Friday, December 28, 2012

Old Year, Passing

Hanging Garden Tree
Tall Tree Trail
Meares Island
Tofino, B.C.


It's all nonsense, really.
We use lofty language,
we spout theories,
we orbit the ethereal
as if we actually know
where we go
when we die.

We hold to a 
positive perspective,
to avoid the fact
that we will 
eventually
be eaten by worms.

Is it effervescence or 
the turgid waters
of dementia
that sparks our hysteria-edged 
laughter?

Where is the exact
line of demarcation,
when one crosses over
from youth to age,
when life begins to jumble,
as if ordered by a miscreant?

(Shhhhh.
Don't tell us.
We don't really want
to know.)

A bottleneck of Boomers,
Zen-fresh from their 
way cool meditation,
is gathering near the portal
to another plane.

When it comes my turn,
just wrap me in burlap,
and sit me up
 in the crotch
of an old tree,
looking out to sea.

Let the winter wind
howl its song
of wildness
to serenade me,
when I finally
-finally!-
fly free.

Well, now! Laurie at Real Toads set us the task of writing a poem to the collected word prompts she set for us in 2012. I saw a few key words, and this poem just popped out of my head. I italicized the words we were given to use. Yikes. It scares me a little! 


16 comments:

  1. Oh, my. Now you've made me cry.

    Thought I had it all figured out,
    now I sit here surrounded in doubt.

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  2. Love it, Sherry! For some reason, the stanza about the bottleneck of boomers gathering near the portal for another plane reminded me of the movie "Being Malkovitch." Ever seen it?

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  3. You did a great job with the words, Sherry! Had to laugh at:

    When it comes my turn,
    just wrap me in burlap,
    and sit me up
    in the crotch
    of an old tree,
    looking out to sea

    Thanks so much for taking part in the challenge.

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  4. This is great, Sherry. Your sense of humor and your philosophy both shine through loud and clear.

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  5. hysteria-edged laughter?!?!!? NOT ME!!! hahahahahahahahhhhhhhaaahahhaahahahaa!

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  6. You lead us down the unknown path with clear sight, little sentiment, yet love and warmth. I like the tree idea, but I live in the land of scavengers and don't want to be a smelly mess for the ones I leave behind. They've been directed to turn me to ashes and sprinkle me under a mesquite. I will make an excellent mulch. ;-)

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  7. Laurie pointed out my fav lines too ~

    I like the weaving of the words, flying free ~

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  8. Oh, yes, this is a wonderful wild passing. Had to share it with my boomer mother.

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  9. This is toooo good! You really flew with this one!

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  10. Yes, Sherry!! I love your perspective...you see things as they are and it's refreshing and creative the way that you spill your beautiful words. :)

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  11. Hmm, burlapped in a tree--doesn't sound like a bad way to go to me :) A fine poem!

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  12. This is so beautiful..I so love your perspective...

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  13. Oh, Sherry you are so wise to the ways of man: the tell us we don't want to know paradigm. And your response to it all, being wrapped up in a burlap bag and left to face the sea seems the right way to me.

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  14. Love that photo, Sherry. Vancouver Island has some of the world's most beautiful forests. When I think of them being logged, I weep.
    A wonderful use of Laurie's words!
    I just love the second-last verse. What a great way to go, eh?
    Luv, K

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  15. WOW to
    "A bottleneck of Boomers"
    an other images!
    but I am not leaving without you, dear!

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