So, what is the answer? At present this is probably the most asked question all around the world. We have all been snared in a global conflict that was initially referred to as an excursion, which was actually an incursion which could more accurately be called an act of war. The ripples of this ill-advised miscalculation have had repercussions reverberating far beyond the theatre of war.
So, what's the answer? I certainly didn't hear it yesterday. The address to the American people, and by extension the rest of the world, provided no answers whatsoever. It delivered a bottle of smoke.
I confess to being utterly bewildered and terribly concerned by what has been set in place by two world leaders who take no responsibility for what they have unleashed, and the disruption to global affairs they have set in play. Such actions possess all the hallmarks of moral malnutrition...
That's my response, my rant. Even if there is a clear answer to this disturbing situation, those proposing solutions are probably engaged in a dialogue of the deaf.
Let me assure you dear reader the poem that follows is not another rant poem, but rather an examination of what often happens when we go in search of answers to events that leave us betwixt and between. Answers are frequently elusive and hard to pin down. Such dilemmas often bedevil us.
So, What’s The Answer?
travel
in straight lines
Sometimes
they spin
endlessly
in circles
Morphing
into stories
Brimming
with waffle
and minutiae
Sometimes
they head off
and become lost
rather quickly
Some answers
are reluctant to reveal
their true selves
Refusing
to dance
on the tongue
They frustrate
and fail
to get
to the point
often
stun
and amaze
Like
a dart
to the heart
Brevity
wrapped
in a few
stinging words
So, what’s the answer?
So few answers
travel
in straight lines.
Alan, you summed it up well with a bottle of smoke and moral malnutrition. “Answers spinning in circles and morphing into stories” made me smile. Your poem is profound. It’s a helpful reminder to search and unwind the truth in a time when we get few straight answers.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tracey. Yes, straight answers would be nice. It would involve a major redirection though, To put it in poetical terms, this leader has no capacity for veracity!
DeleteInsightful poem, Alan - and intriguing line breaks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Matt. Those lines breaks were a non negotiable for this poem. All that discombobulation required it.
DeleteHear, hear, agree with every word of your rant. Your powerful poem (a perfect example of form=function) is impactful. I only hope the two leaders who started the war and disrupted the world order will one day have to answer to their crimes.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jama. My thoughts align with yours.
DeleteWhat a powerful poem to ponder, Alan. And I love the line breaks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rose. The line breaks were an essential element once the poem got into strride. They refused to settle in any conventional way.
DeleteThe line breaks and the spinning and never a stright line. You have summed up how I feel. These two leaders have so much to answer for.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jone. We are aligned on this. Never a straight line as quite apt in relation to this hideous situation.
DeleteAlan, how sad that our country has done this to the world. I know it's not the first time, but it is definitely one of the worst, and all by the power of a sick, demented old man. Our Congress has neutered themselves and let him do it. I'm so sorry. Your poem, the look and shape, the words and feel explain very well that there is no easy answer. This was one of my favorite sections:
ReplyDeleteBrimming
with waffle
and minutiae
This has had rippled effects that continue to reverberate across the globe. It is disrupting all aspects of life. Denise, your displeasure is most apparent and your frustration is shared.
DeleteSo much to ponder in your poem. Your form brilliantly adds to the depth of your words. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Alice. Your kind and supportive response, sustains me as a poet.
DeleteThank you for your honesty. As hard as it is for you, from the outside, imagine the pain of living it from the inside, wearing the label of "American" even though what this country is and does no longer represents who I am and how I live. It's a mess, isn't it? How are we going to dig our way out of this????
ReplyDeleteI have been steadily gaining a sense of the anguish and pain experienced by American friends and colleagues in the present political and social climate, Mary Lee. The sorrow and disgust for what is being perpertrated in the nation's name is palpable. Keep raising your voices, keep telling the truth. The many small voices matter. Our pain is referred, yours is immediate and bites deep.
Delete