There is a silence that cannot speak.
There is a silence that will not speak.
Beneath the grass the speaking dreams
and beneath the dreams is a sensate sea.
The speech that frees comes forth
from that amniotic deep.
To attend its voice, I can hear it say,
is to embrace its absence, but I fail the task.
The word is stone.
I admit it.
I hate the stillness,
I hate the stone.
I hate the sealed vault with its cold icon.
I hate the staring into the night.
The questions thinning into space.
The sky swallowing the echoes.
Unless the stone bursts with telling,
unless the seed flowers with speech,
there is in my life no living word.
The sound I hear is only sound.
White sound.
Words, when they fall,
are pock marks on the earth.
They are hailstones seeking an underground stream.
If I could follow the stream down and down
to the hidden voice, would I come
at last to the freeing word?
I ask the night sky
but the silence is steadfast.
There is no reply.
Author notes
A FOUND POEM: Originally, this poem is written in paragraph form as the prologue to OBASAN, a Novel by Joy Kogawa,"a superbly gifted poet and writer, is a Nisei, the child of Japanese immigrant parents. OBASAN, her first novel, recovers the truth about what happened to her, her family, and her people in Canada during the Second World War." (comment Anonymous)
Many Japanese families were forced from their homes to live in war camps. Her family was one of them.
A contest entry
- a 'FOUND poem ~ free verse. "Gabriel's Dream" #60 by Lyndon.
2500 points, ended April 2, 2008, 11 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 17 of 17
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Man this is an awesome piece of writing, thank you for sharing this
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I thought it was incredible, too. I would love to read more of her work, and am always promising myself that I will find the time to read Obasan again more thoughtfully. It was introduced to me in an English lit class. As Margaret tells me, life happens...and I get side tracked.
I am glad you enjoyed this. ~K
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Congratulations Karen!
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Margaret, thank you for the applause on my silver trophy. I read your found poem more than once and think it was a beauty, too--a well deserving of bronze. Lyndon and Pamela had their work cut out for them with some fabulous pieces to read!
(I didn't see this little message until just now.'s)
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This is such a well-chosen piece!
Choice alone counts for heaps!
Your lineation is well nigh perfect. Any poet Laureate would be proud of this. Certainly, the above is good to great poetry. If I were younger, I would bring out an anthology of 200 Found poems. Now, there's a thought and a lot of chasing up on copyright.
Thank you dear poet.
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I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Ron. Her words spoke to me. ~K
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powerful verses!
well written, and just wonderful to read!
thankyou for sharing this author and write with us!
So many stanza's that really spoke powerfully!
ears2hearyou
Kathleen : ))
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Absolutely beautiful! I 'got' more of it after the explanation in the Author notes. The first two stanzas are my favorites. The following lines are impressive and insightful within the context of an interred innocent asking the unanswered "Why?"
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different and nice
i found this different and nice.sound is many things to loud fo us to stand to,or quiet.some sound can make you shake in your shoes.silence cannot speak, silence will not speak.just when you want sound there is none.
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Simply wonderful Karen!
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Very profound yet easily entered into the thought processes. I re-read it to to grasp a bit more and for the enjoyment I recieved. Thank you for such a delightful write, best wishes always sister me
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it is such a good poem sisy. I love its simplicity. Good day
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Such gentle expression in this filled with the emotions that are drawn from troubled times, a stunner and one of the best I think I have read from you. Love, C
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I agree with Nicolette, and I loved the process shared here between the sounds, the sights, and the spiritual
questioning. Excellent.
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This is exceptional poetry, my friend. Wonderfully deep and spiritual and the silence it speaks of is one we have all heard and felt. This one spoke to me, especially at a time when a loved one has gone into the realm of silence and light too. Beautifully done as only you could.
~ Nicolette
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This is very good, and a refutation that prose is not poetry. Your lines and spaces add music to the notes. (Pardon the play on words.) Well done, bringing attention to this memoir.
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A poem of depth and sensitivity, beautifully worded.
Bill
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