Humans seem to gravitate to fire. Fire of all kinds.
Threads pulling away, carried away in the wind like prayer flag filaments.
Write the Ugly Part Out Loud
The lovely poetry
lavender lace
professions of heart
love letter pages
now turn to fire
cracking a night sky
fireworks this 4th of July —
they sound like war
splitting the air
burning the ear —
as dogs and wildlife flee
in terror, more fear everywhere,
purportedly a joyous thing
about breaking from a king
yet here and now, this —
where are we? —
a celebration thing?
So much we forget,
the fireworks, they sound like war
such ugly disturbance yet
blasting every sensibility
out past the boundaries
of respect and freedom
. . . . . . . and decency.
The poem is well written.
As I have never seen the 4th of July fireworks I do not know how loud or horrid they are but in the movies on our Aussie TV's they seem lovely and it all looks spectacular.
I am sorry to find out that the fireworks are causing so much fear and angst,especially to dogs and wildlife.
I read recently, that as early as 1777, there were fireworks celebrating July 4 the year before when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Although the Republic was a long way from being formed and war with England was about to get underway.
Babies are scared of loud noises, along with our pets. We like to be scared and we like to see beautiful colors dissolving in the air to smoke. It was the bombardment of Fort Henry that Frances Scott Key got inspired enough to write the Star-Spangled Banner.
Last night, there were several celebrations with fireworks going on in our neighborhood. Downtown, the fireworks over Houston for 21 minutes accompanied by song were more spectacular and more colorful than they have ever been. I mourn the loss of hearing that makes listening to those beautiful songs and voices very hard now.
People just don't like to be quiet as a church mouse when celebrating.
I think your poem deftly points to the irony that exists now within many troubled hearts that the grand, once-a-year, celebratory effort of fireworks intended to herald, as you wrote, respect, freedom and decency, now seem to have a clarion effort of a kind of bellicosity marked by lies deceit, slavery and yes indecency that has been normalized. May we soon climb out of this pernicious hole.
Persuasive words, dear poet. Fireworks are indeed with subtext meaning to many of us. As your words allude, what once upon a time reminded both child and adult of its celebratory purpose, has taken on a questionable impact. Keywords that take our thinking where it needs to be (and cautiously where we must stay focused on) are the end result of not paying attention to a king, wars, and past boundaries of respect and freedom. And yes, decency. Important write, Diana. Hope many read it and contemplate the warnings.
Using Calgary as a backdrop the author satirizes the self-serving nature of the public as it continues to fatten itself, not only physically, but egotistically as well.
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As I have never seen the 4th of July fireworks I do not know how loud or horrid they are but in the movies on our Aussie TV's they seem lovely and it all looks spectacular.
I am sorry to find out that the fireworks are causing so much fear and angst,especially to dogs and wildlife.
Babies are scared of loud noises, along with our pets. We like to be scared and we like to see beautiful colors dissolving in the air to smoke. It was the bombardment of Fort Henry that Frances Scott Key got inspired enough to write the Star-Spangled Banner.
Last night, there were several celebrations with fireworks going on in our neighborhood. Downtown, the fireworks over Houston for 21 minutes accompanied by song were more spectacular and more colorful than they have ever been. I mourn the loss of hearing that makes listening to those beautiful songs and voices very hard now.
People just don't like to be quiet as a church mouse when celebrating.
Ron