are we not what we are
The deities do not really know
me, nor I them.
I understand not their reasoning.
I do not bow down
to their invisible forces.
My days do not depend on
meeting their needs–
they do not guide me
or light my path.
Chance made me,
chance and circumstances
beyond their control.
I do not look like them,
nor do I follow
their arbitrary whims.
Who I am is a mystery–
mine, not theirs.
When I cease to be
I will become
part of the mystery too.
I will not join them
or serve them
or sing their praises.
I will sing the songs
of my people speaking
in the voices
of the ebb and flow
of our existence,
our beginnings and our ends.
The universe will continue
with or without me, or us,
or those calculations some may choose
to rest their hopes upon.
Sorrow will someday
fill me, like waters burning
inside a vast light–
I will lie naked and alone,
bones joined
to the many paths
my feet have trodden.
And yet joy
and yet laughter
and yet wonder
and the magic of the night sky.
And yet the wings of birds
and the shells
that come from the sea.
We are all this
and more,
already rooted and found.
We belong to what nurtures life–
the earth, the moon, the sun–
the elemental dust
given us by the stars.
A (late) response to the Myths of the Mirror May Speculative Fiction prompt, below. I kind of went off on a tangent with both the collage and words, but I started with Diana’s image.
37 responses to “are we not what we are”
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- May 30, 2019 -
This is beautiful, Kerfe – I love your “tangents”!
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Thanks Betty.
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I really did enjoy this poem, Kerfe. An excellent response to the prompt.
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Thanks Robbie.
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Wonderful, Kerfe. I loved the expansion of “who we are” as the poem progresses – from the confines of accepted definitions to something unique, sublime, and universal. I’ve read it three times and find something new in each one. I’m so glad you took up the prompt. I can’t wait to share. 🙂
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Thanks Diana. Another good prompt!
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Looks like the prompt was mighty inspiration for you, Kerfe. I love your collage and how you used it to accent your poetry. Cosmic and intimate at the same time. ❤
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Thanks Jade. I circled around this one for awhile.
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I love this! I read the poem first time without really noticing the collage it had me entranced.
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Thanks Jane. I’ve been working on it for quite awhile. At a certain point you need to let go…
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It’s a wonderful piece of work.
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Marvelous piece of poetry, M and your pictures are so abstract and yes Diana’s man who is half a machine and half a man, you wrote so well. Inspired by your poem.
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Thank you Marta.
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Welcome M.
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Wow
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Thanks Jodi.
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This is a wonderful “tangent.” “We are all this and more. . .”
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We are. Thanks Merril.
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A tangent well done, I needed to read this today.
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Thanks Sharon.
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This:
“The universe will continue
with or without me, or us,
or those calculations some may choose
to rest their hopes upon.”
And this:
“We are all this
and more,
already rooted and found.
We belong to what nurtures life–
the earth, the moon, the sun–
the elemental dust
given us by the stars.”
…answers my questions so eloquently.
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Thanks Ken.
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Your collage is amazing and so is your poem! I like the last 2 stanzas of your poem the best. 😊
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Thanks Jill. We all need hope.
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Yes! 👍
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I love the last verse and the collage is intriguing.
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Thanks Suzanne. An intriguing prompt!
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I love the message and pacing of this. It feels sort of like a creed but not one that has been handed down, one that is deeply thought and felt.
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Thanks Janice. I think we are all tired of the layers and barriers being put between us and what belongs freely to us all.
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Reblogged this on Myths of the Mirror and commented:
Kerfe’s response to the prompt is a combination of artwork and poetry. Mesmerizing as always. I hope you enjoy. 🙂
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Thanks Diana!
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You’re welcome!
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Wow! A poem that speaks to me…and what inspired collages, Kerfe. Love the deep feelings so eloquently expressed.
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Thanks Joy. I think it’s something many are feeling these days.
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Like Diana, wonderful was my first response. I particularly like the last bits, the wisdom and reflection of both joy and sorrow.
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Thank you.
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