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Grappling In The Central Blue
by Chris Sorrenti
we try so hard to stay aloft
every single day
a flock of geese
to sun and stars
moving swiftly across the sky
strong outside but deep inside
we feel the stomach fear
in a steady flap of wings
with one eye on the horizon
for the falcon on the prowl
trying to be as wise
as old snowy owl
grappling in the central blue
as all around the flak explodes
we attempt to fly a straight line
though too often find ourselves
averting to the zig and zag
for feathers burn easily
in this undeclared war
to stay on good terms
with those all around
a cloud in the distance
we can never seem to reach
grappling in the central blue
© 1983
Revised © 2017
1,560 hits as of March 2024
10/22/2005
Author's Note: The title comes from a chapter in a book about the U.S. Navy's island hopping campaign against the Japanese in WWII, and as I was later to discover, is in fact from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, titled: Locksley Hall (1835).
Posted on 10/22/2005
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Gregory O'Neill on 10/22/05 at 03:22 PM Exponants of intergrity and survival, fighting self doubt. Accomplished without alot of spare parts. Another nice write, Chris. |
| Posted by Christina Bruno on 10/22/05 at 07:55 PM very nice, i really like the way you carry the feather metaphor throughout the poem. i also like the naked struggle, great job :) |
| Posted by Maureen Glaude on 10/24/05 at 12:04 AM perhaps it's another case of the reach, the attempt, being the important thing. The process. This is lovely, and timely, as today at church we had a tribute to Operation Go Home, as it originated with a minister from our church in the 70's, and one of our musicians re-wrote the Gabriel song with the Home theme in it, after seeing a falcon recently, and put the Gatineau Hills in the song, instead of the way the original reads. It was a beautiful moment, and he said while working on it he saw the falcons in the Gatineau Hills. |
| Posted by Nicole D Gregory on 10/26/05 at 12:40 AM I like this! I sort of ...for my own strange reasons... put it more of a mechanical/fighter pilot feel ... I don't know what is with my mood today; but anyway... I really like this in a very zen/nature way... Best regards! ~N |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 10/26/05 at 01:04 AM Most interesting analogy! The implied comparison of geese and war planes gives sharp definition to the flight and avoiding fight! |
| Posted by Michelle Angelini on 10/30/05 at 06:45 AM Chris, the images of birds and the concept that they are free from being chained to the earth has always been an important concept for me. Using the birds as comparisons to people getting along and their characteristics caught my attention. Each of the birds you named have been ones that I've been interested in studying for what you mention.
~Chelle~ |
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