Deep [jake]
I want to believe that there is a point
At which the pain stops
I want to believe I will eventually reach
My destination; then I can finally quit
Seeing myself: the sum and reflection
Of my fruitless efforts
Wouldn’t it be great if Buddha was right?
If all we needed to do was find a way
To cease to be
To stop existing
Because wishing for death
Is getting a little pessimistic
There is an end; there is a star we all chase
There is a completion of time and a place
In which we can all rest
I believe in this place where fulfillment exists
I believe in this place where all things consist
I believe that pain stops,
No matter how great
Death consumes itself and we no longer
See ourselves, or the cuts
On our rough and tired hands: the suffering
Of fruitless struggles
Wouldn’t it be great to recognize all of time
In its proper place and for what it is?
Maybe then I could see this symphony around me
And blend the movements of life and death
Maybe then I could hear this dance
Like breathing, and not just a single breath
Each exhale not an ending of one, but
A part of the whole progression
In quiet moments with eyes closed
For a flicker in my dreams, I see
Glory and pain as mirror images and I stop
Digging deep for escape and I start
Burying myself deep in the bosom of God
Planting myself in His lungs
Good contemplation of 'the human condition'.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the line about glory and pain as mirror images. That's food for thought.
Jake--what a powerful image to end on, planting oursevles in His lungs.
ReplyDelete"the cuts on our rough and tired hands" stood out to me because of the beauty of pain--so satisfying to conclude with that thought. Those rough cut hands are good and strong, evidence of struggle and evidence of so much hope.
.fav.
ReplyDelete"Death consumes itself and we no longer / See ourselves, or the cuts..."
and the last line
Favorite Line: Wouldn’t it be great to recognize all of time/ In its proper place and for what it is?
ReplyDeletePerspective is so important to any and every situation. I continually marvel at myself who lives with liquid perspectives vs God who lives with fixed perspective and His grace in allowing me to connect with that perspective.
Very cool poem.
I feel this. I love the image of death consuming itself next to us being both fulfilled and free from ourselves. The though on glory and pain is interesting too.
ReplyDeleteFavorite line(s):
ReplyDeleteMaybe then I could see this symphony around me
And blend the movements of life and death
especially the "blend the movements..." very vivid language.
looking through the comments, you should be proud that everyone picked a different favorite line. means that there's a lot of good writing in this piece to choose from. :-)