Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Sarah's Palindrome Is Not A Sonnet



image borrowed from bing


Sarah’s Palindrome Is Not A Sonnet

“When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of
two characters--one means danger, the other opportunity.”
--John F. Kennedy

Time is but a ghost dance in many hearts,
those who’ve been touched by me;
that Grand Transition, crossing over,
thresholds unseen but often imagined;
my dream that is this life will end--
I will awaken to a rainbow suit
draped over a beauteous bed post,
as loving light radiates
from my translucent fingertips
in a white room without mirrors,
without walls.

Without walls
in a white room without mirrors,
from my translucent fingertips
as loving light radiates
draped over a beauteous bed post
I will awaken to a rainbow suit;
my dream that is this life will end,
thresholds unseen but often imagined,
that Grand Transition, crossing over
those who’ve been touched by me;
time is but a ghost dance in many hearts.  

We witness those smudged trails of mascara
running down fluttering cheeks, soon
powdered dry, following that brilliant nano-second
of my passing--the traffic lights still blink green,
just the tiny grief-wailing,
a choral exhalation of sad breath as new life,
a litter of kittens, a hundred thousand
old souls emerge as bawling infants,
fresh blossoms burst their pods,
the Circus Train moves on. 

The Circus Train moves on,
fresh blossoms burst their pods,
old souls emerge as bawling infants,
a litter of kittens, a hundred thousand,
a choral exhalation of sad breath as new life,
just a tiny grief-wailing
of my passing--the traffic lights still blink green,
powdered dry, following that brilliant nano-second
running down fluttering cheeks, soon
we witness those smudged trails of mascara.


Glenn Buttkus

October 2013

Posted over on Poetry Jam

Would you like to hear the author read this Palindrome poem to you?

8 comments:

Brian Miller said...

oh geez dude....ambitious...i saw the length and i thought no way, so i was looking for the word backwards...and then i realized what you did...i like the second mirror verse...the circus train, fresh blossoms bursting....very cool...

Laurie Kolp said...

Impressive, Glenn. Thanks so much for joing in. I especially like this line-

time is but a ghost dance in many hearts

Mary said...

Wow, Glenn, this is truly stunning. I read it a few times to savor it all. Kind of moving actually, thinking about the traffic lights blinking green, and thinking of old souls emerging as bawling infants. Really fine, fine writing!

kalpana solsi said...

A long running lovely poem.

Gabriella said...

This is a very deep poem Glenn and I enjoyed a lot of your imagery!

alan1704 said...

This is excellent and so rich and full, Reminds me of a tapestry woven with words and images. Very well done with so much in it.

Margaret said...

Honestly, I read this without realizing at first it was backwards! Well thought out - I like the comment above "a tapestry"!

Sarav said...

Glenn,so many images that I loved, rainbow suit, white room, light shooting from fingertips and the second version of the second stanza was brilliant:-)