the slipping of silk
cattle cars rumble on tracks of the past
washing up today’s toddlers in the tide
as too many stand still in silence waiting
for who-knows-what-when-how-or why -
to move them to speak
to move them to speak
as silence slips as silk ...
through a new generation
of frantic fingers grasping
for purchase - gasping for
air
of frantic fingers grasping
for purchase - gasping for
air
Ouch. The title led me in a different direction. And now, I know the sound of despair. AN amazing poem. May I post it at Facebook? I will put it in my file of poems I don't wan tot live without.
ReplyDelete' as silence slips to silk'--- what a poignant image
ReplyDeleteThis is such a riveting piece :D especially love:
ReplyDelete"as silence slips as silk ...
through a new generation
Beautifully penned!Thank you so much for participating :D
Lots of love,
Sanaa
The use of repetition was fabulous in this. It felt like the gasps of a drowning man.
ReplyDeleteOuch the toddlers in waves made my heart stop... stunning peotry
ReplyDeleteThe alliteration drones out the despair
ReplyDeleteLove the alliteration and the internal rhyme.
ReplyDeleteimage of Aylan Kurdi comes to mind...
ReplyDeleteTrying to catch silk - a quiet fabric hard to take hold of..much like the fabric and cycle of life..and yet it can flow beautifully - like these wonderful words..
ReplyDeletesilence slips as silk... what a fabulous image.
ReplyDeleteThe mention of 'cattle cars' is chilling, Pearl. And....yes....today there is way too much silence; and I find myself wondering where reason resides & whether history has been forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI specially so loved this....
ReplyDeletefor who-knows-what-when-how-or why -
to move them to speak
It reverberates in the mind.
this is a remarkably short poem that speaks so much, shows so much grief, yet speaks of hope. this poem reminds me of the plight of the Syrian refugees.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, this is so powerful, Pearl....especially the trains full of people on the tracks of the past. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI agree...ouch! What a sad truth you have written here Pearl.
ReplyDelete'as silence slips as silk ...
through a new generation
of frantic fingers grasping
for purchase - gasping for
air'
Really amazing lines I hope will be heard.
The title spoke of the softness of silence as you cannot hear silk fall. The image of cattle cars filled with lost dreams..ugh
ReplyDeletepulls at my heart.
I like your imagery of sounds.
ReplyDeleteI think of Syrian refugees but more, I also think of Jews pushed into cattle cars and the silence of villagers as they watched them being marched through the town to a prison camp or when they heard the guns and screams of a mass execution. Stunning write.
ReplyDeleteMy immediate reaction was to compare the loss of childhood so many years ago for those affected by war to that of the present generation made mute and unresponsive by electronic gadgetry with an equivalent loss of their childhood too...but with great exercise for their thumbs.
ReplyDeleteOh! The toddlers in wave...! heart-wrenching... :-(
ReplyDeleteSuch a powerful poem...
How true!!
ReplyDeleteBrava! Such powerful images and words in so few lines. So much power lives in our voices if only they can be heard and spoken.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant poem!
Brava! Such powerful images and words in so few lines. So much power lives in our voices if only they can be heard and spoken.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant poem!