Resonance (original poetry). With his gracious permission, I am going to be expressing my thoughts using his poem.This is my personal reflection on life using @clayboyn’s
Please note that the thoughts expressed here are solely mine. I accept responsibility for any misunderstanding/wrong interpretation and I’m will be glad to have them pointed out in the comment section below. For thoughts concerning his poem, kindly use the link above to comment on the original post.
The poem: Resonance
We hold armistice while dreaming of peace,
cling to cycles but never find release.
Going blind doesn't erase memory,
no more than fog can debase scenery.
What has been shown can never be unseen;
Currents divide while bridges go between.
The map of the paths we walk keep shifting;
Change is constant, the sands of time sifting.
Foundations crumble and spiral to dust,
yet faith persists in the absence of trust.
Our worlds may tremble and our souls might quake;
Truth is revealed through uprooting of fake.
A brief introduction before we begin
When I first read the poem, I was drawn in by its simplicity and deep potency embedded in its simplicity. Each line hold meanings true and deep. It is a rather short poem of just 6 stanzas, two line each. Each line contains 10 syllables with an end rhyme.
For me, it is simply a reflection on life, about the search for meaning, for foundations, for truth. I’m grateful to @clyaboyn for his permission and @anjkara for helping me learn the first ropes of literary criticism. (PS: @anjakara, remember I’m still learning the ropes. Don’t try to get a free score with this.)
Reflections
We hold armistice while dreaming of peace,
cling to cycles but never find release.
Everyone, to a certain degree, wants peace - either externally or internally. Usually, we try to have some measure of peace by adopting a ‘live and let live’ policy. Then the peace is broken when one party refuses to ‘let live’. War (conflicts, quarrels) erupt and soon everywhere becomes messy. At some point, someone suggests an armistice while we seek for a long-lasting solution. Soon, whatever new peace is achieved is broken and the cycle begins.
I believe the conflict here is more of the internal struggle between what gives us comfort and what we know to be true. Sometimes, we just want to remain in an endless cycle, repeating the things we’ve heard and been taught to believe as truths. Rather than go out and search for ourselves, we keep on dreaming of peace, believing everything will fix themselves, all to no avail
Going blind doesn't erase memory,
no more than fog can debase scenery.
Linked to the first stanza is the desire for most people to live out the dream in spite of reality. That we choose to be blind to the things around us doesn’t take away the memories. We can close our eyes and imagine all was well, that the new peace accord would hope, that the ultimate salvation is nigh. If only a ‘fog can debase scenery’ then we can choose to change the world simply by focusing on what we like and ignoring the ones we don’t. Unfortunately, life doesn't work that way. That you choose to recognise or reject reality does nothing to it.
What has been shown can never be unseen;
Currents divide while bridges go between.
We cannot ‘unsee’ the things we have seen. Why? Because the memories are always there (linking back to the previous line). However, we always have a choice. We can help drive the currents or we can build bridges. But to do any of the two, we must admit what we see, admit the truth to ourselves
The map of the paths we walk keep shifting;
Change is constant, the sands of time sifting.
At this point, the poem expands into a general view of life. ‘Change is constant’, it says. Life doesn't always remain the same. Your entry point into a destination or state of mind is rarely your exit point. Change is only a matter of time. It seems like there’s a hour glass with its sand constantly sifting with the last grain signalling the end of an era. Maybe not a hour, but the point remains valid. Nothing remains the same forever. Truths become clearer, knowledge becomes updated;it is just how the world is. We can deny it, fight it, but we certainly cannot stop it. Through one means or the other, change always win.
Foundations crumble and spiral to dust,
yet faith persists in the absence of trust.
One main implication of change is that absolutes can easily lose their status. This is because, with time, we began to understand the things we didn’t. Superstitious beliefs are gradually replaced with verifiable science. As such, what used to be the foundation for people’s morals and life could easily be reduced to nothing. Yet, as humans, we find ourselves always eager to believe in something, to have something/someone we can lean on. So even when the things we lean on prove to be untrustworthy, we simply close our eyes and continue holding unto them regardless.
Our worlds may tremble and our souls might quake;
Truth is revealed through uprooting of fake.
This ends, and at the same time summarizes the poem. Peace is such a fragile thing; there are constant upheavals in our worlds, internally and externally. Sometimes, these upheavals (or changes) can shake our very very foundations and jolt our souls. They could hit hard at the things we hold dear. But we must never lose sight of one thing: the truth. The truth can only come when we ‘uproot’ the fake. We can try to ignore the fake but that doesn’t work. We can hold on to things that give us the most comfort but that is not the best. With constant change comes the opportunity to dig deeper, both within ourselves and within our worlds. As we dig deeper, we will able to uproot the fake, the lies, the superstitions and find the truth waiting to be discovered, unchanged, undying and undeniable.
Final words
I have three major takes from the poem:
Constantly search for the truth. Even you know to be the truth could be made clearerChange is constant. Learn to embrace it and take advantage of the fresh perspective it brings with it
Do not deny reality. You can work to change it, improve on it but never deny it. Denying the existence of things we don’t like doesn’t make them go away.
Thanks for reading.
I want to know your thoughts too. Kindly share them with me in the comment section below.
Blessings
It was really awesome to read your thoughts on my poetry. I do my best to avoid analyzing my own work as it tends to make me critical of it. I've had to accept that as part of my nature and that I'm just as likely to throw it away and create nothing if I really focus on what I mean by anything in particular too much. That said, they all say something and they are all about getting some sort of feelings, emotions, or ideas that I hold out of my head and into the world. I really enjoyed this and I'll resteem it to help some others find it. :)
Thanks @clayboyn
I'm glad you like it.
Writing on it was fun too. It's a simple poem with a straightforward plot. I just had to go with the flow and spill whatever entered my heart.
Thanks for the upvote and resteem
Blessings
PS: There are some typos - about three of them. I'll fix them now
this is an amazing photography. i appreciate your post.. thanks for sharing
Thanks for your kind words
Reality will always reveal 😃such a nice poem keep it up! I resteemed your post
Thanks
But it's isn't my poem. @clayboyn wrote the poem. I only posted it here with his permission
Wowwwww
Thanks
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