Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Upon the Bow


A breath of wind on the air,
Caressing canvas and cooling sun.
Beautiful peace, tremulous on the edge of the horizon.
That light of total, unmarked clarity.

A young man’s eyes, piercing blue mirrors of the sky,
Gaze upon a beautiful nothing –
A nothing that holds everything in its emptiness.
For one day he shall see the clear void break.

And before that, all that is still and rhythmic
Will change and, in torrent and gale and thunder,
Youth will discover itself anew,
In fear and fascination; in sadness and serenity.

Even in that manchild there –
Whose goal is an undiscovered fear –
Even with eyes fixed on the horizon,
He silently says “Don’t look back”.

© Jack Blackburn, 2nd January 2013

2 comments:

  1. Yes I like it. There really is a 'nothingness' about the sea's horizon, and serenity and clarity in fact. It's just there right in front of you, clear.

    Wasn't sure about 'eyes, bluer than water' though. I like the image, but not everyone has seen that blue blue water, is it that grey blue, bright summery Mediterranean blue, that dark shipwrecked blue full of depth which hides monsters?? - but hey that's just me.

    I could go on, but I'd get carried away lol

    DO MORE POEMS JACK!

    Hope you're well :)

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  2. Thanks. Wasn't entirely happy with bluer than water when I wrote it. Have decided to tweak it.
    Best wishes to you too.

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