Lonely Today Poem by Seamus O' Brian
Lonely Today
I'm lonely today
Stirred into the swirl of the day
Motion all around me, kinetic,
Frenetic.
But there is a sluggish calm in the bayou
Of my soul.
All is still. If I breathe I will move
The world.
The cicadas sing, a buzzing that magnifies
The weight of the stillness; moss hangs without
A whisper of wind.
To be a listless bog in the turgid cataracts
Of chaos; a specter afloat, unconnected
To the revelry of living.
Can you hear my silence?
Can you see my translucence?
I am not the one sheep.
I am the second.
The one no one realized
Was gone.
You write such intelligent comments on other people's poems and I really want to do the same back at you here. This poem certainly deserves a close look under its hood to see the mechanics of what has driven it and drives it still... it's one of the subliminal things that happened to me while I was reading it... how driven this poem and its speaker are... how it propels me into its mossy cicadas buzzing bogged down atmosphere the perfect natural counterpart to silence of the soul..... You are an authentic talent, Neal, we benefit greatly by your presence here on PH. 10
Yes, Susan, even the most raucous river has little tributaries that can end in sludge and bog. Some days I feel stuck in such a bog, with the world racing on by. Fortunately, like clouds, the shadows pass. I'm glad that this heaviness translated in the images of the swampy bayou. Thank you, as always, for your very encouraging sentiments. Be blessed!
Neal, this is an incredibly powerful poem! I like it. So many images to ponder - stirred into the swirl of the day - wow! If I breathe I will move the world - how intense is that? And your brilliant paradoxical questions. I really identify with these thoughts. Funny that you mention cicadas. I have tinnitus and the noise I hear I call my crickets or my cicadas. Even in the silence, I wish for silence.
Thank you, dear Laurie. The busyness and bustle of life can sometimes magnify our own personal sense of disconnection, probably even the way silence intensifies tinnitus (I can sympathize somewhat, I have a high frequency hearing loss from my days in the service that has left me with a mild case of tinnitus) . I know all the sheep are accounted for, but sometimes the solitude of the trail can bring out doubts. I appreciate your gracious thoughts, Laurie.
Really, after reading this I feel lonely too. Nice poem. Thanks for sharing.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/6/2024 11:29:33 AM # 1.0.0.1119
seamus, great last stanza! it was a surprise but fits with the rest. glen kappy