by Steve King
© 2011
All rights reserved
Words might come, sudden,
like summer lightning,
night already settled
too quiet for your ease.
Or find you as you wonder
at some new-found mood
intruding hard
in that instant
before sense takes its chance
to parse new questions
of trial and distinction,
aversion or desire.
Sudden, to outrace
the throes of their inception
and the occult context
of well-hidden thoughts.
Come sudden emergent
from a trove of dark perplexity
otherwise unknown:
a shadow flashed before you,
holding captive all your seeing;
tracing out the arc
of a dark epic gathered at large,
you a small part,
you, minor in the telling,
mute, awkward,
waiting in the crowded wings.
The word,
unfamiliar,
unwarranted,
unwilled;
soon to straddle
some tamer level of convention;
still middling strange,
even as it’s newness fades.
Word;
you take large happiness
when it satisfies
to tell of your small things;
grateful when you think you might control it;
believing you might use a word
to shield you from your terrors.
Imagining a difference
between words and summer lightning.
Excellent piece. Some really great language, and the ending is magnificent.
ReplyDeleteWords can sure jumble things up and cause a hiccup or they can lead to a great thing when you give them a ring.
ReplyDeleteLove all the places you go with this, Steve--that mystery of the word and how it owns us, rather than vice versa--yet there seems far more than that here, something about that whole voyage into the interior, lit by that transfixing but also vanishing light. Really well put together.
ReplyDeleteyou take us on quite the ride here! the poem spins - and takes us off - excellent piece indeed - the tone, the images, all great here! enjoyed reading !
ReplyDeleteHow well, how beautifully you describe the journey, the discovery of "the word" ...this is a poet's poem, a writer's write for the poet, for the writer..you had me hooked from the first line. You hit it hard, thoroughly and Oh so well!
ReplyDeleteWord;
ReplyDeleteyou take large happiness
when it satisfies
to tell of your small things;
grateful when you think you might control it;
Awesome lines that resonate with me.
Words are powerful indeed... especially when not well thought out.
ReplyDeleteYour words took us on a journey. I like how captured the writer's challenge with writing:
ReplyDeletein that instant
before sense takes its chance
Awesome writing ~
"Imagining a difference
ReplyDeletebetween words and summer lightning"
ah, love those last lines, even the words summer lightning sound like summer lightning... great connection.
"you, minor in the telling,
mute, awkward,
waiting in the crowded wings."
isn't that always the way. i used to panic, just freeze up... i hate that feeling.
i hadn't seen you post anything in a while, so i was glad to see this. enjoyed very much
ah, for a minute we catch lighting in the bottle and dare call it our own, no i think it has its way with us...smiles...lovely write steve...
ReplyDeletethe satisfying power of words...the spell and wonder and pure magic..love how you capture it steve and yeah...who could tell the difference between words and summer lightning...between the thunder and the flash...
ReplyDelete"..Come sudden emergent
ReplyDeletefrom a trove of dark perplexity
otherwise unknown"
The frustration I find is that they always come when there is no pen or paper near at hand! Really enjoyed this observation and compilation on where and when words might strike. Your own words well written, Steve!
Great comparison of two things utterly opposite--or are they? Nice one!
ReplyDeletehttp://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/the-sun-came-up-again-4/
lovely - I especially like this and find it to be so true: you take large happiness
ReplyDeletewhen it satisfies
to tell of your small things
just thought i'd swing by and say hello...
ReplyDeleteSteve, outstanding final major stanza and couplet. Lots of simple things I appreciate here. The single line of 2 words, intruding hard and the removal of "The" for your final word when the piece started in the plural. Pretty creative piece here, love anything to do with shadows and arcs, so in that stanza where they are both present, that was a great touch for me. Outstanding write. Thanks
ReplyDelete