"Courage", I cried to my agonizing heart
as she tilted, with her despair- laced fingers,
at the windmills of sorrow.
Despite the stormy night's deafening sounds,
I heard her palpitations,
and understood her immense limitations.
"Courage", I cried.
As my incensed heart jumped up and down
Like a matador on a mad bull,
Bracing to hold the talons
of the disgusting bird of woe,
and intending with all her faltering might
to wrestle it down, to its nemesis.
When the balloon of our misadventure burst,
and we fell down with barely a sound
like bird-droppings upon the ground,
I donned the robe of dutiful Sancho
and counseled patience to my quixotic heart.
"El mañana es otro día"
Author notes
Inspired by Neruda's "Ode to sadness". I found the poem very endearing. It has a child-like innocence and confidence despite the vicious talk of wringing, trampling etc. It reminded me of smart children boasting to their mother about the damage that they would inflict on a demon, when she invokes its name to instill some discipline. It sounded like a brave but vain attempt to bully sadness.
This poem is only nineteen lines. If this is a disqualification that cannot be condoned, let me know.
Written July 19th, 2005
A contest entry
- Pablo Neruda ( Contest ) by Tecolote.
300 points, ended August 2, 2005, 6 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
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Well, if everything that is going to happen in the future were known to us, despite how it can swing between the ill and the beautiful, there would be an overall sense of boredom with life I suppose and we would lose track of the important meaning of NOW and the constant present,
anyhow...Within this write you do see most definitely Neruda spirits among the lines in the way one makes the attempt, the gathering of might, the sense of continue to run with the wounded heart, with a bleeding soul, continue on ...carry on..carry on...almost as if every consecutive step would only be closer to demise, but then, when there is the acceptance of the inevitable, a final gathering of strength to embrace that life would go on, no matter how many storms and wounds scar the horizons. Enjoyable to read despite being fewer than the minimum lines, yet the lines are long and rich, thus they do recreate a good balance and complete imaging and thread for your poem. Thank you very much for entering my contest and sorry for the delay in commenting. All the best ~ Juanpa 
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Brilliant work
Yes Poet: "tomorrow is another day" -- you have written with the same passionate surrendering acceptance that Neruda did; humming his heart with a tear.
Well done! -
Wow, this is brilliant, capturing the spirit of Don Quixote (which I may have missspelled ) All the emotions are there, and the heart becomes animate, I love that idea. I find you so versatile, this and beautiful nature poems, too! Lovely.
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