery. To me, this isn't about power being doused but rather about how it lays dormant, simmering under the surface, ready to leap into action when called. The strongest power can hide in the gentlest of faces.

Great writing and very thought-provoking. I really enjoyed reading it.

awareness said...

Lovely and provocative......combining nature and human beings.....

I enjoyed your take on the prompt.