Today unseen souls dangle from clouds
Waiting for clarity
Death causes disorientation
But life's images slowly expand
Sharpening reality
Through death's merciless scope
Today the dead watch the living track numbers
As terminated lives transform
Into the grey mist of sadness enveloping the world
Many of the living remain perplexed
Wondering if they're next
Others pretend only to care
About entertainment within confinement
Or if the market will crash
The way fear collides with hope
Some exist like three monkeys
Who see, hear
But still speak evil
Today the dead compassionately smile upon us
They understand now
That grief has many shades
For Earthwheel where Sherri prompts us to write about the impact of the Corona Virus.
Myrna, I cant tell you how much impact this poem has - I can almost SEE the souls dangling from the clouds, feel their confusion at their sudden transition........I am not sure people, so used to denial, are really allowing themselves to feel how close death is hovering..........thank you for writing this, and for linking at earthweal. I will be looking at the clouds, now, and thinking of those souls up there. Stay safe, my friend.
ReplyDeletep.s. I also LOVE "grief has many shades." Yes, it does.
ReplyDeletePoignant, true and beautiful. Many thanks. Stay well, stay safe.
ReplyDeleteTrue..it is the ones that pretend that all is well that I cannot understand. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteOh, the sould dangling from the clouds are heartbreaking, Myrna, as is the thought of the dead watching the living track numbers. One day the ‘grey mist of sadness’ will clear. As you say, 'grief has many shades'.
ReplyDeleteMyrna, I've always said what a fabulous writer/poet you are. This is beautiful and should be seen/read by many. I hope you and your family are all well!
ReplyDeleteThis is nice. Myrna. I am thinking you have experienced some of during the last two weeks. I stumbled at reading this line, "Many of the living remain perplexed Wondering if they're next." At first I was planning on dying and that was okay if it was my time. I've done every I needed to do and most of what I wanted to do. My four careers were all fine and even fun. Nice family, quite large and five generations. We've traveled a lot too,all 50 states, around the world, missed Antarctica though were close, around Cape Horn.
ReplyDeleteBut now I don't feel like I will die quite yet, God would like me around helping. But we are old with great great-grandchildren.
Thank you for peeking in on me.
..
Three monkeys, that's what caught at me. Exactly what we have in government. Unfortunately there are more than three.
ReplyDeleteOh, Myrna! You put new images in my head. To think of mortality, and grow to understand the shades of grief and denial from the lingering moment of souls no longer inhibited by bodies. A daring write. An eye-opening one. It is so good to read you again!
ReplyDelete