Friday, December 14, 2007

Moments in Time

Moments rushing, rushing, rushing,
Tumbling, trampling, pushing, crushing.
Impatiently moving; So anxious to go
As if scuttled by fear and murderous foe.

For a moment they’re here and then they are gone
Like a rippled reflection lost in a pond
Promptly transfigured to shadows of dust
Reality surrendered – polish to rust.
Such chaos and carnage, I can’t help but reckon
Would it hurt them to pause for one pithy second?

All that I want from my moment debris
Is one untarnished granule of antiquity
But yet when I manage one snip to extract
It slips from my grip
And goes racing back.

Written in response to the writer’s prompt “Moment” at Writer’s Island.


Lost on Writer’s Island

Directions, a compass. I have little concept of either. My internal compass has a weak magnetic pole and a delicate spinner. Like a bad cell-phone, the mechanism is intercepted and useless when walled in by steel, concrete, wood, shadow, or the absence of sunshine.

North, south, east, west. It’s all one and the same to me. Take me into a building with a two-cornered hallway and my compass goes kaput. And then I am lost – looking for Hub to take my hand and lead me out of there. He can follow his nose in the pitch-dark of night and still get where he is going.

Got lost the other day. Went down some non-distinctive hallway at Pauline’s Site and ended up marooned on ‘Writer’s Island’. An island foggy with sea salt and tide. Compass down and no traditional signage to lead me home. Just a roadside prompt that said, “Moments” and some oblique reference to poetry.

Desperate to escape, I spun my poem of “moments” and turned the corner to find I was back on a familiar corner and a familiar street. And that is how this poem came to be.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

This is absolutely wonderful writing, what a talent you have! I'm going to look forward to reading some of your other posts. Beautifully written, thank you. Looking forward to more!

Joy Des Jardins said...

I LOVE IT...LOVE IT...LOVE IT Roberta. I always love the surprise of a piece of your poetry waiting when I come to visit. This was wonderful. Thank you.

Roberta S said...

Gee, captain cat. I blush, don't know what to say -- except "welcome, new friend, to my humble abode."

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I am very flattered.

Roberta S said...

Hi joy. Thank you so kindly for honoring my efforts. And since you love it, and it was a surprise, let's call that my gift of the season to you with the very best wishes.

Pauline said...

Laughing - for someone lost in a non-distinctive hallway (?) you sure found your way off the Island with moments to spare. You're a clever girl!

Roberta S said...

Hi, Pauline. I guess I should explain. I referred to "Writer's Island" as a 'non-distinctive hallway' because every time I visit you I am so totally absorbed by the wit, rhythm, and content of your poems. And because I am so absorbed I have never even looked where the prompts were coming from until just the other day. You write too cleverly for me to be easily distracted. I particularly enjoyed the poem "Recession in the Offing". Funny. Priceless.

Pauline said...

Thank you Roberta!That's kind praise from someone whose writing I admire. I haven't been writing poetry very long but I love the medium.

WheelDancer said...

How delicate, how lovely. When I read your posts, I relax in the soft passages of your words. With time so pressing in our work a day worlds, mine anyways, this poem captures the moment to savor and enjoy. Thanks!

Roberta S said...

Welcome, wheeldancer. I don't write poetry often, (not as often as I would like to) cause for that I need a lot more inspiration than for prose. I am glad you took the time to read and comment. I thoroughly enjoyed the poem I read at your site as well.