I have never thought of myself as a poet. In school we were forced to read, write, memorize, and recite poetry. I never felt comfortable with it. There always seemed to be too many rules, rhyme, meter, flow. I was not that interested in writing back then, mostly sports and girls.
Last week during my writer’s group meeting we were asked to write a Haiku. After it was explained to me, I gave it a whirl. My kind of poetry, short sweet and to the point. But still, not something I felt compelled to do on a regular basis. Then something strange happened.
A few days ago, I the following piece just seemed to flow into my head. It’s the first poetry I have written in thirty-five plus years.
Souls stand on a concrete pond
The pond poured into perfect four-foot squares
A dual river of steel runs through it from horizon to horizon
The thunder rolls
Light and bells ring in its coming
Out of the morning mist the steel serpent slithers
Following the river, it seeks to find the waiting souls
The thunder rolls
The steel serpent screeches as steel crushes steel
It stops as if looking to feed. Its many maws open wide.
The souls rush into its body as it hisses and breathes
The thunder rolls
Finally sated, the steel serpent shutters.
Sluggishly, as if too full to move it begins to slither forward.
It gains speed as it leaves the concrete pond and rushes toward the horizon.
And the thunder rolls.
You never know where or when an idea will hit you. Just be open to what the world has to offer. Have a beautiful week.
Tales From The Hare 
annewoodman
August 20, 2012 at 9:56 am
Love it, Dennis! I could visualize your images so well. Thanks for sharing. Poetry or fiction or non-fiction–if you’re a writer, the world is your oyster.
Dennis Langley
August 20, 2012 at 10:00 am
Thanks Anne, ain’t life grand? It certainly is an amazing ride.
scottweberwriter
August 21, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I have been told that reading and writing poetry is a way to improve your writing in terms of making things more sensory. One little haiku and you got visuals spillin’ out all over the place! Keep it up.
Dennis Langley
August 21, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Thanks. It was a real strange morning commute.
mentalnotes1
August 21, 2012 at 12:53 pm
30 YEARS!!!! THATS TO LONG ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE THAT GOOD! BUT YOU ARE A WRITER YOUR ARTICLES ARE GOOD, I HAVE BEEN BROWSING WORDPRESS FOR CRITICAL THINKING TYPE STUFF AND ARGUEMENTS. I’M ON MY LAST 3 CLASSES FOR MY DEGREE AND I WAITED TILLTHE END FOR THIS STUPID ENGLISH CLASS I HATE IT. BUT I NEED THAT PAPER (EDUCATION) FOR THE FIELD I AM IN. THX, I GOT A FEW IDEAS FROM YOUR BLOG AND OF COURSE ASSOCIATION BREEDS CONTAMINATION ( : SO I GOT SOME IDEAS FROM SOME OF THE BLOGS YOU FOLLOW. I WAS SURE TO FIND SOME STUFF THEIR ALSO…THX
Dennis Langley
August 21, 2012 at 1:03 pm
No worries. Glad I can help. Stop by any time.
4amWriter
August 22, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Great poem, Dennis. I love the rhythm that started chugging out of the words and I loved the rhyming of “Following the river, it seeks to find the waiting souls/The thunder rolls”
Great point–always give yourself a chance. You just never know. 🙂
Dennis Langley
August 22, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Thanks. That morning was an amazing commute when this stream of words just started flowing out of my pen.