Friday 8 May 2009

Poem: Madness

The sun hovers, an unwanted guest,
he stands on the hillcrest – glaring

while my mind simmers – a pressure cooker
of black thoughts in black pot...

Then, serenity is my playmate
for a time, that too brief interlude

when the chirrup of blackbirds no longer
sounds like the drone of a four-wheel drive,

nor the yellow sprawl of azaleas
emerge as a grey net of frozen moths…

But the black thoughts shifting in my cerebral cortex
soon return. It is almost as if the blackness has been

watching and waiting to encircle me in its sap
of sinking sand, where we plunge and fuse with the dune.


Catherine Mark

17 comments:

IJ said...

(Sigh) ... the poem is called Madness and yet it is filled with sadness. Perhaps it is because the blackness watches and waits to ensnare, that the Sun hovers and glares. An unwanted guest maybe, but it (the sun) is a Protector shielding you from the turmoil within. It takes just one ray of light to chase away the darkness.

LJ

Linda S. Socha said...

Yes. Sigh. I have though of it like an a liquid poured over your head that permeates every pore....and then
the cleansing rain. An the good times....so much richer....but oh that the ends were not such extremes
Hugs to you Cath...I love your writing
Linda

Vancouver, Canada said...

That's very deep hun..your such a gifted writer Cath..Much love to you hun..Sandy..x

Cynthia said...

Hi there Catherine, an elegant and
honest poem. The spareness and the
simple color descriptions remind
me of my beloved form the haiku.

Your style here is really as if your soul has taken up pen and filled up itself with the blood
of your heart to use as ink and
then began to write, all that is
within her, the depths and fears
as well as the reprise from pain
she is afforded when most needed.

Thank you Catherine for sharing
such a personal view inside yourself, you are beautiful inside
as well as outside.

Love,
Cynthia

Unknown said...

A lovely poem and so very sad. I think you've captured the thoughts of madness so well. Best from Copenhagen.

Printemps said...

Cath, I need sometime to meditate on this poem - I hope you understand.

I will come back on this...

Have a wonderful Sunday!

CathM said...

@Lilly J: Yes... in the world of mad thoughts there are lots of contradictions of feelings, emotions and perceived reality... which often overwhelms and plunges one into a strange and uncertain ‘darkness’. Thanks for your comments!

@Linda S: Indeed, I think that the ‘good times’ are so much richer because of the ‘madness’ (smile). Yes – I beseech the gods for more ‘cleansing rain’... more, more, more!

@Sandy (Vancouver, Canada): Thank you for popping by and leaving a comment. It’s much appreciated :)

@Cynthia: Hmmmmm... I wish I knew how to share less of myself in my poems, me thinks (lol). Perhaps, it’s why I tend not to post poetry so much (I prefer hiding behind the characters of my short stories) but I’ve been pretty preoccupied lately and so haven’t been in the right head space to pen a short story... hope to do so again soon. In the meantime, it’s the poetry that’s flowing! As always, it’s great to get such a generous comment from an admirable poet such as yourself. Thank you!

@Christopher: Funny, how poetry seems to find its fodder from one’s worldview (life experiences and reality :)

@Printemps: Ah – you take all the time you need to meditate on this one (smile)... I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you’re ready to give them. And, thanks for the Sunday wishes (it’s been a pretty chilled day for me :) Hope yours has been a good one!

CathM said...

@Gerry Boyd & Quwwa & Claudia: WELCOME to my site and thanks for staying connected with my blog space!

Strawberry Girl said...

Haunting, ever there... this sounds like depression, i've been there. A brief interlude... those drive ya' crazy because you intuitively know that it is brief and that too is maddning. Because you know that the darkness will return. It is almost like you welcome it, as the familiar, something that you are acquainted with, though it drives you crazy. Yes, madness fits this little piece very well, and you captured the sense of it very well. :0)

Anonymous said...

oh to be encircled in sap......

Chuck Dilmore said...

CathM,
it's terrific writing...
each line tilted just enough
to make me fall into the next one.

it does make me wonder
what you're going through,
or maybe it is just fiction.

still, you are an Author. a Poet.
in touch with your emotions, thoughts.
that you can express them so vividly shows that you are cognizant, present, with us.

hope that you see
how much we enjoy
you~

Chuck

Unknown said...

Hi Cathrine

Sorry, but you've been tagged:-)

For info visit

http://crleth.blogspot.com/2009/05/tagged.html

Rogue said...

Oh dear Cath. Very dark and brooding this. Me thinks a pic nic by the river; red and yellow balloons and a fine bottle of Merlot are in order! Why does the song " Tomorro" from the play " Annie" resound in my head? Never fear, you are much loved:-)

sarah said...

ah sad)) stunning imagery. I like the drone allusion and yes they do fade into anything when you're not present and well yes sad.

have a lovely weekend,

Sarah))

CathM said...

@Annie: ‘this sounds like depression’--- very much the heart of the poem :) Thank you sweet for your insight!

@Paul: Hmmmmm – my redemption or ruin, I’m not sure which...

@Chuck: ‘it does make me wonder what you're going through...’--- indeed, I’m working through a whole load of stuff (smile)... but it does provide inspiration for my poetic efforts (lol)! ‘Hope that you see how much we enjoy you’--- thank you, much appreciated at this time!

@Christopher: Thanks for the TAG (no need to be ‘sorry’ lol). I hope to respond to the TAG soon :)

@Andrew: ‘A picnic, a fine bottle of Merlot, and a song’--- exactly what I need, me thinks :)

@Sarah: Thanks for connecting with the poem. You have a good weekend too!

Linda S. Socha said...

Reading this one again....Powerful stuff Cath
Linda

lissa said...

sounds like thoughts that just won't let you get away from your sadness or melancholy state of mind