Saturday, February 11, 2012

Anthem


painting by marcia baldwin

Anthem

Some of us awaken with the music
already playing, and it is up to us
to create the lyrics fresh as the dew,
to be wordsmiths before squeezing
the citrus, before brewing the beans,

chained, cajoled, forced to respond
to the poet’s anthem, to be on the hunt,
reaching childlike for the fireflies, needing
to snare the illusive words and icons
that swirl in the ionosphere
of the voltaic flow, that raging river
of resonance residing just beyond
our naked pejoratives or praises,
our next odd-shaped piece of the cosmic
puzzle, liberating the language of the soul,
letting the angels whisper honied phrases
in our hearts, the messages clarion:

kiss those brilliant butterflies captured
in your gentle fists, let those lubricious
wings flutter velveteen on your wet lips,
then set them free, fueled with love
so that many others can share in
their unique beauty.

Glenn Buttkus

February 2012

Listed as #3 over on dVerse Poets-Philosophy

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18 comments:

  1. Brian MillerFebruary 11, 2012 at 12:08 PM

    beautiful piece man...i will admit i usually hit the bean before i let the anthem grab me so i can see to write...haha...easier to decipher later...love the butterfly imagery...the little sky dancers...grabbing them and giveing them a kiss before sending them off...metaphoric as well for how we choose to disseminate them...out to the world so they touch others....

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  2. UnknownFebruary 11, 2012 at 12:20 PM

    Gotta hand it to you, I think you found all the cylinders and got that baby humming down the road. The contrast between gentle and harsh (or its suggestion) creates a nice underbeat to your major anthem. This isn't one of those brash brass band affairs, but a search for understanding of, the harmonious reality that underlies all that is.

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  3. ClaudiaFebruary 11, 2012 at 12:48 PM

    wings flutter velveteen on your wet lips...wow..yes..that's how writing can feel..a raw and sensual experience.. and then of course sending these words off to others..a beautiful and sensitive piece glenn

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  4. Laurie KolpFebruary 11, 2012 at 1:50 PM

    I love this, Glenn... especially the second stanza and the butterfly at the end.

    http://lkkolp.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/forever-united/

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  5. Susie ClevengerFebruary 11, 2012 at 2:32 PM

    This is a great piece...I wake up too groggy to create lyrics, but what a wonderful way to greet the morning.

    kiss those brilliant butterflies captured in your gentle fists, let those lubricious wings flutter velveteen on your wet lips, then set them free, fueled with love so that many others can share in
    their unique beauty. I think of myself as a butterfly. This quote will linger with me! Great to hear you read your work!

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 4:44 PM

    Wonderfully musical, the recitation sings

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  7. paysanFebruary 11, 2012 at 5:17 PM

    Great piece, the word velveteen can never be used too much...

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  8. Paul BauckFebruary 11, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    A beauty.

    Paul

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  9. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2012 at 6:35 PM

    Beautiful description of butterfly kisses! I loved the opening. I just read today that each morning, we should wake up to be awake ... not to go back to sleep.

    ~Shawna
    rosemarymint.wordpress.com

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  10. S.E.IngrahamFebruary 11, 2012 at 9:43 PM

    This is soooo pretty - I love it! Was not what I was expecting for some reason but was just what I wanted to read ... lovely

    mine's on THE WAY EYE SEE IT if you're so inclined:
    http://aleapingelephant.blogspot.com/2012/02/in-house-of-moon-madness.html

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  11. JANUFebruary 11, 2012 at 10:41 PM

    I love the words you have used...so beautiful.

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  12. Dave KingFebruary 12, 2012 at 1:40 AM

    Brilliant word smithing. Difficult to pace myself I found: too anxious to read the next bit. Second time was even better.

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  13. ScarletFebruary 12, 2012 at 5:47 AM

    I like the music coming out of your words...beautiful image of butterflies captured, and then flying away ~

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  14. TashtooFebruary 12, 2012 at 9:21 AM

    I grab the notebook while the coffee's brewing. Wake at five, before the rest of the house, and receive two glorious uninterrupted hours before the bliss bubble pops and I have to face the "real" world. This one resonates for me, and to you Poet...I raise my glass!

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  15. Williamz JungleJuiceFebruary 12, 2012 at 6:34 PM

    An excellent take on the philosophy of Hope. The musicality of your poetry lifted the imperative to go out and discover the wonders of our own realities....a very beautiful poem.

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  16. adanFebruary 12, 2012 at 7:08 PM

    what a pleasure to read, look fwd to hearing it tomorrow (late here where i am, would wake too many folk ;-) )

    so many nice phrases and juxtapositions, like, gentle & fist

    also liked the line break from cosmic to puzzle, creating the puzzle effect itself

    thanks! ;-)

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  17. UnknownFebruary 12, 2012 at 8:35 PM

    Rock On! I loved this piece, the last stanza killed. The butterfly imagery reminiscent of Hope for the Flowers.

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  18. JamesFebruary 12, 2012 at 9:36 PM

    I like this poem. Anyone who is creative in any way would understand this-

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