Saccades of Sands

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By marandina

Tue, 03 Aug 2021
  • 6071 reads
22 comments
 

A clicking camera shutter, perpetual saccades,

capturing fleeting moments that mark epochs,

littered in sentiment and seminal occasions,

constellations of emotion - sanguine; others desolate.

 

I can count the endless stars at night

that outnumber all of our collective lives,

boundless skies summon futile dreams,

so many hopes soaked in materialistic lustre.

 

The conceptual struggle - to continue to strive,

to realise a place in the scheme of things,

bounded, rational conformity a value learned

from judges seated on thrones of Solomon.

 

Ground-glass sands of the past now cover

the undulating dunes of now buried histories,

alone we sit and stare and remember

as we skim flat pebbles on lost lakes -

 

a search for belonging and acceptance,

subverted by an incontrovertible truth

that the notion of normal is a metaphor

and belongs amongst a Book of Myths.

 

Image free to use at WikiCommons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cadiz_Wilderness_and_Valley.jpg

Certificate U
Poem
Miscellaneous Poems
Spiritual

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes, fleeting glories, human acclaim — rise and fall and buried.

Longing to be special, to achieve, or just be accepted, 'normal'.

We are each made in the image of God and are special, with unique abilities. What is important is to get the 'Well done, faithful servant' — serve neighbours and Maker with what we've got while there is opportunity. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading, Rhiannon. There is a lot to think about in your comment and thanks for making it. Paul :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

There's so many unique layers to your poem Paul. I was fascinated by that last stanza that left me wondering exactly as you say...'what is normal?' To question the idea of our past and it's mysteries that have been lost over time. The sands of time are always moving.

Hope you didn't mind my understanding of your poem, I might have got your meaning completely wrong.

Inspiring as always.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading, Jenny. It's about the struggle to find "normality" over a lifetime when there probably is no such thing as everyone is uniquely different. The moral being just be yourself. Your interpretation is a good one so thank you for such a thoughtful comment. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Enjoyed this, M. Ambitious and well executed. Made me think of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. “Past thinking determines our present status, and our present thinking determines our future status; for we are what we think."

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

Congrats -- this is our Pick of the Day. Please do share on Facebook and Twitter 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you, so much. Genuinely astounded to get POTD as I have read so many astonishly good stories today at ABC. Really humbled. Thank you. Paul

 

Submitted by Mark Burrow on

It's well deserved smiley

 

Submitted by bhi on

So much to chew on here Paul. I will be reading it many more times to digest and enjoy. 

Bhi

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, bhi. It's a philosophical one and me just trying to say be who you are and be content with that. You get like this at my age :)

 

Submitted by celticman on

I suffer from saccaddes, it's a kind of work blindness, like sand in your eyes. You can obviously, see, poetry. 

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, CM. Always a privilege to get a comment from you, sir. Paul

 

Submitted by hudsonmoon on

Amen to that, brother Paul. I spent a lot of time trying to fit in intead of being myself. Have finally found that I like being myself. This might be one of my favorites of yours. Wonderful writing.

Rich

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah thanks for reading, Rich. I think we all come to realise that we've spent too much time trying to be someone else. It's a big deal liking yourself and being content. This is hard to come by. Thanks again. Paul

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Paul

I like that phrase, about the notion of normal. Very pithy.

Jean Day

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Jean. Just me trying, in my clumsy way, to say the lifelong chase to be "normal" can be a fool's errand as there probably isn't really such a thing. Everyone is different and there's nothing wrong in that. Thanks again. Paul

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This beautiful piece is our Poem of the Week - congratulations!

I hope you don't mind, Paul - I have taken your very intriguing question about what is normal, and used it as the basis of this week's Inspiration Point. It's such a universal theme. Thank you very much for putting the idea into my head! 

Submitted by marandina on

Oh thank you, so much Jane. Yes, it's an interesting concept and one brought into focus more when you watch your children trying to deal with peer pressure as they grow up. The light goes on for most of us later in life when we realise that we are actually just fine as we are. Thanks again. Paul :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Was there an earlier version of this? Sure I remembered normal being a myth? It's a great message, I wish it was tought in school instead of the opposite, that you have to be the same to belong - where would orchestras be if everyone had to play the same instrument? Hopefully being a good citizen will not depend on a person's spending and blending power in the future!

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah well spotted, Di. I posted a previous draft briefly but deleted it as I wasn't happy with it and it had some family references I got cold feet about. Thank you for reading both versions. "Spending and blending power" and how that fits with what others see as a norm is another tangent of this. Thanks again for the thoughtful comment (as always). It's genuinely appreciated. Paul

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi,

This is a lovely poem with marvellous language. And what is normal? I think we all know it doesn't really exist in this multifarious world where everything is heterogeneous.

hilary       laugh

 

Submitted by marandina on

Thanks for reading, Hilary. Much appreciated. Paul