When I began making marks on the screen which produced the image below, I was thinking about how the Earth would look if a giant machine carved it into thin layers, the way one of my sharp kitchen knives might slice through an onion.
I've watched enough archeological digs on Time Team's TV programmes, to know that humankind leaves traces in the earth which tell the stories of multiple lives lived on one spot, every bit as much as a rock's striations mark the many ages of our ancient planet. Somehow, thinking like this puts the world crisis into perspective. All things change in their own good time...
their calendar in sculpted, bedrock folds.
In slow progression, land mass shell-plates
move, until a force - which levels all
over time - unleashes mayhem in motion.
Earth, Fire, Wind and Water join
in unholy alliance and Nature trembles beneath
their wrath. Peace is banished. Quakes create
tsunamis. Land, slips. Red molten rock flows
from volcanic dragons breathing fire
to demonstrate dominion over Man,
a feeble being in comparison.
Where then lies Man’s greatness? Could it be
that mind and heart will balance out the scales,
should he be weighed against this universe?
This is my In Tandem offering this week....
We don't seem to be balancing much at present:-/
ReplyDelete'Who are these deluded beings who think burning shops and pillaging like pirates can add anything positive to their lives, or the lives of those around them?'
ReplyDeleteThis makes me very sad. But your efforts to make sense of it all with such beauty uplift me.
excellent.
ReplyDeleteSomeone, whose main teaching gigs were geography and English, likes this post.
ReplyDeleteThen I guess someone needs a thank you!! ♥
ReplyDeleteI also wrote of violence, but I had a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I wrote my poem before reading this one! Otherwise, I might have been very tempted to follow your example and write a geological/philosophical poem, which couldn't possibly had been as good as this. Thank you for the pictures and the words, Jinksy.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying not to think about the riots, but each new interview, sound bite or news item revives my anger and angst.
Amen.Nice To Read A Bit Of Sanity In A Crazy Week.
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous! And, I love the painting. You are so incredibly talented.
ReplyDeleteYour volcanoes here are genuinely interesting. V.good Tandem.
ReplyDeleteWise words in times of trouble, Pen.
ReplyDeleteI visited a city called Caesarea. Check out the history of Caesarea on Wikipedia. It's a fascinating town with many layers of civilazation over hundreds of years. Your words and art made me think of this city and the many cultures who have lived there.
ReplyDeleteI guess man is as restless as his planet! Great post.
ReplyDeleteYour poem is thoughtful and beautiful. I wonder though, whether the alliance of earth, air, fire and water to produce mayhem are unholy. I would not say so. I love the concept of mind and heart balancing the scales...the complete picture.
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