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The Promise
A wild fire
Rekindles the past
The forest is a Christ
Dying to resurrect
A meadow returns,
Until this, in turn,
Grows old
And the forest comes again
Just as it promised when it burned
I was there,
Trying in vain
To put it out
But the fire burned on
Hearing, in every crackle,
Prophetic words
We all cried prostrated
Looking up at the hand of God
Demystification
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Rood allusions are difficult as overwhelmed by religious right left and middle historically biased commentary and a sole source for support. Used as symbols (a p.r. device.) Insert poet as action hero - 2nd coming myths equally tough to merge, like a cliche as if the struggle was abandoned and burned (painfully evocative of the Hell principle as an option or fate). Storyline: belief by millions leads to no help, Faith dies, returns post destruction by fire (no less and of course) just in time for the big Easter finale. Hero disillusioned still believing, tarrying for never arriving miracle. Liked the irony.
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I liked the interchange of 3 elements God, writer's doubts, nature of faith as myth. The melodramatic as metaphor, added to disdain for god concepualizations. Futility as finale. It works at a level where spiritualists seek ressurection; post it all falls down and humans start over looking for the forgiveness key to Eden. You bypassed all those obstacles listed above maintaining thematic cohesion. Good artifice.
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And then there is what you intended as storyline. :D
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~A ~
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Interesting thoughts
Sometimes, among the truly most beautiful things about writing, and reading, is the room left for interpretation. Things are learned about communication and the environmental meanings of words, things are learned about the readers for the author lucky enough to get feedback. It's wonderful.
Things, of course, are also seen by the author in a new way, in turn. It being Easter season didn't even cross my mind. Funny enough, I have had scant awareness of Easter season since I stopped getting palm leaves and Easter baskets. Thinking about this now, I'm only realizing just how much less public cultural display there in America for Easter as opposed to Christmas or even Thanksgiving. Hell, even Halloween. Perhaps it has something to do with the particular American discomfort with death. Halloween does tackle death, but in a very comical way. Easter is a brutally serious accounting for mortality. As well as a story a figure who, no matter how 'holy', was still sacrificed to the golden calf of human mob mentality and bloodthirst. Hm. Interesting.
And then there is what I intended as a storyline, indeed haha. Here-in, I felt, melodrama was paramount, because of the way it juxtaposed against the helpless desires, profound loss and elevation of spirit/consciousness aquired through standing face to face with the moment, regardless of the awareness of inevitability: We know full well that the cycle exists, that it must play out, culminating with a burn down. Time and again. Yet, in that moment, it can feel as if we never knew.
The original dieties were of nature. Before man saw an invisible hand moving from beyond them, things of nature were the invisible hand. So there is that underlying layer, as well, though I'll say no more so as not to give it all away. : )
Superb in every way: I felt
Superb in every way: I felt the despair and desperation of the enormous loss . . . and how brilliantly you symbolized the tragedy in terms of losing something sacred and essential.
In many ways the forests are our salvation and sustenance. The final lines, depicting the aftermath, were emotionally charged and metaphorically awe-inspiring. My deepest respect. Stunning work.
Thank you so much
Always grateful to find emotions connecting with another. And when symbolism hits, as well, all the more so. :) My hope was that the first verse - the 'rational long view' - would magnify the intense emotional state of the moment in the second verse.
The forests are like our third and fourth lungs. They also tower over us and help keep us humble as we stand before them. There's a unique, spiritual, healthy smallness of walking through them - something that I think makes hiking such a widely cherished activity, whether or not fully realized by pariticipants. I couldn't say it better, they are indeed salvation and sustenance for us all. Thank you, again.
You were very successful in
You were very successful in your strategy to magnify the emotions in the personal experience. You put the sublime significance of what was lost in breathtaking perspective.
"healthy smallness". Yes! I like that.