Friday, June 20, 2008

a poem I found this solstice

SUMMER SOLSTICE,
BATTICALOA, SRI LANKA


The war had turned inward until it resembled
suicide. The only soothing thing was water.
I passed the sentries, followed the surf out of sight.
I would sink into the elements, become simple.

Surf sounds like erasure, over and over.
I lay down and let go, the way you trust an animal.
When I opened my eyes, all down the strand
small crabs, the bright yellow of a crayon,

had come out onto the sand. Their numbers, scattered,
resembled the galactic spill and volume of the stars.
I, who had lain down alone, emptied,
waked at the center of ten thousand prayers.

Who would refuse such attention. I let it sweeten me
back into the universe. I was alive, in the midst

of great loving, which is all I've ever wanted.
The soldiers of both sides probably wanted just this.

- Marilyn Krysl

6 comments:

Beth Owl's Daughter said...

Wow. Utterly beautiful. Thank you for the gift of this post. And may your own Solstice be sweetly alive in the midst of great loving.

- Beth

Cat C-B (and/or Peter B) said...

Oh, Deborah, this is marvelous. And so sad...

Bright Crow said...

Thank you, Dear One.

Blessèd Be,
Michael Bright Crow

Anonymous said...

gorgeous!

Alex said...

Thank you so much for this. This solstice I have been grieving about solitude and, by doing so, I have found a love so less dependent on other people... I thought my heart had hardened but reading this, I wonder if it is just beginning to open differently. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I have to write a commentary on this poem and I'm finding it difficult to understand what the
poet is actually trying to say towards us readers.
I understand that it's set during some sort of war, but can't figure out any further...

Can anyone help me by leaving comments or a simple analysis??

Thank you!