Tag Archives: poetry
The Universe Engineer
The World of My Imagination’s Photo-Prompt Flash Fiction Challenge.
Submissions must be 500 words or less, and feature the picture and all five words: Spider, Race, Machine, Muscle, & Engineer.
My submission…
THE UNIVERSE ENGINEER
In the night the giant, ungainly spider moves. On malformed legs propelled through dense forest slow. Rustle of living leaves above. Crackling of the dead below.
Whisper of westerly wind. A soft earthly sigh. With deliberate strides it journeys under branch, leaf, and vine that hides the moon and sky.
A second accursed of spider race now strides abreast the first in midnight’s dark. Third and fourth shambling arachnids join in time. As hidden moon ends celestial arc.
Misshapen, mutant spiders all. A hundred years through forest nights they tramp. Canopy above shakes from passing. Leaves fall in darkness like dying bats.
Three younger, less warped walkers find first four at pre-dawn’s hour. Smaller these be. Lighter of leg. Yet, command not the old ones’ power.
Truth revealed in morning’s light. Sun breaches forest canopy. No spiders things these walkers. The legs are roots. The dark hid trunks of ancient Dryad trees.
These Dryads, this mystic race, a pool they find that Eternal glistens. Roots bring them near water’s edge. Silent. Still. With leaf and branch, bark and gnarl they listen.
The heat, light, and life. First day’s sun rays calm waters feel. Then shimmer. Now hum. As the Great Machine, with primal gears, turns the cosmic wheel.
Brilliant beam of pure white radiance. From Void, through space, then stratosphere. To center of the Eternal pool. Upon this rides the Engineer.
She, He, It is all things. Dryads bow. Leaves in reverence rustle. A seeming apparition, this Engineer, save, its living, loving, laboring heart of mortal muscle.
Heartbeats of the world. Of rocks , of trees, of languid pools, sun rays, and moon beams. Its thump-thump the spinning of the earth, the boiling core’s hum, the harmonic of the great Machine.
Yet, with each beat mortal muscle withers. Life bleeds from the Engineer. All Her, His, Its love given unto death. Sap drips from bark and bow. Ancient Dryad tears.
Night couples again with day. Waters caressed by Sun’s last fingers of flame. Silent now the Engineer’s heart. He, She, It forever fades.
Return from whence they walked “crippled spiders” do. A solemn tree upon each back. Engineer’s gifted love felt as ground meets stepping root. All hundred years upon the track.
A millennium of hourglass sands fall. Alas! A call Dryads again hear. Summoning their race to witness as they have all time. The Machine of the Cosmos, the Lover of all Things, the Universe Engineer.
Word Count – 407
~CLS~
Mother Earth – Steve Wolf Original (with recording of song below)
Oh Mother Earth
I’m going down
The full moon shines upon
A sea of stars
A flood of light
And I am sinking
Oh Mother Earth
I was thinking
That when I die
And all my tomorrows
Like tears
Fall into the sky
And flicker
And pass me by
And when I leave my friends
The ones I love
Will I never know them again
Or understand
Their tenderness
Their loveliness
Or feel them warm
Against my
Skin
Am I to lie there endlessly
Alone in death
Eternity
Waiting
Without them
Oh I could cry
A million tears
Mother Earth
These are my fears
That I should pass
A million years
Or a single day
Without
Them
Oh Mother Earth
I’m going down
I feel the coldness
Of the ground
The bitter frost
Of deepest space
I cannot bear
To face it
And when I feel this way
Wrap your arms around me
Press you body
Into mine
As if your soul
Could enter
Me
And when I feel this way
Do not say a word
Or dry my tears
Just hold me
And let the years
Pass
Oh Mother Earth
We’re going down
The full moon sets
And sinks
Beneath the dark waters
Of the flood
And all is
Silent
I finally found Steve Wolf’s original song that I attempted to recreate below. Listen to the acoustic version by the original author. Chilling…
Goddess’ Eyes
Dark blue night
Points of light
Dead tree silhouette
Against the sky
Blood and birth
Pain then life
Smile of the Goddess
In a mother’s eyes
I see the magic in your eyes
I see something tragic in your eyes
Bright sun rays
Newborn’s face
Become now Self
For finite days
Life and loss
Loved ones die
Shade of the Goddess
In a widow’s eyes
I see the magic in your eyes
I see something tragic in your eyes
Guilt like Hell
Death of Self
Buried in the Void
Where souls once dwelt
Return alive
A truth realized
Gift of the Goddess
In Enlightened eyes
I see the magic in your eyes
I see something tragic in your eyes
I see the magic
I see the tragic
In the Goddess’ Eyes
~CLS~
Mother Earth
Oh Mother Earth
I’m going down
A warm breeze
Dries my eyes
So I might see
The stars
Listening
And glistening
In the sky
And when I feel this way
Don’t leave my side
Don’t turn away
Hold my hand
And keep me
From being
Frightened
Of the
Dark
The bitter frost
Of endless space
No I cannot bare
To face it
Oh Mother Earth
I’m going down
And when I leave my friends
The ones I love
Will I ever
Know them again
Or will I understand
Their tenderness
Their loveliness
And when I feel this way
Hold me close to your bosom
And set me down to lay
Forever and
Ever
Press your body into mine
As if your soul
Could enter
Me
Am I to lie here
Endlessly
Alone in death
Eternity
For I could cry
A million tears
For a single day
Or a thousand years
Without my
Friends
Oh Mother Earth
I’m going down
And soon the sun will set
I will forget
All is silent
And I cry
I
Cry
~CLS~
Love to Steve Wolf who wrote the original version of this song, but I cannot, for all the years passed, remember it but as an inspiration. I love you, Brother, and miss you.
