Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Potential Dancer


He called himself
a Potential Dancer,
but his footstep
was not light.
He spoke of "vigilance",
was always on the alert
for attack.

How could a vigilant
potential dancer
and a stardreamer
find any connection?

Everyone is such
a complicated mixture
of experience,
conditioning,
and heartbreak,
each one
so cautious,
so defended.
How to step
outside the box,
yet be careful not to step
so far outside
you're swinging
from the chandelier?

From below,
I observed him

swinging.

The chasm between
our financial realities
would have had
to be bridged
by a kamikaze
bungee jump
I am too old
and far too
un-limber
to attempt.

We spoke of
the path,
of wellness,
of walking the talk.
Yet in the next breath
he attacked the
disenfranchised
with judgment
and venom.

Yes, he was just
another wounded
warrior
on the path,
transforming his
wound
into a shield
so he will
never again
be undefended.

Nor will I,
antenna attuned
to detect red flags
with the swiftness
of a gazelle,
and as fleetly gone.

My tolerance,
I think,
for judgment
and aggression
and vitriol
is nil.

I cast my vote
for humility
-for humanity-
when speaking of
the disenfranchised,
the addicted,
the ill, the broken,
the impoverished,
the alone and
the forgotten.

We pass
like two frigates
in the channel:
a nod,
a wave,
and continue
to our various
destinations.

23 comments:

  1. SBS, this is a powerful poem. It really speaks to my heart. So sad that we all must bear our shields as we walk in this life.

    Melanie

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  2. Oh thanks, Melanie. I so enjoyed surfing your site this morning! Keep writing!

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  3. i cast my vote for humility and humanity as well...a wonderful...and yes powerful...write...

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  4. Sherry I think this is the most beautiful poem you have written here!

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  5. very empowering piece.
    lovely done!

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  6. this was powerful
    ...a complicated mixture
    of experience,
    conditioning,
    and heartbreak...touched me most - soooooo true!!

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  7. Wow, thank you. This poem came very easily, is not very "inspired"....but I am being influenced by all of your writings, and am trying out a more in-the-moment voice.

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  8. Very nice, Sherry. :-) The best poems always seem to flow out easily, just as you say.

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  9. I agree it is very powerful!! I really enjoyed this!!

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  10. Sherry, the poem is all about insight and compassion. A good read, for sure

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  11. We should be for humility and humanity - man is suffering we need to do out part

    What a call to arms kind of poem

    thanks for sharing with One Shot

    Moon Smiles

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  12. nice write...the complicated mixture that we all are ...the need to stand firm on the ground that is us...like to frigates passing...love the symbolism of this...bkm

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  13. You are a wise woman Sherry...i am afraid i married a man like that....your use of words in this poem are flawless, and beautiful...again another favorite for me! :-)

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  14. I love this poem. :) Wise, wise words. :)

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  15. I found this a poignant commentary on dating in a world where the places to meet someone else are shrinking all the time especially for people who opt for careers first. And finding a partner or the internet has to be chancy. I love your work here. Thanks, Gay @beachanny

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  16. Wonderful writing and such wisdom in your words too!

    ...transforming his
    wound
    into a shield
    so he will
    never again
    be undefended.

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  17. Love your personal resolve and views that shine through the poem...

    "How to step
    outside the box,
    yet be careful not to step
    so far outside"

    —a thought deserving of continued reflection. Wonderful poem

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  18. Our differences separate us and yet we have all these common things that connect us. I really enjoyed this poem...so thoughtfully written and so beautifully expressed.

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  19. Nice for a change to see understanding in encountering another's vitriolic defenses.

    It's almost a form of forgiveness, although in this case a little less so.

    Nice One Shot, Sherry!

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  20. Well-written poem with a gentle flow. I feel like it can be read over and over and each time I'll discover another layer of meaning.
    Victoria

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  21. Sherry Blue Sky, I hearily join you in casting my vote for humility and humanity as well. Loved this poem!

    These lines --

    transforming his
    wound
    into a shield
    so he will
    never again
    be undefended

    --they are so generous. But it sounds like the shield is permanently on his head as well. Oh, well.

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  22. Interesting moment in time.. Liked it..

    ॐ नमः शिवाय
    Om Namah Shivaya
    Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
    Blog:http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

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