Sunday, August 24, 2014














Aging Star
(for Vincent, Robin, and me)

I pour out my heart’s fire
Like water in the bird bath,
Sustenance for each of you.

I serve up cracked corn,
Simple seeds of wisdom,
Nutty, crunchy knowledge.

My spilled blood nurtures,
Fertile seed beds flourish,
Sprouts rise, buds bloom.

Some birds take flight, soar;
A tidy garden grows, thrives,
But my light wanes, steadily.

You shine, my young friends,
My spirit flows through you,
But my soul is growing dim.

If a wick, I, me would trim,
Shed the excess, diminish,
Lose light, gain longevity.

But I am not a wick—
Enjoy my light, bask,
It will not last for long.


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20 comments:

Marion said...

Wow! What an amazing write. Now I feel bad about my tongue-in-cheek take on it...not! LOL! Greetings from a Louisiana belle. xo

Unknown said...

The cycle of maintaining your garden ecosystem is finite for sure and will not endure forever. Mine ended when I sold my house. Unless you are planning to relocate, I am hoping a few years remain. Of course the animals have shorter life spans, so you have nurtured several generations already. My mother-in-law hung in with her maintenance until she was 80. We are not all so fortunate, plus she had lots of help. Having said all this, I love your poem. I love the topic, the metaphor at the start, the adjectives throughout, the comparisons especially to the wick, the gritty descriptors, cracked, nutty crunchy in the beginning transitioning to the soulful tired feelings waning at the end. Thanks for sharing. Your writing is brilliant and succinct here Michael in my opinion.

Karen said...

Perfect poem, my friend! Your light burns brighter than you know, by the way.

(I me would trim...

Karen said...

I hit send before I should have. I meant to say, "I, me, would trim..." is exquisite!

Unknown said...

beautiful... i loved the last line..

Kathe W. said...

Love the "simple seeds of wisdom"!

Berowne said...

"Enjoy my light, bask,
It will not last for long."
"But oh my foes and oh my friends, it casts a lovely light."

Carolina Linthead said...

Oh my...I am remiss in not referencing Edna St. V! I knew when I wrote it I was playing off her metaphor, but that was awhile back. It seemed perfect for this prompt, and given the passing of Robin Williams.

Truedessa said...

nutty crunchy knowledge I really enjoyed that line and you capped it with a great ending.

Sumana Roy said...

A wonderful tribute and amazing use of metaphors here...a lovely write :)

Silent Otto said...

Yet you have left your mark, Linthead friend , for you have expressed your words and at least one other person in this world ( me) has read them ...mission accomplished

NCmountainwoman said...

Beautiful and thought-provoking. I really like this one.

21 Wits said...

Such a ring to this, lovely images through fresh words, If a wich, I me, would trim, shed the excess, diminish, lose light, gain in every line, from start to close. Nice magpie.

C.C. said...

This is beautifully written...and I love the way the first stanza and the last act as perfect capstones for this lovely write.

Carrie Van Horn said...

The imagery and message in this are amazing....a truly beautiful write!

Wayne said...

Nicely written...thanks for sharing

James Brush said...

Beautiful. The last stanza especially.

Anonymous said...

This hit me in ways I don't even want to mention.

Than you. Nice Mag. Love and Light, S

Tess Kincaid said...

My dear Edna St. Vee would love this...I certainly did...a special treat to see you at Magpie Tales Dr. L...

Splendid Empress said...

Lovely! Perfect capture for those of us who have matured into wisdom.