Tuesday, June 30, 2009

When Skies Were Orange

Once in a long time ago
The skies were orange
Erupting volcanoes threw up
Small islands
into the dark sea
and the air was carbon dioxide and nitrogen

Once in a long time to come
The earth will fry
Or come to some other violent end

Right now I’m thinking
We are but tiny and brief
bursts of light.
And I watch you sleep
Naked beside me
In the hot night
Your back pain momentarily forgotten
And I listen to the seagulls
That interrupt my thoughts
And my mind swings to and fro

6 comments:

Wastedpapiers said...

Thanks for that Roger - it really cheered me up!

Russell CJ Duffy said...

With this thought in mind:

"The earth will fry
Or come to some other violent end"

and with a naked lady beside you I know what I wopuld be doing.:)

Roger Stevens said...

Probably sharing a plate of chips?
This poem is still a bit ragged actually. Will need to do a better version I think.

Nicole Braganza said...

"We are but tiny and brief
bursts of light."

It makes me feel optimistic!

Anonymous Poet said...

What I love about this piece is the combination of a profound, cosmic narrative with the suddenm immediate, tactile description of the "hot night" in which you are living.

This piece "swings to and fro" between these two poles: (1) cosmic, ultimate questions and (2) immediate surroundings you are in.

Both give meaning to each other and the last few lines capture them both.

Brilliant!

Roger Stevens said...

Thanks Anon!!!