This is the first poem of Spring, even if I actually wrote it last night before going to bed. Still, I think it's fitting that it's a poem written at springtime because to me it expresses an awakening of sorts, even a second awakening.
Dream of Hanging Rock
I awoke once, but slipped unnoticed into dreams again:
I was sitting at the cliffs edge; you stood behind me.
Surely you saw the hawks turning in the wind below
just as I felt the constant pressure on my back.
And looking at the valleys and mountains surrounding,
I didn’t see the rocks supporting me beneath,
and my worse half wanted to forget them, leave them,
join the flock of curving lines in this painting before me.
I could escape as one of them, or even as you.
But you told me the hills were beautiful as they rolled on;
you pointed out the trees reaching with green towards spring.
Remember the weakness of our knees and the silence
when the ground stepped from view, replaced by these:
the distant towns, the patchwork fields, the road home?
If I was once afraid of this height, I was more terrified of myself.
I didn’t believe you wanted to be me, or the birds,
until you yourself told me you dreamed of flying.
Thank you; I won’t forget again that you are me, in the end.
We’re getting up now; we’re slowly coming down.
--------
So multiple things contributed to the creation of this poem. The one influence is easily seen. Yesterday I went with a group of friends and hiked this place called "Hanging Rock" and it was great and the view was marvelous and I knew I wanted to write some poem about my feelings on the edge there, the weakness in my knees, and the hawks, or some type of bird, flying around in the wind below. But more of an influence is the "awakening" of sorts that I feel I had yesterday, realizing that it's no good imagining someone else has it better or that you wish you could be them, because we are more alike than we know. Just because you can't see their fears or insecurities, doesn't mean they don't have them, just as you do. Don't we ourselves often look and act more happy or impenetrable than we are? Envy is pointless and leads nowhere. We just have to be our best selves and realize everybody's trying hard, just like you. Life is complex stuff. I know I've learned this lesson in life before, but I guess i needed to learn it again. Not sure if that made sense, but I think the poem does, at least. Enjoy.
Hi Carey! Okay, here were my thoughts about the poem before I read your explanation:
ReplyDeleteWho is the narrator talking to? Who is this "you?" At the very end, I thought that I understood - that "You" was actually a part of himself. He was talking to another part of himself - that's why he say's "we're" getting up now. So one part of himself is afraid, and the other part is confident?
When I read "constant pressure," I thought the other guy was pushing the narrator, as if to push him off the cliff! Then I thought...that can't be! I guess it must be the wind? But constant pressure sounds negative...hmmm...
"Weakness of our knees" confused me, especially after the word "remember." It made me think the characters were thinking of another time together, maybe away from the cliff. It made me think of trembling, or being afraid, or maybe even praying - I thought perhaps it was in reference to being with a companion on a mission and walking along many roads and having to pray alot.
Perhaps it would be more clear if everything takes place in the present, at the cliff site. First you write as if it's the present, then you write as if it were a memory in the past and something you had moved beyond - I think that's what made me confused about what image I should see.
I love your idea though - the topic is fascinating and worthy of writing about. I think this poem could be very good with some more work - great start! Love you bro!