Muse for Monday

As promised, Mantra is going to reveal a poem from the new book: Mantra’s Midnight.

Over the years, the dark poetry has not seen much light of day literally or figuratively. The upcoming Mantra book will be nothing but those which come from the dark side.

While Grains is not wholly dark, it is far darker than the jovial and merely thought-provoking poems which haunt the M3 pages. (Oxymoron duly noted, thank you.) It takes us on a trip through time. The retrospective allows us to look into Clyde’s dilemma from the SEP.

When we look through the past at relationships, we often are looking for the place where we veered from the path, in an attempt to put our feet back on it. Tonight, we are not looking to get back on the path.

Let the grains slip through your fingers.

Grains

I’ve combed through the past both near and far,
Picking nits from between gritty grains of hourglass sand.
The search was productive, if
You look at it another way.
Amongst the glittering and dull
I scoured, sifted and sought something smooth and sparkling
For my hand to grasp, a touchstone.
Pardon, unintentional pun.

One grain shone like a yellow star.
I thought it would be just the ticket to demonstrate
The innocent way love keeps me
Buoyant and happy everyday.
But it was empty, just a hull
Unanswered mail, unreturned calls, messages stacked too high.
Inside it was a hollow answer,
Just an echo, not anyone

Speaking in response – a bell jar.
Until I grabbed this grain,
I was blissfully unaware
Sand could have burrs and wicked thorns.
It was shiny in the midday
Sun, but I wasn’t slow to cull.
Skipped holidays, outings missed and birthdays left alone.
Incessant worrying and doubt.
Couldn’t you tell me we were done?

The last grain was pitch, black as tar.
It intrigued me more than all the others which came before.
It was the last to pass the hourglass,
But I was not watching that day.
My calendar had gotten full
With all the things which bored you so and you chose to ignore.
I can’t feel loss you think I should
Because you were already gone.

031020122255


When you look back on past relationships, can you feel the different textures of the hourglass sands? Do we always notice them as they slip through? Do you know what the pun is?

(c) Red Dwyer 2012
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26 Comments

  1. When I look at past relationships I usually wonder how in the world I didn’t get knocked in the head for the choice I made.

    OK my break is over, I’m going back to hell now.
    Laurie recently posted..FTP "Mark"My Profile

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  2. I love the tone of this poem, and favor the depth in your verse. I thought that the unintentional pun was the grain of bright sand, that you once thought could be a touchstone for you, but turned out to be an empty hull. A masquerade or something not quite what it appeared to be. Someone. I didn’t notice in past relationships when the sand slipped through. I am more fully aware and alive now, and don’t think I would miss that dark grain again. The end.
    Keep them coming, Mantra!
    Gailxxx
    Gail Thornton recently posted..Poetry Book Review – Mantra for a Muse, by Red DwyerMy Profile

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    • Interesting take, Gail. Who knows? I may just parse this one, one of these days 😉 xxx

      Reply
  3. Sorry, I’m clueless.
    Angela Young recently posted..Put the ketchup on ‘emMy Profile

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  4. I guess memories are like that… 🙁

    Love the poem hun! 🙂

    Love and hugs!

    Prenin.
    prenin recently posted..Monday – Tony springs a leak…My Profile

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    • A good many of them are, Pren. This one just does not smack of the speaker’s sadness to me. Seems life has just moved on…

      Reply
  5. You know, as always I find the dark side enticing and welcoming. I love this, it rocks me.

    Reply
    • I think I may actually be looking forward to this book almost as much as I did with MFM.

      Reply
  6. Dark vs light. An enduring motif, creatively used in a poem that speaks volumes. Thanks for sharing, as it has many associations for me!

    Reply
    • You are welcome, RLB. The poetry around here is either hysterical or a complete garlic pod. Glad this one spoke to you. 🙂

      Reply
  7. I’m not into poetry much but wonder if the examination isn’t about the shining star she thought was the ONE but found he wasn’t true. After all fell apart the dark grains are all that wasn’t right with the relationship. She realizes even when he was there he wasn’t and now it’s over; too late to mourn.
    Tess Kann recently posted..Grandma is a VAMP!My Profile

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    • Very good summation. I like your idea of too late. I looked at it as she had mourned him before finally moving on without him. xxx

      Reply
  8. Like they say, it’s always much easier to see our past mistakes since we have the benefit of time to reflect. And we also hopefully get a little wiser as we age.
    Binky recently posted..CD FrisbeesMy Profile

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    • Hindsight is often 20/20, or at least somewhere better than legally blind. I vote for more wisdom.

      Reply
  9. Sometimes life is hard to fathom, times change and can hold a different meaning but the darker edge is always a stimulating adventure, knowledge of desire and the cravings that heighten the senses all add to the exploration of the timepiece that is of our existence.

    Moments like instances moving forever onwards, sometimes engulfing the present and creating an alternative past, all unknown until that fleeting second of realisation and then that reflection of being.

    I like this one Red as it offers so many for instances, thoughts and expressions.

    Have a lovely rest
    of afternoon Red 🙂

    Androgoth xxx

    Reply
    • And you as well, Andro. My time reflections often leave a few garlic leaves on the pod and the cutting board for a alter savoring. I like your rendition of the past, for truly it is not as immutable as first perceived. It is not finite until we have judged it for its merits and demerits and moved into the next second. I shall be calling into the graveyard later, as I am looking forward to your Wednesday fare. 😉

      Reply
  10. Shane Curtis

     /  October 10, 2012

    The poems are great and I really appreciate it. I read this thoroughly and it has a meaningful meaning.

    Reply

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