Tuesday, July 30, 2013

THE MOUNTAINS NEAR MY OLD HOUSE






Loudest lawn mower,
                          yappiest bark,
                                  happiest child's incessant laughter,
                                                             siren's shrillest scream,
                                                                         car engine's exploding thunder



Sounds compete with chattering
complaining shouts in my mind.
Can't sit like this.
There's no white noise in ordinary things
whose volume rises with the sun's descent.
while I wait yearning
for silence, darkness falling gently undisturbed
the way it did
there.

Quail families scurrying around,
cactus plants thorny arms uplifted happily enjoying loneliness
rabbits blinking innocently
frozen, hoping to disappear
into the unseen
me, envious, breathing in
serenity, composure, self-reliance,
immovable strength of wisdom emanating
from you.


I go inside, realize the clamor resembles anger,
not at city's sounds - just a different painting,
but at the void within the noise,
where there's no you.

After a while, comforted I see
you stand still within my memory,
teaching about life moving, revolving
while you so rocky solid,
allow it to go.



(Submitted to Dverse Poets.)


Went out to check on my old house (still for sale).  Though I'm happy where I am, a little melancholy struck.





20 comments:

  1. smiles....its a different world for sure...and you will be surprised the sounds you get used to again...and ones you eventually find peace in again...but there are def those sounds that bleed peace to me...rabbits blink...ha...cool

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  2. this took me back a few years when we moved to another town - miriam was just in 4th grade and even though the new house was just a few miles away, she had to change school and she was suffering badly, crying herself to sleep... she missed the fountain we had in front of the house where she used to bathe in summer and the walnut tree that she used to climb.. it took her a bit to see the beauty in the new place... def. feel you in this myrna...

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  3. A very good write, full of distinctive imary and sounds.>KB

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  4. I love the visualizing of the quail families most of all!

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  5. Myrna, such beautiful words that touched my heart....as always when it comes to your writing! I think I "owe" you an e-mail. I think of you often, and especially when I hear/see prop planes!! :)

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  6. I can certainly sense your melancholy... beautiful piece, Myrna.

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  7. Myrna, this reminds me of where I live. So gentle and so real, thank you.

    Pamela

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  8. Everyone needs to experience peace and tranquillity away from the city and people happily enjoying loneliness like your cactus for a time to reflect and to breathe...

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  9. I love the way the word shapes of the jigsaw puzzle of your thoughts all fit together 'synchinkingly'; the individual words even the ones without mates are beautiful too. Smiles, love ya friend.

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  10. I understand about visiting the old house. I recently visited the town I grew up in, and sat for quite awhile outside the home we lived in. Memories--good and bad--came flooding back.
    Also, I lived in New Mexico for several years in the mid-eighties, and explored the state extensively. Going through there again in early September. I love New Mexico.

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  11. I love the way you describe this soundscape. Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  12. Myrna, this is most beautifully composed. The journeys back and forth between clamour and silence, the yearnings for the past in spite of what offended you there, the small scenes of nature [ the quails struck a note] and the frozen rabbits, all so beautifully put on paper.

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  13. Wow, Myrna, this feel like where I live now, in Northern Nevada. Our eard is full of quail and many other birds and I wouldn't have it any other way. I almost have a dread of city life. If I'm not in contact with nature, I get out of sorts. Your beautiful poem brought this home to me.

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  14. I so related to the stanza about the rabbit when you were transported back to the different landscape. Beautifully written. The writing goes from loud to calm. Nice story and hope the writing helped with the melancholy.

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  15. love the contrast between the city and the desert, in imagery and in volume. strong write!

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  16. some wonderful transitions in both form and content:
    expansive and interesting -

    thank you Myrna

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  17. change the landscape outside, inside. love your sense of yearning...

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  18. I love this and feel the longing....

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  19. I can so relate to your words Myrna ~ I love the way you formatted this, the past and present contrasting and drawing an emotional response from you and the reader ~ We move on, but nothing pains me seeing my old house too ~

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