Another submitted poem. Enjoy!
Songbird Still, March 13, 2007
On winter’s eve I carved a lark
From ancient grain
Woven and dark
I carefully emptied its wings
As my mind filled
With strange cold things
On winter’s eve my eyes shut tight
I left low limbs
And fell to flight
I starved my legs, my arms, and core
Inside my body
My organs tore
On winter’s eve the leaves dropped dead
Frail and fleeting
Drifting to bed.
I stared at shock, bathed in dull pain
Still and meek,
The Lark remained.
© 2007 Jason Keath
And the why:
Above is one of my favorite poems of my own. It was written about a night I went into the hospital, came close to death. It brings back some powerful emotions when I read it, but mainly inspires me to be true to myself.
-Jason
[…] big thanks to Nina over at http://www.NinaAlverez.net for posting my poem “Songbird Still” as the poem of the day over. Check out her […]
Thank you Jason for sharing such a personal journey with us today. Your poem was very good. You were able to face death and come back. You surely have a higher purpose on this earth. Best of luck to you.
Michelle Johnson
thank you for the kind words michelle. its always a pleasure to share.
Honestly, I’m not sure I’m correct about the Lark’s significance but, from the way I understand it, I think the last line resonates with so much bittersweet sincerity. The emptying of the wings makes me think of your inability to move and, therefore, be free. Despite this, “The Lark remained.” I think that’s so beautiful.
Thats a fair take Liz. the emptying of the wings is meant to have two meanings. it represents how i felt well, the initial “fall” of my experience and the ultimate . emptying wings can obviously be taken as lose of flight, but the undertone is from the first line “on winter’s eve I carved a lark”. In this context emptying the wings also becomes a step in the carving process, shaving the wings out, shaping them, one further step in the formation of a beautiful creature.