Monday, September 28, 2009

Monday Poem, after Hughes

We rule here,
great

stomping conquerors
stinking

with hubris,
demanding

and receiving fealty,
tasting

the blood
of the defiant

and the slow,

judging.
And yet

when we've gone,
when our heavy weight

no longer presses
on the earth,

When the pennies
on our eyes

have crumbled,
Still

there will be
this

terrible beauty,

Earth rampant
on a field of sky.

Thank you to TFE for the assignment. Click here for TFE's blog, where you will find links to more Monday poems.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow--you really did channel Ted Hughes--especially that ending which is quite good.

Sandra Leigh said...

Why, thank you, John.

Kathryn Magendie said...

"our heavy weight" - this is brilliant

Sandra Leigh said...

Tank you, Kathryn. I'm so glad to see you back at home!

Argent said...

Yes, indeed, very Hughes-y. I love the spareseness of it.

Totalfeckineejit said...

Powerful poem, Sandra, mighty indeedFealty is a good word-had to look it up!The poem reminded me a bit of Ozymandias and the 'terible beauty', of Yeats,but it was ALL Sandra and wonderful!
My favourite lines right at the end....

Earth rampant
on a field of sky.

Poignant and brilliant.

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

Lovely poem, Sandra, cohesive, concise, coherent, clear, powerful!

swiss said...

yup, i too liked the terrible beauty but it was the crumbling pennies on eyes that did it for me. powerful!

Rachel Fox said...

Our heavy weight indeed. Very good.

Sandra Leigh said...

Argent - Hughes-y? That sounds so cuddly! Thanks.

TFE - In turn, I had to google "Yeats terrible beauty", as I hadn't read Easter, 1916.

Jeanne Iris, swiss, Rachel Fox - thank you all. swiss, I liked the crumbling pennies, too.

Dr. Jeanne Iris said...

Sandra, this is lovely. This photo was one that I considered, too. I like your poetic interpretation.

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