Olympian Dreams

Cherry

By onemorething

Mon, 25 May 2020
  • 2850 reads
14 comments
 

Perhaps he has Olympian dreams

of a flaxen-haired, smirking sun-god,

or maybe the iron fist 

of a more Jovian ambition,

and visualised, in its infancy

of the budding of becoming actualised,

the circle tightens, closes.

 

He hears yes

and yes

and the impossibility of no grows

and questions seem dispensable so

he offers the same answer to them all:

it feels potent,

it feels intoxicating.

 

It is the sound of the night waves

that beat at dark rocks

in their transmission of corruption,

and it is in the glazed eye of the shark

who bites and tears

because his teeth are sharper - 

because he can.

 

It creeps its deception 

of accidental regimes 

and natural progressions:

of dog eat dog and 

tooth and claw

until a man, unremarked,

may devour a man.

 

And when he rests his black boots

upon your table and talks 

in rented words, when he recruits

vipers, when we begin to understand

that this is a language

that we do not all speak,

let's not pretend 

that we did not know where this dominion

began or what it would lead to,

from where it lingers its rot 

in the corridors of privilege,

ever less tacit. And let's not say 

that we agreed to be voiceless

even when the monolithic bellow of power 

became so loud

that it deafened.

 

Image from wikimedia commons:

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_White_Shark_(14730744390).jpg

Image also on Twitter of Mount Olympus:

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gian_Giacomo_Barbelli_-_Olympus.jpg

Certificate PG
Poem
Opinion

Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

Absolutely marvellous.  The transmission of corruption indeed.  Reading this has helped bring a bit of focus back.  Really feel on the point of just throwing hands up in the air and saying 'You know what?  Just let them get on with it.  I'll stay here in my corner and sing songs to drown it all out.'  But no, we musn't be voiceless.

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks airyfairy, and for the cherries. I agree, I think I wrote this to remind myself as much as anything. And to vent some of my anger clearly too. Glad it makes sense as written on a lot of migraine medication between yesterday and this morning. Maybe it's BJ's fault that I even have a migraine come to think of it! Very glad you liked it. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rachel,

I read your poem many times, I wasn't understanding  to start with, but you've explained and I can see where you're coming from, it makes so much sense now.

I do hope you are okay, it sounds like you're having a rough time with migrane headaches. You take care and get plenty of rest.

My thoughts are with you at this time.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Hi Jenny, oh dear, I'm sorry. I hadn't realised I'd been so obscure about it: all I can put it down to is the migraine and medication then! Though it does seem to have mostly lifted, finally, this morning, thank goodness. Thank you very much for reading it and trying to decipher my meaning, you're very kind, and thanks for your very caring message. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by agnosticnun on

Stunning and topical. Since I'm in North America I wasn't thinking BJ, but works for him as well.

Kristi

Submitted by onemorething on

Hi Kristi, 
Yes, well, North America's burden crossed my mind as well as our own. Works with any of their ilk in mind. Thanks for reading and glad it resonated with you. 
Rachel :)

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I saw a description of power and corruption and I began to think I see this in nearly everything I read nowadays. I dismissed my thought telling myself this is about something less political, more personal maybe. However, I am sure my first impressions were right, judging by comments I read here.

It pains me to think I see such sewage, but it seems in this age of populist leaders people seem willing to allow their personal freedoms to be gently eroded because snakes utter words they want to hear. 

It happened not so long ago and this even month we are still celebrating the end of it, despite some quarters encouraging a re-start. I can only hope (for the sake of my children and their children) people (and FREE press) begin to see through the stain of wanabee dictators backed and covered by powerful hand-chosen puppets and force a return to more responsibe leaders and a time when the word 'integrity' actually means something.

Hmmm rant over.  . . . Rachel, certaintly this is a well crafted poem and an interesting read.

Thank you, 

Ed  C

 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Hi Ed, 

That's a fair expectation for the more personal. I don't often write anything that isn't personal, and usually not political. And yes, I would like integrity and fairness. I think those are pretty basic, but because, in my view, neither underpin our current system, society even, they are far more complicated to achieve, sadly. I am sorry I caused a moment of paranoia too! I will put a notice in next time of 'Yes, this is political' in my small print so that it doesn't happen again. Thanks for reading and your welcome rant. Glad you liked it. 
 

Rachel :)

 

 

Submitted by littleditty on

I think the personal is political is personal...is political....and so on and on...like a feminist group meeting in the 90's...lol. (I should write that poem!) When I wrote the long time ago crumb, I also wrote a poem about Judy Chicago's plates - i was in US at the time..autobiographical everything as it always is, think i understand what you are saying...the crumb reminds me of these things - its a curious write, will read again, after I find a whisky mixer....!! xx

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Ha. Yes, perhaps, though sometimes I feel like the personal can be kept personal even if you could make it political, but the political is probably always personal, I might agree with you about that. I need a drink now. And as a matter of fact, I deserve one because I had a completely dry weekend, unless medication counts, which reading my poem, it probably does. Also now I want to read about Judy Chicago. Thanks for reading, and one of your ever enjoyable comments. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by littleditty on

Ive just been handed a gin and tonic...its a work day...its immoral :Oo Cheers!

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Hurray. Cheers. Happy ginning. I'm sure it can only improve work, can't it. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I missed this poem but am so glad I found it just now, it is great, brilliant.

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks Di! I had forgotten about this one. I was so angry at how the Cummings debacle was managed away and what that revealed about how we were now governed. Still maddening when I think about it. Thanks for reading it. I'm going to take some deep breaths... :)