Life, give back to a wounded heart! or breathe
that I might fill my breath, and find some rest
with the inner peace of a drying lake--
we sleep awake, not silent, as the dead.
And how might the rage of a wounded heart
find tranquil waters to soothe the soul, neither
love or hope shall take us far upon the road
that stretches ever 'til an end, unknown.
We have no place to lay our hearts, no shelf
or box, or tools of trade to mend the cracks,
or instructions lent, or simple truths to
lead us back through summers of time, ill spent.
Do we sleep alone? What has love to show
a tuneless note, or restless words in silence.
4 comments:
Beautiful! I love the idea of no tools and no instructions to mend the heart.
Powerful writing! And I love the ending line "do we sleep alone."
<3
I like this poem very much.
I like these words:
"we sleep awake, not silent, as the dead."
"And how might the rage of a wounded heart find tranquil waters to soothe the soul."
"Do we sleep alone? What has love to show a tuneless note, or restless words in silence."
Theresa, you have a lot of talent.
*****
"Breathe, arch and original breath. Is it love in her of the being as her lover had been. Breathe body of lovely death. The men were else-minded then. The wind woke thee with a 'We are perishing' in the weather of Gennessareth. Or is it that she cried for the crown then, the keener to come at the comfort for feeling the combating keen?" (this may not be an exact quote)
"My heart you were dovewinged I can tell, carrier-witted I am bold to boast. To flash from the flame to the flame then, tower from the grace to grace."
"No worst, there is none, pitched past pitch of grief. My cries heave herds long, huddle in a main, a chief woe, world sorrow, on an age-old anvil wince and sing. Then lull, then leave off, fury had shrieked, let me be fell, force I must be brief. Each life death must end and each day dies with sleep."
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
(I am writing these lines from memory, so these quotes may be missing a few words here and there)
I was inspired to write these lines from Hopkins. . . or else I could sit here wrestling with "restless words in silence."
"Now burn, newborn to the world. . ."
--Gerard Manley Hopkins
@Feathers thank you! :)))))
Hey Tim!
Thanks for the lovely quotes. I am absolutely convinced that I must read GM Hopkins, the poetry you quoted is beautiful in that old-time way, when everything seemed slightly more mysterious. It seems like so much contemporary poetry is focused on the disappointments of urban life. Its stifling and void of spirit.
"No worst, there is none, pitched past pitch of grief." Wow.
"To flash from the flame to the flame then, tower from the grace to grace..."
I'm glad you have a place to stay over Thanksgiving. Wish I could be holed up in a snow storm somewhere... at least then I wouldn't have to go to work.
Can't wait to put an end to the Holiday season...
again, tears....
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