It heats you, keeps you wam.
It gets your house clean very fast.
It can chop a whole pile of wood.
If you take it for a run,
you’ll really feel those feet
hitting the pavement hard.
You’ll probably lose weight.
It can make you braver
than you ever thought you were,
or anyone else thought.
It can help you speak up,
for yourself or another,
in the face of injustice.
Spitting into that face.
Or it may turn you cold. This
will have you think clearly
and speak well.
Once, icily articulate,
it helped me stop a date-raper
bigger and stronger than me,
with only words.
Once, in white-hot rage,
it fired a banishing spell.
Her abuser left the country.
And anger can create
fierce poems – not this one, this
is merely about anger –
blazing to the sky.
Written for Poets and Storytellers United at Friday Writings #182: Anger As (healthy) Fuel.
I love the third verse especially in your poem - and cleaning the house with a pinch of anger definitely makes it shine (and smile:) - Jae
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jae.
DeleteGrrr, but THE PO was subtile as you found good all the way. A different anger from one who can see, or forced herself think so. An optimist? I liked reading and did enjoy.
ReplyDelete..
It's true I tend to be an optimist.
DeleteIt's good to use anger wisely in order to have positive results, Rosemary!
ReplyDeleteYes – if one is going to feel it (which seems unavoidable), may as well do something useful with it.
DeleteI like the idea of running off the anger, and I could lose some weight. Now, if only to find something that riles me up (besides my country's president?)!
ReplyDeleteThat's not sufficient?
DeleteI am so pleased I found my way to your writings this morning Rosemary, after you found your way to my offering 'the crossing' ( to dVerse), and left your beautiful searching enquiry, to which I shall respond after the weekend.
ReplyDeleteI guess you and I both wrap our truths and experiences in the protective arms of poetry. And speak out with the voice of audacity when necessary, even while vulnerable (in my case at least) to its backlash.
Thank you, Kathy. Yes, I guess so, indeed!
DeleteCleaning the house is a good idea for it use.
ReplyDeleteNothing gets it cleaner! (However, it's not as if I'm furious very often.)
Delete'Water to water' came from channelling rage...whatever its faults, anger can be hellishly creative - you're so right!!!
ReplyDeleteAha!
DeleteAh, anger. Us Chinese has a saying, " Even the Buddha can blow up". What about us mere mortals then? I think the trick is how we channel it. The best is in writing and painting. 😀
ReplyDeleteI think some of my better poems come from anger and frustration.
I always find it much easier to write from the so-called negative emotions: anger, fear , sorrow ... The need for expression has much more impetus.
DeleteIt's a lot easier to do anger justice in a poem than it is to do justice to love or happiness...but anger does have its uses. You can't feel tender love toward a fire when you're fighting it.
ReplyDeletePK
Very true.
Delete