...is in the question,
when an atheist lay down to die;
a mind wandered away from bitterness
man of reason for whom
the dark night was not a metaphor
but a real and closing door, for thoughts
like light on another side, were ceded:
a commitment to a rational state, a reality.
Now that life had slowed for him
nearly stopped, it became clear
the nature of time, for it
was the world seemed swept away
caught in a current, a flooding crest;
life all upon a tiny raft,
like ants he had seen
caught in a rain gutter stream
helpless against the flow,
satisfied it seemed to exist in rivulets
bounded by curbstones,
swirled to grated falls.
As time took another halting step
and the only world he allowed
seemed to drift further away, his thoughts
brought sights within a walnut shell,
suddenly a seeming coffin of life,
universe unto self, an unchallenged place
merely for the knowing of nothing else;
tomorrow, we begin to answer.
In last moment, unlike any other
gripped in fear of knowing:
men died for a flat world,
for an earth centered universe,
for truths of gods with animal parts
and human motives;
a past filled with crumbled certainty
and the contrived- nobility,
royalty, slavery, castes and wealth -
washed away in pristine grace
of sun rise and fall.
In finality
he understood
the miracle of sunset, bold vision
that even the end of day
still allows unforgettable beauty.
[now groaning chants echo in chambers
do pillars of a life become contrived by certainty?]
And the world has left him in stillness,
gone on, and he will have the death
he created, in versions of truth and proof
practiced arrogance of belief over beliefs of others
put to a test;
lights and dreams spinning ever away
as life simply leaves and all that happens
when next is certain to the atheist,
when it happens over darkness and open eyes
for then furthest reaches of thought
seem contrived –
all but parts we cannot elude,
or even imagine to lose.
For even as it ends, now so certain;
formed wishes, the essence of life, go on.
A contest entry
- Winklings Celebrates its 100th Contest (A Series) - Contest K by Winklings.
6000 points, ended August 13, 12 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
-
You are the Quester!
The analyst! The questioner!
Truth is none of us know last thoughts especially our own. Uttered words are not a true reflection, really. Famous last words! Pshaw!
Your truth in a nut shell is that life goes on when we die ~ for others ... that we KNOW.
"... that even the end of day
still allows unforgettable beauty" cannot be true of humanity. Dying is acutely unpleasant for those doing so slowly and in pain. Then a simple faint and cardiac arrest takes many before they have time to wonder.
I am not clear of your message and I am honest enough to tell you this. An atheist may recant at the end; a religious may have fearful doubts. It is a tricky philosophic exploration you've taken me on.
-
-
ahh thank you Ron-
I agree it is a difficult subject, for me because so little is known and so much committed to ideals and faith. Thank you for your thoughtful insights and it seems to me that you found some things to ponder and weigh here, analyses and opinions are always welcome with me... I especially appreciate the gift of time and effort needed to respond in this very useful manner...PK
-
-
Excellent.
-
Oddly enough, Voltaire came to mind. Then there are scientists. Though it was commonly believed scientists,philosophers were atheists; those who were curious enough question what they were told and adventurous enough discover the "whys" in happenings, those men and women probably had the strongest faiths.
I think, those who explored the "whys" had a greater appreciation for life's miracles, life's beauties and life as it is. Well done. Write on. One.
Dez
Adding your comment:
