Shake your feathers at me
and I will want those hundred eyes
turned only towards me,
because we are such greedy things,
squabbling for the prettiest mate
and ripest fruit.
Shake your feathers at me
and I will wink back at all your eyes,
because you can’t fit on the list of things I have had,
things I know, things I call mine; trinkets
filling my pockets and forgotten.
This is how I will love you–without hands,
breathed in, moved through; as impossible to hide
or contain as sunlight.
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oh that last stanza is delicious…breathed in…and impossible to hide or contain as sunlight….
oh yes, we can be quite greedy at times…that is for sure….
Thank you, Brian! Yes, we are greedy little monkeys 😉
I love the style. Simple. Simple imagery. Simple subject matter.
Most humans are, as a matter of truth, too consumed in the fray for self-preservation and usually carry on with what has been known as “cargo mentality”. Greed yes, but what does one human being and his family need a billion dollars for? (in a world where some people are paid $70 a whole month!). Are these billionaires ever going to spend these or just the pleasure of acquiring wealth?
Again, do we really stop when we have gotten modest endowment and say “hey let someone else profit from it”?
It is really saddening that just like a peacock, pride and greed spur us to endless acquisition to which, alas we still feel hollow and empty.
Funny enough, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and their ilk, in spite of their stupendous wealth still sleep on only a fraction of a bed, in a tiny corner of a room despite owning mansions… and oh, they share the same air and sun with the poor…. such leveler, nature is!
Obinna–as always, great comment! I agree–we spend so much time accruing things that do not matter while so many of us do without the basics of food, water, and shelter–which is really all we need, until you add the spiritual into the mix, but that has no price but what we put into it of ourselves.
Nature is the ultimate leveler. Last I heard, we all are were born, and we all will die. It’s what we do in between those things that makes us what we are; some of us worth knowing.
last stanza is a sparkling rare gem
Aw, thank you, Paul!
Reblogged this on Heartafire's Blog and commented:
Wow! love this.
could not resist reblogging this, you have outdone yourself Susan, a gem!
Awww, thank you! So happy you reblogged this, too!
Thank you!!!
Wow, wow, wow. word wizardry – I was going to say word witch-ry craft but stopped when I realised that whereas Wizard is positive, witch is not! Every line of this poem is a pleasure to the eyes, not least the eyes you see on the plummage!
Smiling big, Noel–thank you! You can call me witch or wizard with words, and I will be honored. And blush.
When wizards are more positive than witches, one has to wonder which witch caused the shift. 😉
which witch? me thinks twaz za first witch that flew with za broom stick which size made male peacocks feel za twitch and itch of jealousy and inadequacy! 😉
Ah, those peacocks… Perhaps the broom was jealous of that sweep of feathers and never thought of the length of the handle at all.
winking back at all his eyes…vey cool…love the energy in this susan and the loving without hands…gorgeous
Aw, Claudia, thank you!
oh, wow, i just found a peacock feather a few weeks ago, and i love having it
Fancy HOV Ridin’
Beautiful birds (and feathers, too!)
I love the way you play with the peacock “eyes” throughout
Hee, hee. Ray, you are the first person to mention that. Glad you caught it!
Now that’s a love poem. It’s a sort of answer to Chris’ poem today. Cool the way that works when you go from one poem to another and yet the essence of one invades the other. He, asking why tech tools interrupt the path to true love, and you giving us the light and efflorescent effect of light, feathers and color which makes for quite a chemical reaction!
First, Gay–thank you, and ooo–I need to read his as soon as I am done working!
Ah we are so greedy. We want all the eyes, all the glitter, all the applause! Well done!
Thanks, Shanys–and I agree–none of that glitter is enough–but it was only meant to draw, not sustain.
This turned out grand Susan.>KB
Aw, thanks, KB–also thank you for your feedback/input. It was bogged down before by telling 😉
Wonderfull. These words:”This is how I will love you–without hands,
breathed in, moved through; as impossible to hide
or contain as sunlight.” – pure deliciousnes, a shining bright proclamation.
Thank you! You guys are making me blush today!
I know where to even begin! I loved this. I especially enjoyed the line about not fitting into a list of things you’ve had. Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the wonderful comment! You mad my day.
No problem Susan, it’s was a great read! Are you on Twitter so I can keep up with your writing?
