Belated Words

Write On!

The Body

Written by

Leo

in

The body fails the mind even before

the last moment cast consciousness to where

it goes.  Forget disease, the slippery tub;

muscle slackens or turns to stone, wrought hard

by pain from errant bone, the ear, the eye

can fail from use , the joints refuse, the lungs

rebel; the parts unite to fight for warmth,

for softer, for a peace, stasis, for time.

The will can be hard hit by pain and dreams

of youth deferred until can fade or slink

away hardly noticed or lamented.

But yet, a mountain bald, a topless sky

invites just me to come and see a bit

of truth, hidden, held close along a ledge

secured by pine. A sweaty climb along

the bluff, a grunt of pain a pill can not

relieve, and now I strain to see tiny

iris, cristata; blooming blue and gold

and white so pure that God is real,

at least, worth consideration.

Atop the bald, a boulder makes a bed

of soothing heat to draw fatigue away,

and leave a space in which a breeze warm with

the smell of pine needles can ease my hurt.

Dwarf-crested iris, cristrata
(stock photo)

This poem comes from 2002 and rings even more true today than ten years ago.  This is not about remorse, self-pity or even ageing, but rather the soothing power and joy that the natural world can provide, at least temporarily, if a person is so incline to make an effort to see the wonders that exist.

Comments

6 responses to “The Body”

  1. Susan L Daniels Avatar
    Susan L Daniels

    Leo–I love how you treat the world in your poetry–interaction with reverence, with tenderness.

    Reply
    1. Leo Avatar
      Leo

      Thanks, so much, Susan.

      Reply
  2. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
    Jeremy Nathan Marks

    You write lovely poetry. I love the message here, the way you show us how beauty and aging are not antonyms.

    I think what resonates with me the most is how you point out that beauty, like aging, is a process not a static image. Aging may indeed be painful but the body still unites to keep itself intact (which is a beautiful thing):

    the parts unite to fight for warmth,

    for softer, for a peace, stasis, for time.

    I also am struck how you see on top of that bald mountain a place to rest atop hard rock.

    Reply
    1. Leo Avatar
      Leo

      Jeremy, thank you for your comments. I could tell the first time I visited your blog we were similar in heart in our view of the natural world. Leo

      Reply
      1. Jeremy Nathan Marks Avatar
        Jeremy Nathan Marks

        I got that sense too. It’s a nice feeling.

  3. Anne Avatar
    Anne

    What a wonderful message. So true.
    I think you establish a rhythm through the early part of the poem, Leo, and then it changes gear with the climb to the mountain top, becoming more lyrical.
    At the end the reader almost breathes a sigh of relief too – lovely.

    Reply

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