image by jonas fornerod
Sardonicus
Most of my dreams are inhabited by a struggling man,
who finds himself lost in a strange large bustling city
where no one offers a map or is willing to help.
But being lost seems comfortable--he doesn’t expect help
because there is always something familiar about that city
and he senses he can be a resourceful independent man.
So he walks or drives all around the streets of the dark city,
and somehow finds his destination without the aid of help,
becoming a cousin to smug, the sardonic smiling man;
for a man must help himself, regardless of the city.
Glenn Buttkus
August 2012
Posted over at dVerse Poets #FFA
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True, that.
ReplyDeletefor me, each city has something familiar..i love traveling alone to a new city, being open to see it with new eyes, find the familiar, explore the foreign..it's all about discovering and then drawing the map ourselves..
ReplyDeleteNice... I especially like the third stanza.
ReplyDeleteevery man must help himself surely...i would like to think our responsibility extends beyond that to each other ....and even in NYC i have had some help getting around from the locals...i can think of one chinese man in particular...
ReplyDeleteDamn! I do believe we have discovered perfection of the form right here...and I LOVE that image. Encore, Poet! You rocked this one!
ReplyDeleteWell you described nearly every man in my experience - they just "won't" ask for directions. Women, however, will stop at every crook in the road and have peace of mind she's moving in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteLoved the way your dreamscape gives way to clarity at the end. Form works for you very well.
You have a great voice.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery is nice. The emotion is conveyed very well. I really enjoyed this poem. Thank you.
Oh, yeah--I've had that kind of anxiety dream, too. Your last line is so good. (Mine are often about trying to dial a phone number because I needed help and couldn't dial it correctly).
ReplyDeleteYikes, lost in a strange city strikes a nightmare chord with me too. You wrote this form so well, and I could feel the plight. I like the strength of the ending....depending on yourself!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about this and any of your other poems that I've read - your poetic voice is self-assured. That confidence alone enables you to face a structure like this and envision working your way around it. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteA wisdom to your words.
ReplyDeleteBeing a country girl, the city scares the pants of me, but when I do visit I find all very fascinting and poeticaly inspiring.
For a while after my poetry delves into city sights.
Great stuff. I especially like your free use of the form, making it your servant, not your king.
ReplyDeleteThis suits the form so well! The wandering around and winding up to a great finish.
ReplyDeleteStrong writing as usual Glenn. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully penned and well put too ... love how easily you've put the man not needing to ask for help and made of it a strong thing ... nicely done.
ReplyDeletehttp://leapinelephants.blogspot.ca/2012/08/desperately-missing-you-who-are-gone.html
this flowed so beautifully I would not have even noticed it was a tritina. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to you read this.
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