Photo by Chris Galford
The fire dips beneath the azure sea;
All eyes turn to their own hands.
No one spies the serpents slithering
From the long stretched shadows
Of a garden ripe with glistening fruit.
Demons whisper in the peoples’ ears—
The straw cast down,
The crows descend.
Fruit rots and garden fades—
Ravens circle high above
The corpses of the fools.
Old men stir within their ancient tombs—
The dream is dead,
Another Rome, decayed.
–
The Waking Den 
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what a sad poem,
but your words painted it beautifully and poetically.
The straw cast down,
The crows descend.
Fruit rots and garden fades—
Ravens circle high above…
super brilliant word choices….
love it!
🙂
Thanks Jingle–it is a sad thing, truly, but such is the world as we have made it. Glad you enjoyed the statement, though.
wow this is phenomenal! I really enjoyed reading this- thanks for sharing!!!
http://peachpitproduction.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/natures-soul/
Why thank you so much! It’s an honor to be a part of the rally–some many fine poets abound, yourself included.
It is very sad…a warning. But all things end. Vivid imagery.
History repeats. If we do not heed the warning of its lessons, then we surrender to the old moniker…
Glad you enjoyed it!
Sadness fill the soul :< Your words truly flow into me. 🙂
Happy Rally^^~
Sad indeed, but I am glad that my words could touch you :). A happy rally to you as well–I’m glad to be a part of it.
sad its is but the last line… another Rome decayed… hints to me that one more shall soon be made.
cheers!!!
Life is a cycle. From the ashes of the old, rise the foundations of the new…
Thanks!
i wrote a different deception check it out
http://wiserskydiver.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/deception/
powerful stuff man the dream /is/ indeed dead, we’re here to experience another fall of the roman empire it’s been said once and before America has past its prime =\
A sad truth, but so it is. What rises must also fall…and as they say, history is doomed to repeat.
(sigh)…sad but true!
And we have too many such Romes in the making… no? The same decaying corpses, the same tombstones of old fools
Wonderfully and boldly portrayed, Chris!!
All around us, my friend. The world is what we make of it, and what we build, they have their day, but so too do they rot, from within and without. Man never goes untouched from himself for long.
Thank you Kavita! You are ever too kind.
All roads lead to Rome, they never seem to lead away.
Beautiful writing.
Peace
We cannot escape the past.
Thanks!
sad poem 😦
but powerful and strong words…
m here from Jingle’s rally…
you can read my rally poem at
http://megzone.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/why/
The sadness is that we must live through it…
Thanks for swinging by! It’s been a fine day of rallying, and you yourself have a lovely contribution.
when dreams dies, gloom spreads…
brilliant write
http://thepoetrywagon.blogspot.com/2010/09/thursday-poets-rally-beautiful-morn.html
In such ways, we are our own greatest undoing.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my gosh, so many dimensions to this poem. Extremely well written. Victoria
I am glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for the kind words.
well written poem.. sad truth.. many such places in the making..
mine for the rally is ~here~
The sad nature of politics…
Wow! This reminded me a bit of Ted Hughes Crow collection.
Bravo.
Your honor me with the compliment. Thank you so much–I am glad that the poem meant something to you.
Powerful and harrowing. I like the message you’ve got here. Well done!
I am glad my message touched you, and I thank you for the kind words, Lines. You are too kind!
A sorrowful poem. Makes me think of the rise and fall of the U.S. Empire…
Precisely what I was going for 🙂
Such sadness in this poem. Wonderfully done.
Thank you!
Brilliantly done!
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Happy Thursday!
Return favors to those who are here,
enjoy a beautiful day!
🙂
But of course. Been doing that on and off throughout the afternoon when I’ve got a moment or two to spare!
How ominous and sad that we did not learn from our Romes of the past that we must be victims of our own fate. Thanks for writing what many are afraid to!
So true. The facts lie right before it. Why can we not see them? Why do we not change what has already come before? Perhaps that is simply our course, our strand of fate…
Thank you, Amanda–I will be sure never to be cowed by any sort of fear in my writing 🙂
A connection sparked within me when I read your peom…
the line , “All eyes turn to their own hands.” Felt like my initiation and threshold into this poem. I do not know if I feel sad when reading this poem…the feelings are too strong for words. I am just feeling and resonating with your words. Welcome to the Rally brother, and I dig your connection with the darker parts of your self and the world’s “self”
And you, Annie, have just paid to me the greatest of compliments I think a writer could ever ask for. That you felt my poem, and were moved by it, and took some part of it into yourself–it brings the greatest of smiles.
Thank you, and it is an honor to be amongst the rest of you fine ralliers.
You conveyed the message without stooping and involving in self-centeredness yourself.. Very elegant and resonating! I share your feelings, just honored to be part of this group of thinkers.. !!
And thank you for your comments on my piece!!
Good luck!
Rachana.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it–and honored you took the time to swing by.
Hope there’s a great weekend ahead for you!
Great poem from a sad subject.
Thanks!
I like how you draw out this every familiar adam and eve story line with the slithering snake and the fruit, then reinforce it with the constancy and repetition of that ‘fall.’ The line on looking at their own hands was powerful. It gave the impression of how the constancy of mistakes and falls are left unseen given our myopic perspective. This poem was short, but tight.
Ever we think to rise, and always we fall–an inevitability in our domains of desire and longing. We always look to ourselves, thinking to raise ourselves up above the rest, or to withdraw into ourselves to hide from what they’ve wrought–but all fall, for we are all bound by mankind’s mistakes.
Thank you for your words, I’m glad you enjoyed the piece, for all its darkness!
chris this is so sad…
Happy Rally ! !
Sweet Dish
–Someone Is Special–
It truly is a sad state…
A happy rally to you as well!
Nice one 🙂
Your vivid choice of words really sends the mind wandering to paint the picture 🙂
It’s all in the imagery – thanks!
Happy Sunday…
Let me know after you are done…
Thanks!
wonderfully written piece thanks for sharing and stopping by my spot I appreciate it!
That was pretty deep… I like it.
My Poets Rally Poem: http://robinelizabeth58.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/falling-august-5-2010/
Thanks – I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Very good analogy and imagery.
You are good!
What better to show the rise and fall than in the images of those places and those people gone before? Thanks!
Outstanding poem! Makes me think of docile and apathetic aspects of society. Great photo too.
Cheers
Indeed. Society stagnates, the politics run through it all, an undercurrent of corruption only emphasized by the docility of the populace…oh listen to me ramble. Thank you, though – I’m glad you liked it Dustus!
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http://jinglepoetry.blogspot.com/2010/09/monday-poetry-potluck-kings-queens-and.html
Hello, friend:
Monday Poetry Potluck Is NOW open, linking is open from Sunday 8pm to Tuesday, 8pm, welcome join us by linking in 1 to 3 poems, you could use an old poem, the more you share, the happier we are…hurry up!
Thanks in advance.
Hope to see you in our lovely potluck…