Welcome and salutations, my dear digital friends!
It’s funny. As a poet, I’ve been told that picking your favorite poem is akin to picking your favorite child.
Not sure, for me, that is true. And, of course, we all have different tastes in art.
The perfect poem to me, first and foremost, makes me feel something… anything. It doesn’t need to be some cloying lovey-dovey treacle every time… it can be anger, repulsion, fear, too.
Second, it needs to make me think. Words I do not know. Allusions or references that I do not quite understand. Ideas that force me to challenge my own thinking. And so much more.
Third and lastly, I need to come back to the poem multiple times, line-by-line, to spiritually or artistically connect with the words through practical criticism… no other outside context allowed but the words themselves. Starts with separating the art from the artist.
That all said, I am so excited about this week’s new poem because it checks the box on all three of my aesthetic requirements. I hope you really enjoy it, too!
As always, please let me know your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the poem in the ‘Leave a Reply’ comment section at the bottom of this page.
-PS Conway ☘️ ☘️ ☘️
☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️
scarlet cord
a desert morn dawns erudite
the sight of armies
gathering on shadowed horizon lines
helps define a Gentile’s plight
when Legions strive for dominion
one last embrace for a child
her eyes wild with the terrors of patriarchy
and the soft irony of doves cooing
reassurance of a mother’s kiss
the bliss of knowing she is loved
and the fierce pride
reflected in her tearful eyes, in this
hard choice of sheltering strangers
mysteries lie behind doors
where whores transform into heroes
and daughters watch herons take flight
shall we each seek Rahab’s reward?
a scarlet cord to hang in our windows
for then we might know safety
from the perils of self-righteous swords
sent by god to destroy Jericho
It is a bittersweet object lesson, Patrick. Heroes can be found in the most unlikely of places. Love and compassion are not the sole purview of the righteous.
A big AMEN to that, Wendy. The parallels we can draw between today and Rahab’s time… the misogyny and overreach of the patriarchy, and the limited choices for women to protect their families. Thanks so much, my friend. 🙏🏻🍷🌹💯✨
This tribute to Old Testament allegory reminds me of the sheltering of Jews in Gentile households during the Holocaust. One of my uncles was hidden in the attic of an inn keeper’s house and later married their daughter. These stories remind us of the humanity and kindness hidden within wars. Love this poem Pat. ❤️
I will tell you what, Naomi, I love this interpretation and comment!!! The beauty of words to make each reading experience so personal for each of us!!🙏🏻🍷🌹✨
War is not confined to the battlefield, it is found wherever humanity resides. Be it within nations or within a family that need to preserve and protect is dominant, the mother for her child, a nation for its democracy.
In my humble opinion aggression is never the solution, tolerance and compassion are the way forward.
Love the complexity of your poetry.
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Wow, brilliantly stated, Sandie! And I totally agree with your comments. Poems like this are definitely a “taste” to be sure; but I genuinely appreciate that you enjoy the complexity. Believe me, a lot goes into it! Thanks so much. ☘️🙏🏻🌹🍷✨