I know
I know it feels
Like your drowning
The cold and fear
You’re sinking down in
A last breath
Pray for guidance
Embrace death
Lay in silence
I know the pain
Of this passing
There’re no answers
To what you’re asking
There’s only Void
What’s beyond
Let go of all
Fear holds on
I know it’s hard
Your Ego dying
It cannot serve
The enlightened
So say goodbye
This is your moment
End your Self
End your torment
I am Void
Am nothing
No nothing
Non-existence
Only consciousness
To create
Anything
Everything
What sublime
Simplicity
I know it feels
Like Heaven
But it’s just being
In the moment
You can touch
All that you feel
What were dreams
You now make real
I know it seems
Like freedom
Yet many souls
Fall prey to demons
Sisters, brothers
Hopeless, wandering
Lost forever
Without your suffering
I know it feels
Like your drowning
Knowing fear of Hell
You must go down in
A final test
There is no guidance
Thier souls for yours
Eternal Silence
~CLS~
Awakening
So deep I had seeped
Into despair
That I knew to survive
I’d have to dare
To end Me and Misery’s
Long affair
So that night ‘fore I slept
I wept a prayer
And the Goddess took me
On a walk that night
Up to a mountain
That touched the sky
And in awe
I raised my eyes
And thus cried my soul
At the sight
I AM AWAKENED
~CLS~
The Sun and the Mountain
Trapped in my mind
I couldn’t find release
So I sped across the bridge
Left the city behind me
I went up on a hill
Looking down over the sea
And I wandered through the redwoods
Searching around for inner peace
Then way up on the Mountain
The Sun rests his weary head
And way up on that Mountain
Wake a hundred buried dead
I don’t want to find you
Hanging around up there
With them
And I never want to find you
Lying down there
Among them
When I left the tangled forest
I found that I was not alone
I turned to face a demon
With the familiar scent of home
The specter had me shaken
Yet I was awakened by the test
It said I was forsaken
For taken on my quest
Then way behind the Mountain
The Sun hid his sleeping head
And way up on that Mountain
Danced a hundred living dead
I don’t want to find you
Hanging around up there
With them
And I never want to find you
Dancing up there
Among them
One foot in front of the other
I stumble down my lonely road
With one last shot of tequila
‘Fore I go into the valley below
With your hate-note for a map
And a cigarette to light my way
Shivering in your loathing
I await the break of day
Then way above the Mountain
The Sun rears his fiery head
And way up on that Mountain
Rests a hundred native dead
I don’t want to find you
Hanging around up there
With them
And I never want to find you
Lying down there
Among them
Pray I never find you
Hanging around up there
With them
No I never want you with me
Lying down there
Among them
~CLS~
Thank you Linda Sorensen for the wonderful painting of Mt. Vision and my long ago home of Inverness. What a magical place…
In Dreams
In dreams
My soul travels
Realms created
Experience magical
Then I return
Only to find here
That I yet dream on
For your eyes
Capture me
As a Goddess’
A dream more magical
Than any
In remembrance
How my heart
Smiles and sighs
~CLS~
Raging Fire
How many thoughts
How many imaginings
Have I had of you today
How few breaths
How few moments
For me have felt this way
This is not a simple fancy
Nor is it a simple lust
Yes indeed a deep desire
A burning heart
A raging fire
Oh your voice
Even a single word
Watching your mouth move
A long sigh
A longer kiss
Oh what am I to do
This is not a simple fancy
Nor is it a simple lust
Yes indeed a deep desire
A burning heart
A raging fire
I feel for you
And I burn
I’d burn for you
And I fall to sleep
And I dream
I dream of you
Oh how I wish
I could take you away
As I hope only I can do
But it is I
Who is swept by your tide
And oh how I am moved
This is not a simple fancy
Nor is it a simple lust
Yes indeed a deep desire
A burning heart
A raging fire
Yes indeed a deep desire
A burning heart
A raging fire
~CLS~
Listen to RAGING FIRE.
For Love of My Shadow 