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Wednesday 20 March 2013

Storm Wind


The wind it is a chainsaw
in a forest made by man,
it rips the buildings limb from limb
and piles them storeys high.

The mighty oaks and redwoods fall
like old teeth pulled
and full of puss
and rotten with the pain.

Each solitary figure stands,
as cherished notions blown like leaves
are ripped from what would nourish them
and thrown into the night.

There's terror in the chain saw's screech
it echoes every creature's call.
The forest has been pulled awake
as Nature told it sleep!

With chain saws all around us
there's no way from the wood,
the ancient moors, though places loved,
are lost now to our feet.

The loggers who have stricken us
are forces we unleashed:
we stirred the pot and boiled away
what might have been the balm.

The sounds that now besiege us
are the rattles in the throats
of all who once believed us
when we said the Earth would live.

15 comments:

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Sabio Lantz said...

Interesting: the stanzas and rhythm beg for rhyme but it ain't there -- like the trees, like the thoughts ripped clear of hope by chainsaws of our own demise.

In composition, I guess things happen!

Best, no rhyme poem I've read in a while -- because I could see the forest that wanted to be.

kelvin s.m. said...

...i would treat this as rather a late premonition sir... for all of these are already happening and we are no ignorant of this uninvited presence... this wind that cuts are the result of our guilty pleasure told and we can no longer escape from all of these ignorant deforestation unless death laughs to us... oooh.. this is hitting too hard... great write... smiles...

Manicddaily said...

Oh dear. This is so strong. The rattles in the throats at the end especially powerful. Thanks, Dave.

k.

Wolfsrosebud said...

oh... do like the power behind this. Sad and true the wind does clean the old ones up (half-a-dozen down this winter across my pond, which I just noticed yesterday on my forest walk), but more sad when man takes them prematurely

Brian Miller said...

really an interesting piece dave....using the wind as the chainsaw up front, the wind being indescriminate is intriguing...the line on being pulled awake when nature told them to sleep is interesting as well when you look at the double meaning of nature...as to the environmental implications...i imagine that nature will have its way in the end....

haricot said...

The chainsaw which is metaphor for wind reminds me of devastating disaster that attacked Japan. Nature is sometimes merciless like this poem shows, really.

kaykuala said...

The chain-saw is lethal. It can hold onto itself to clear vast tracts. Joining forces with man can be intriguing! Nice write Dave!

Hank

anthonynorth said...

An ongoing ecological disaster perfectly portrayed.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

I sense a great sober rage in this poem..but maybe "sober rage" is too much an oxymoron.
Anyway I enjoyed this poem for its strength.

Gerry Snape said...

super use of the chain saw...I love the fierce wind as long as I'm safe somewhere. With all that is happening worldwide at the moment ...this metaphor strikes home Dave.

Grace said...

I like the use of the chainsaw, its sound, screech and rattles in its throat ~ Fascinating read Dave ~

Elephant's Child said...

A very minor quibble. Surely pus has one s rather than two (to make it a cat).
Another post where I very much wish you were either wrong, or a premature doom sayer. Wish it, and know you have written bitter and painful truth.

Ygraine said...

Very chilling depiction of the apocalypse...the death rattle of life on Earth...precipitated, of course, by man's thoughtless decapitation of the Forests.

Very deep and disturbing, yet so compelling.
I am afraid...

Dave King said...

Anonymous
Hi, thanks for visiting. Good to have your company. No, the blog is standard issue one of a goodly range from whicn to choose -- if you sign on with Blogger.com.

Sabio
Interesting comment. Thanks for it. I did feel something of this for myself, but didn't have time for a rewrite. Yourfinal sentence is also most intriguing. All-in-all, a stimulating response. Thanks very much for.

Kelvin
Yes, indeed, it IS all happening. That was in part meant to be the point of it.

Manicddaily
And my thanks to you for more kind words.

Wolfsrosebud
Yes, that certainly is the case. Thanks.

Brian
Yes, it's true, I'm sure. However much we complicate the situation, adding new possible scenarios, I think nothing takes away from the eventual triumph of nature. Like truth it will out. Maybe because it IS truth.

haricot
Yes, it must be so much more real for you. You really have been in the front line.

Hank
Good point, well made. Thanks.

anthonynorth
Thanks for this.

Tommaso
Thanks. I actually like sober rage !

Gerry
Much thanks for this. The metaphor came withou thought and apropos of nothing. It was what kick started the poem.

Grace
Thank you Grace. Much appreciated comment.

The Elephant's Child
Not such a minor quibble. Didn't mean to involve poor puss! Thanks for pointing it out. I too would love to be proved wrong.

Ygraine
Yes, I can almost understand past generations who didn't understand what they were doing and thought themselves God-like. But that it's still taking place in the face of mounting evidence... that's hard to explain.