spiral craft signal draft shallow rule dense send shell sham slapping laugh
Another Place
“Silence is sometimes the best answer.”
— Dalai Lama XIV
The smoke spirals slowly upwards
The air is dense with aromatics,
Drifting slowly in the breeze,
On the draft that flows gently,
Languidly, through the building,
Swirling ever so lazily.
◊
The outside boils.
A world of rules.
Must this.
Should that.
Buy. Buy. Buy.
Constant pressure.
Craft your life.
Chase your dreams.
Buy. Keep. Forget.
A shallow shell
Without meaning.
Or purpose.
Sham friends.
It has laughter,
But no joy.
It is all rush.
It slaps noisily
Against the temple
But cannot enter.
◊
Inside the stillness
The smoke spirals calmly,
Sending a message of both
Impermanence and continuity—
A signal that life can be embraced
Peacefully, serenely, in another place.
A temple bell rings.
◊
The outside boils.
ReplyDeleteA world of rules.
Must this.
Should that.
Buy. Buy. Buy.
Constant pressure.
Craft your life.
Chase your dreams.
Buy. Keep. Forget. This staccato has the reader feel the boiling world of rules. It's a marvellous stanza. The boiling world is brilliant. I also love the laughter without joy and the slapping up against the impervious temple. Very well crafted, Mr Newbery. The final line is our being called.
Many, many thanks for this reminder.
ReplyDeleteAmid all the fakery, thank heavens for the temple bell that rings.
ReplyDeleteLovely contrast between the frenetic outside and the inner calm. (Interesting that, in the construction of the poem, the calm space surrounds and contains the other.)
ReplyDeleteLike Rosemary I love the contrast and I love the setup like a peace bell Beautifully done
ReplyDeleteLaughter....but no joy. 👏
ReplyDeleteA lot of life feels futile and yet there is smoke to capture - moments of thought and words which mean something - I hope - Jae
ReplyDeleteExcellent! Pack the boxes and call the movers.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is marvelous, simply marvelous! You made good use of the word list!!! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteExcellent use of the words. I love,
ReplyDelete"It slaps noisily
Against the temple
But cannot enter."
Marvelous! How true silence and solitude can be so healing.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent poem from the word prompts.
Beautiful how impermanence and continuity are threaded together. The poem and pic go together.
ReplyDelete