Conflict arose
from a timeworn bookshelf
out of musty old pages
a master’s lesson
innocence and experience
can you travel far
and never venture
into the Forests of the Night?
Leave the comfort of day
the soft side of the meek lamb
to find
in that blackness,
glowing eyes staring back
fearful symmetry
twisted sinews of the heart
rhythmic beating
cadence of time
rising, falling
the forest beckons….
Fearsome, the omniscient force crafts
both the danger and the beauty
blazing tiger eyes,
magnificent predator.
The path enters the forest
safety of light dimming
beyond the innocence of the lamb.
The hand that dared to seize fire
also extends outward
as heaven rebels,
the stars threw down their spears
sorrowful cries
the ultimate duality of human existence.
Envision the blacksmith as he worked
forging flames of fire,
the fierce blazing allure
stealth and prowess
and at the altar of the flames
we learn the lesson.
Beautiful! Happy New Year my friend.
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you also. Always good to hear from you too, dear friend 🙂
Beautiful and intense poem. Loved it.
Thank you so much. William Blake’s poem has always been one of my favorites.
I guess sometimes we have to take risks in order to learn a lesson. Beautifully put.
Yeah such is life. Thanks Marissa.
[…] : Tribute to the Tyger […]
I was amazed at such vitality and power in this post, Lana. I was thinking of children with their fears of the dark and forests by themselves. I was not thinking of adults and the consequences of taking risks or chances, Lana.
One of my favorite poems is William Blake’s Tyger which is so intense. I was reading it long before college when a professor broke it down in class. Lit was always so interesting for me. I still read this poem and enjoy the sound of it, when read in the right meter, it seems to be like the blacksmith hammering. Thanks Robin 🙂
I like that you explained the cadence to reading this poem with a beat, like a blacksmith hammering, would make it even better. 🙂
It is such a cool poem. I have always loved it. I can just picture that tiger, his eyes in that “forest of the night.”