Fishermen troll along the shore,
lines down in a cleft below the sea
where otters swim sleek and mercurial.
Seals bob along, slow and patient
as I sit above the tide watching,
thinking of Jupiter’s fiery light
and the night song of trees.
Daylight is too rational, too stamped by time
to go below and look for treasure
in the soft beauty of the land, the mystery of the sea.
Yet I will go, loosening the jacket of the known
to swim the depths for something lost
on the edges of memory. Like fishermen I troll,
slicing slivers of soul on a sharp steel hook,
dropped with the faith of all who’ve gone before
to seek the shining face beneath deep waters,
the heartbeat of God within the pulsing earth.
Yes.
This is so good…”daylight IS too rational”.We MUST go below into the bowels of the earth….and our deepest reality…..
That’s soul food Don – Thanks
My new favorite of your poetry!
“Daylight is too rational”
I was thinking of a remark by Alfred Hitchcock when he was accused of not being logical in his storylines.
” Logic is boring ” said the great film maker.
Beautiful ~ Thank You ~ 💖🙏💖
Layer upon layer of courageous and wonderful imagery here Don, a great poem – radiant face of me shines back from you.
Yes, this is a beautiful poem, Don – but what catches me is the line
.
slicing slivers of soul on a sharp steel hook
.
which aches with what you invest in order to seek…
Two nights ago I read your book of narrative poems, “The Irish Girl.” Today’s poem above rewards the reading well, with it’s all-true “Daylight is too rational… to go below and look for treasure.” Yet the book gave you time, and 100.years of magnitude, to tell big stories of little lives. I hope each of your readers gets the book and enjoys it’s treasures as I have. Slainte!
Very stirring stuff Don.
…….the steel hook……of greed…….at the very sight of fool’s gold.
Don’t understand how the steel hook is “of greed”; isn’t the steel hook seeking the heartbeat of God within the pulsing earth?
Don, your line and image is perfect as is “The Irish Girl”; don’t change one comma !
Yes, we all seek and feel the hearbeat of God in all of creation! Thanks so much, Don for focusing on it in all your beautiful work!