Poetry Corner: Walls

POETRY CORNER

– 2/01/17

Hosted by Kathabela Wilson

Our two poets today speak to us strongly in the present, with a timeless quality. With our theme walls and borders in mind, poet artist Michele L. Harvey in NY “could not ignore the current goings-on in the world at large.” But part of herself, she says, stays “unscathed, as witness.” Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy in Birmingham, UK sees this as a time to bring down walls, not build them. “Together, we are safer” he says.

~ Kathabela

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River – Oil painting by Michele L. Harvey.

Michele L. Harvey

the part of me
that can never be contained…
clouds fly
over and under the fence
along the Rio Grande

With the theme of walls and borders in mind,​​ Michele L. Harvey could not ignore the current goings-on in the world at large. But in the midst of sweeping chaos, there is a part of herself that remains untouched, unscathed, as witness. This core witness remains serene, constant, and allowing, even as the world changes. That’s reflected in the river’s water. Clouds come and go, water passes, but the river stays river, despite any fence or cloud. This poem reveal the juxtaposition of the constant, unchanging inner core and outer change that makes us human. Life is change, but the life force (livingness,) is unchanging even as it changes in form. As Einstein would say, ‘Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.’ This poem speaks to that revelation, and whether the poet is at her winter residence in NYC or at summer’s in Hamilton, NY, she carries that understanding with her.

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Snowy wall (Photo – Tom Clausen).

Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy

little blood red buds

stopped by brick walls
caught in barbed wire

’tis only a matter of time
before they grow past
fed by love & kindness

Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy of Birmingham, UK says: “The world today is full of walls coming up all the time. It is quite some time since the Berlin wall was pulled down with glee and celebration. With so much technology available to destroy everything so quickly and easily, we cannot afford to raise walls around us. Together, we are safer. It is time to bring down more walls. And love, even a trickle seeping through, will weaken these walls enough to bring them down eventually”.

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> Photos by Tom Clausen and Michele L. Harvey.

♣ We welcome and encourage your response especially in the form of short poems. You may reply by leaving a comment below.