Talicha–yes I am, and thank you!
@susan_daniels
Awesome I will follow you now! You’ll see me as @talichaj
This is beautiful, Susan, just like the birds who you have used to carry your metaphor. If we’ve learned anything in recent years, it’s that human greed is a more powerful motivating factor than human shame; the bankers who got us into the current mess are still awarding themselves huge bonuses, while ordinary people suffer the consequences of the bankers’ recklessness.
Oh, Tony, that is so sadly true. Part of the motivation for this poem was to write a love poem free of possession.
I love your metaphors on this poem.
It turns my own images into silver-electronic poetic angels dancing around the universal language of hope and matter. 🙂
Gosh! you are a one of a kind brilliant writer. 🙂
P.S I just posted 9 videos on my youtube account, that my girlfriend recorded from this past Saturday at the Pasadena library. I recited 8 poems live…would you like a link to my videos? You’ll finally get to see what I look like and what (Charlie Zero) is about. 🙂
First–blushing and saying thank you–and second–link me up, baby!
okay here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfw9qS38-Ho
I hope you’ll be able to hear it clear enough. let me know if its good audio. I used my Nikon camera.
Audio is great, nice to see you read, and the material–fantastic.
Cool. Thank you…I will be posting them on here if you want to read it. 🙂
Question: How old do I look like in this video?
LOL, you look like an extremely tired 18-year-old 😉
Also, I do want to see those poems, to read them. I have read the one about LSD.
I am only 27 years old. 🙂 I know you won’t believe it…but its true. 🙂 I don’t dress my age. haha!
hahaha! I want to know what the expressions were on the crowd’s face while you read. Bet you raised a few eyebrows, made them think, etc.
Yes…I made them think I guess…but from what I saw they were blown away I guess. 🙂 hahaha!!!
They should have been. You are a mad genius.
hahaha!!!
I always found it interesting with peacocks and other birds that it is the male who is most attractive. Peacocks are among the most beautiful birds, and you wrote them well. Peahens can’t hold a candle to their beauty. Odd it is how different with birds. Ha, I wonder how it would work if we would expect more ‘beauty’ from our human males. Smiles.
Smiling back, Mary. Perhaps we should expect that level of beauty. A lot of men can pull it off 😉
Sassy! I love it, Susan!
Aw, thanks, Laurie!
I come here if only to look at those beautiful Egyptian eyes…hehe! Love ya friend. smiles. I just like the name Susan for some reason too. I don’t know why. 🙂
Aw–that is my daughter’s self portrait. I will let her know! I have no idea why you keep ending up in pending comments 😉
Sorry the moderation software ate the rest of my name…smiles some more..:)
I just found them 😉
Your free versed Peacock is rich in its metaphorically prestigious garment. 🙂 It paints vivid pictures of what people gradually become based on the seeming small decisions and choices they make every day.
Whatever one chooses to acquire is a matter of choice. But really when life is over, what happens to those things accumulated out of greed? Nature has a way of passing things on… Does it not become a matter of other people enjoying the proceeds of greed? So one way or the other, is not humanity infiltrated with the greed virus, consciously or subconsciously?
Greed is in human nature but how can people control greed?
Through self-contentment? By conscious effort? Know when to stop?
There is a line between a greedy man and a normal human earning a reasonable living, taking care of family, giving to charity and leaving a little something for a rainy day. Perhaps, a thick visible line… ***thought-provoking poem***
Thank you for the equally thought-provoking comment. I had more on this poen originally about ownership and greed, but took it out because the tone was too preachy to suit me, but you have written of that here very, very well, and I agree 100%.
I can relate. The poem fits one relationship I had a really well. Otherwise different parts of it fit different relationships.
And beautifully said, I must say.
Georgia–thanks so much!
I enjoyed what you did with the Peacock in metaphor. They are such gorgeous creatures and those “eyes” make for a great poem.
Thanks, Victoria!
you are as creative as a goddess Susan ~ there’s a wink in my eye!
And a blush on my cheeks–thank you!
I enjoyed this very much — the pace and tone are somehow different and fresh. Nice ~peace, Jason
Thanks, Jason! I think it is the simplicity, the repetition.
powerful words, Susan
Thank you!
Your verse + my peacock = riches!
Julie–thank you! I was thinking of you after I had written this 😉