Mythologies
A phoenix first must burn
Fire rising ... ashes ...
hatching into full flight ...
Daenerys with her dragons....
Pop culture’s pervasive
infiltration of the brain,
uniting us across countries,
ages, social divide.
Fantasies becoming
truth we share:
fb memes believed,
fictional people
alive in our heads
as Friends or Neighbours.
And Bitcoin
is real money.
So rip off the mask:
it’s all a conspiracy.
First the flame.
Last summer fighting fires,
fighting horror.
A failure of preparation.
This year watching, hushed,
as they threaten already
to begin again.
(At least the Virus
hates heat.)
We know we’re being lied to.
And even when not —
what’s engineered
and why?
Turning our faces away.
It all gets mixed
in my head.
Sometimes I just want to be
a super-hero.
a super-hero.
Or soar on the first
shuttle to Mars.
(With Elon Musk. Is he
a real person?)
But first the Phoenix
must burn
and give rise to poetry
even if it’s never writ.
Written for Poets United’s Weekly Scribblings #36.
Luv that surprise
ReplyDelete"even if it’s never writ."
Take me to the thought that counts
Happy Wednesday
Muchđź’“love
Our poetry is writ but is it read? We all know how the Phoenix must feel at night trying to write poetry thats burn in the hearts of our readers!
ReplyDeleteWe were kind of on the same wavelength with ‘first the Phoenix
ReplyDeletemust burn / and give rise to poetry’, but I love the way you led up to that with myths and legends, popular culture and forest fires. I know what you mean about it all getting mixed in your head, Rosemary, and poets would make great super-heroes
PLEASE don't waste that precious flame...WRITE ON.
ReplyDeleteWas trying to do a bit of a double meaning thing there, with 'writ' – but it evidently wasn't clear enough.
DeleteWe burn the physical srff, burn the rotten when beyond salvage lest it increase in contamination and destroy the good remaining. There are minds in high places and those gaing the limelight that have become totally incompatibile with our civilation. Is there a purification or must we endure? Hell fire's long wait?
ReplyDelete..
..
These poem reads like the times, Rosemary. It reflects the confusion, the chaos that is often the first face of change (one hopes). The structure makes me think of the thoughts that ran around my head when I listen to the news these days. This morning, for instance, there was a report about the USA's Orange Infection being represented by our Department of Justice in a lawsuit brought up by a woman who accused him of sexual assault and the defamation of character. They are saying that since the Orange Infection confronted the woman while in his official capacity as president, then the case should be made federal... which would mean that the woman would be suing the federal government for defamation, in a federal court. But since the federal government can't be sued, then her lawsuit will go nowhere from there. The idea that they are even considering makes me wonder, Can this be real? So, in short, your speaker is not alone.
ReplyDeleteIn order to write there must be a spark of inspiration, even if it is sometimes insidious. Seems the world is more and more on fire and all we can do is watch it burn hoping it can somehow rise out of the ashes.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the virus doesn't seem to like the heat, but to reference GoT again, winter is coming and I'm a little nervous at that prospect.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me...you would not want to fly to Mars with Elon Musk, Stick with writing poetry in the Northern Rivers communing with those lovely bush turkeys on Mount Warning:)
ReplyDeleteHe is real .... and I would go with you. Nice write.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem, Rosemary. I am in the midst of the horror you felt last summer in Australia. My daughter, grandchildren and great grandchild are very near the fires in Oregon, as you will see from my entry.
ReplyDelete"But first the Phoenix
ReplyDeletemust burn
and give rise to poetry
even if it’s never writ."
Wonderful words and images in this Rosemary.