Fair minds of children stretch and strain,
Their bones wear signs of age.
Lines drawn, defeat -
Fail to explain
How thoughts arcane engage.
This mystery for life a gift
So often left to go adrift,
Ambition thwarted, soon will shift
To groom a disused grave.
Fair minds of youth may quickly pass,
Ex-peer (ience) - Stark stage.
Time’s yawn repeats -
Center of mass ~
Seeks out that buried sage.
Enigma’s chance to try once more
To place a foot through half-closed door,
Discard the past, reach out, explore
And groom a disused grave.
Fair minds of old find comfort in
What dreams divulge, assuage -
When prime of mind avoids chagrin,
And reconciles past wage.
Slips into space where wizened muse
Exalts the eye with heightened views;
Then leaves behind all worldly ruse
with groom, to choose a grave.
© 2008 Joy A. Burki-Watson
Please take the time to share your comments and thoughts about this poem ...
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Another finely drawn poem, joy. Based on your "Journey" poem, I believe, so far at least, that you have an amazing ability to image the gossamer flight of time over long distances of the human heart. I surely see that in this poem, with its resonances of Frost's grounded and meditative work. Nicely done.
The contrasts between the very young's, the young's and the old's perusal of the meaning of unused graves while tidying them up is deftly done, and, technically, the movement and rhymes of the lines, for me, are quite skillful. I hear within your lines an old saying that means much to me: Youth is the triumph of hope over experience; age is the triumph of experience over hope - each time of life seeing and feeling the meaning of "no more" in a different way. I think Frost would be honored by this tribute to his way of thinking, feeling and imaging.
My only stumble is "snooze", perhaps too slangy a word for this delicately wrought poem? Just a mere thought on my part, but I wonder if "to snooze in grave" might be more in keeping with the rhetoric of the rest of the poem as "to choose the grave." My small opinion only, joy, so disregard that suggestion at will.
The whole poem resonates with me with its differing emotions while pondering "a disused graveyard". Really fine work in my book!
Later...
Lad -
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lest we forget ...
I do appreciate your thorough perusal of my poem and for your observation of the word 'snooze' as it was a quick choice on my part (usally these happen towards the end of poems ...) I have taken your suggestion and edited my poem to agree. Thanks for stopping by. joy
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Lad
March 15, 2008