sound escape

Gold cherry

By Di_Hard

Fri, 22 Jul 2022
  • 3700 reads
33 comments
 

Earth's first touch for reaching sun, iron age hill fort

looks out over ground held in molten blue, above

all sound, save wind's unseen tongue howling vowels round

consonants of stone left millennia before

humans climbed up, or down to walk under whispers

shifting green, tawny, gone with shadows'  forgotten

secrets blown from sap-sucked twig spokes in seasons' wheel

 

within turning years, man's gear changes, estranges

us step by step as mud's downtrodden beneath ploughs

and air's cut into time by church bells from the town

while wildlife flees then flows back into tilled gaps, fills

a search for proof of Heaven with evidence : song

from birds, bugs, beasts of all kinds telling us : Life is

and always will be if we stop thinking we're god

sent to understand, control; as a child will

put their finger in a clock's cogs to hold back age

people strive to maximise profit, monetise

even space; choice is ceded, monocrops seeded

so workers in large plants making our breath are fired

interrupting supply chains of good weather, we 

invented other kinds of Peace - both fighting's pause

and all absence of Wild's ability to be. In such

sterile silence a questioning ear's answerless

under the sky, our lonely voice inside, echoing

 

But.

...let's think outside this box of our cleverness

and find winds blow, waves carry, sun lights us forward

to a future built on sound foundations for all

 

 

 

 

 

inspired by Ewan's thought provoking poem The Art Of Noises : A Futurist's Manifesto : https://www.abctales.com/story/ewan/art-noises-futurists-manifesto

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Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

The wind sounding vowels, and stones consonants! Interesting metaphor!

choices cedeed, monocrops seeded - deft phrasing!

We are commanded to be stewards in our world but to try to do good, not for greed.

and an interesting point to conclude on the good 'sound' foundations of life. - the soothing sounds like birdsong or water rippling?, though thunder and machinery can be wake-up calls! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for reading and giving your thoughts Rhiannon which I am always grateful for :0) Was worried consonants of stone didn't make sense, and am so glad you liked ceded/seeded, I thought of you when reading that through :0) There seem to be more and more reports on how important  natural sound as opposed to mechanical sound is, not only for human wellfare, but for other creatures, too

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

This poem has such an emotional flow to it Di. It gives a feeling of us humans needing to re-evaluate what's most important and listen to the natural sounds of Mother Earth. As a senitive person I could feel your passion within this poem.

Effective as always and makes the reader think.

Jenny. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much Jenny :0) Am so happy to know you felt that from reading as I value your opinion on writing about nature very much, the connection you have and communicate with such vitality

 

Submitted by lenchenelf on

and pointed, a quiet roar to respect this place. Almost a librarians' firm, but gentle, shush among things yet to be learned and re-learned. Really enjoyed reading.

Best as always

Lena x

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Oh! Thankyou so much Lena! I always feel like an elephant trumpling about on ideas after reading something by you :0)

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

What a wonderful defence of what's good or could be good. So many lovely descriptions, Di, but you know those three simple words 'above all sound' stopped me in my tracks. Why is that? Maybe some sense of peace above everything. I read the rest of it as if on top of the mountain. You put those words in the right place, near the beginning. Really good. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Hullo Catherine, thankyou so much giving your time to read and comment :0) Have you been to a hill fort? I don't know if there are any near Bristol, we used to go to Dartmoor when I was a child, there are several there. And up here, there are some on the island too, this is the only one I have been to, but they all have a wonderful sense of Peace, but also a sparkle in the air that gets inside you like a connection to some understanding, or empathy with the eternal that we have lost? That's what I was trying to show, with above all sound

 

Submitted by catherine poarch on

Not sure about a hill fort but definitely lots of ruins. My favourite - and the saddest - is where the Battle of Hastings was. There's this definite tangible prescence to the place. I loved your explanation.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Random places do overwhelm with sadness. Have not been to Hastings.I don't know how often a single battle has brought such change

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I always love it when you post a poem because (apart from the poem) I know the comments from others will be so interesting. I can only echo what's already been said and look for my nearest hill fort to visit (never been to one!). Would you like me to edit your work to remove the cut/paste colour discrepancy?

