Hostile giant
silhouetted in penumbra
demure in constant conquest
I hear faint sounds
from the kingdom below
marked by dreams
they grow restless
in twilight
at the approach of
your heavy feet
as you trod upon
this pounding earth
searching for relief
from restless wandering
constant hunger
and the swell of souls
under the crush of your weight
I wasn’t sure about this one LT. I reread it and then came back to it and finally it fell into place. (This is clearly my fault for being a little slow today)
I took It to be about decent people fighting back against a big bad trumping ogre (or system). I didn’t doubt your genius for a second, LT. 🙂
That’s exactly correct, Phil. Little folks fighting back against big tyrants. Big tyrants can be everywhere. Thank you!
Thanks Lana 🙂
Good one. Lana. I don’t think the giant is ever sated.
Thanks Diana, I think the giants stay mean and hungry….
Mmmm, I wonder what inspired this one? The final five lines make me tremble!
And now I just read it in couplets backwards and it kind of comes alive for me. You are clever!
Well thank you, Pauline. There is no rhyme or reason where my mind wanders, ha ha.
Great piece of writing… so well portrayed.
Thank you, Iris. Sometimes it seems that those in power truly do abuse it and are constantly fueled by greed.
So true. We hope that there will be some leadets who will be fairer and just!
Mysterious…
and foreboding! 😀
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site and commented:
By a great lady.
Thank you, John 😀
You are very welcome.
I love the word “penumbra” in line 2 and how the words show both the light and dark sides of the giant. 🙂
Joan, you are so masterful at both reading and writing poetry. I wish I had a poetry teacher just like you when I was learning about poetry! Thank you so much 😀
Thanks, Lana. I think I have more of an ear for it since I started writing it. Poetry can’t be rushed, you have to read it slowly and let it wash over you. What does it MEAN? is not as important as what stays with you afterward. Some phrases are musical, some create an image or a feeling, some have visual beauty, some strike at your very heart with an urgent message. It’s a chemistry created between reader and writer. Comments are our only way of knowing if we’ve made a connection here, so when that happens, I like to share my thoughts with the writer. 🙂
What an excellent summation of poetry and how people interact with it, and how it’s such an individual experience. 😀
As I was reading your poem and especially the ending verses I couldn’t avoid thinking of Atlas, the Titan who was condemned by Zeus to eternally hold Uranus (the sky) on his shoulders… 😀 Great writing. Love & best wishes!
Ah, yes…I remember that one. There was a time when I studied mythology and enjoyed every bit of it. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Love and best wishes to you!