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou :0) I love everyone's comments too, it is what makes me write - going to my inbox and seeing " comment for your post " and then finding such kind and constructive thoughts from writers I respect very much

Defintely visit a hill fort!

Please if you can work out how to sort out the font, that would be great, I was hoping with my new computer that would go away, but it still happens, either going very small or big - being a different colour is new :0) Is it the Glitch living in font now? 

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

no it's not new. all you need to do is go to edit, select all the text, and then click on 'remove formattting'

 

Submitted by celticman on

our blue earth, we fucked it up a bit, but it's still a great idea. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for reading and commenting CM. Best idea we will ever know. I like the thought that life is an idea :0) 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

The final stanza left a lasting impression. Clever words so full of hope. I'll drink to that thought!

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for reading and commenting Ed, your "effort" is brilliant! I climb onto soap boxes as easily as I fall off logs so very glad to hear you found this hopeful, and I hope you had something good to drink :0)

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This wonderful piece is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day!

Please share/retweet if you enjoyed it too

Picture Credit:https://tinyurl.com/d65xm63p

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much!

 

Submitted by Kurt Rellians on

I enjoyed this, although it certainly says almost too much at once. I particularly like the second part, as it speaks against our attempts to control everything, and to monetise everything, including our own lives.

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for reading and your thoughtful comment, Kurt, I really appreciate knowing you liked the second part, as I feel my ranting is a chore to read :0)

 

Submitted by marandina on

"...save wind's unseen tongue howling vowels round consonants of stone left millennia.." Lots of wonderfully, poetic lines in this, Di. Enjoyed Ewan's poem and enoyed this one just as much. Paul

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Hi Paul, thankyou so much for your comment ,you are always wonderfully encouraging :0) I hope you had a lovely holiday

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

for this thoughtful and very relevant piece. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That's so kind Ed, Thankyou! Gold was very much earned by your richly evocative piece, too!

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Your poem is effective in its vivid picture of where we our planet is unfortunately going. If only we would listen to nature, the cries of vanishing wildlife and learn to protect our habitat, as they protect theirs and if we'd change our ways, stop the business as usual attitude for profits sake, for wealth that lasts one lifetime's ego, if we'd accept the signs of destruction, the rapid warnings and give support to the earths needs now, to save our future, humanities future, we might yet survive. But I fear we will continue on in denial as a sad epitaph is being written for us, fires burning over the land, eating ancient forests; temperatures rising across the planet, oceans no longer able to absorb the heat. It is evident the time to change this course is nearly depleted, but deaf ears and blind eyes still rule.

Penny4athought

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Penny, thankyou for reading and commenting. And for writing a new story! I saw you had posted it and am saving it to read, like a biscuit :0)

I listen to programs about climate change, politics, economics. Just like the sea, there seems to be stuff going on under the surface, stronger currents pulling in directions where we don't want to go, in the form of lobbying, party donors, huge corporations. Here, a tiny proportion of our population is deciding on the prime minister for the next two years. There are two candidates neither of whom believes climate change is a top issue. It must be so frustrating for your President who does understand the need for change, to be powerless to shift the other side. How can stopping the Earth's destruction be a matter of party politics?

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Di

 

Beautiful poem. I live near a hill fort, and visualised it as I was reading it. 

Jean Day

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Am so glad you could visualise it,Jean :0) Thankyou very much for reading and letting me know. All the ones I have been to have been in beautiful peaceful places. Take care of yourself and I hope this lot of treatment goes OK

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

There are ancient stone fortresses / kraals out Mpumalanga they must be Ancient, stone or iron age. There are many it is still a mystery, on our farm there are also. Maybe my brother can tell you more I picked up a flint knife/axe there that must be stone age. It is altogether facinating I think it would be worthwile to do research some reading and field work.

They are there, glaring, monuments to a civilization a lost and very primitive people.

All the best! Tom Brown

 

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