Wednesday 26 March 2014

Chaos

My Bed by Tracey Emin
In utero, slumbering  
budding into fruitful blossom,
I awoke,    here,    in this place,
twixt linens pure, pristine & niveous,
now splattered haemochrome,
cast chaotic, torn of loves labours,
contractions’   
of earthly surrogate.

(She: accoucheuse, fat and hoary,
bites through umbilicus.)  

A birthing,
footling born of chaos
toe dipping into Mother Earth,
I sang of Satan, hailed his glory.

Women wailing 
cluttered into corners,
black in wretched robes of mourning,
mourning my deliverance,
freedom from confines of merest mortal,
accoucheuse bite   and worldly tether torn.

Oh you fools virid of envy,
minds icteritious of greed –
how well you do my work,
feed my lust my hunger 
my want of your destruction,
stoke fires of your eternal hell.

The devils spawn,
I am born of your desire,
you harbingers of the death,
destroyers of all tomorrows, 
how well you do my work!

Do my work,
rape your Earth,
bleed her dry.

I shall spread my wings
fly into your tomorrows,
suck sulphureous sun cerulean skies
into my atrous heart.

(Wings fluttering will cast a storm  
the like you’ve never known.)

Anna :o]













Ooh err – a bit grim innit?  Didn’t know where this was going when I scribbled the first few lines for Magpie Tales, and dVerses latest prompt – The Colour Festival - somehow got rolled in – but the result ended up totally inappropriate for the joyous message of said prompt.

So rolled into the innocence of birth is the chaos theory and global warming…  What are your thoughts on same?  Do you believe our actions today – in raping our planet – will leave an unthinkable legacy to our children and grandchildren – as in the chaos theory?  Do you think climate change is a natural cyclical event (I do) but are scared stiff that mans’ actions will exacerbate/accelerate these changes (I am)?

Thanks to Tess at Magpie Tales for the initial inspiration and Abhra at dVerse (not entered there); also entered at Real Toads – thanks Kerry.

Also entered today (29.3.14) at Open Link Night at dVerse - with thanks to Claudia for hosting.

Images: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons    (1)   (2)
Authors: US Government. (1)     Commander Mark Moran, of the NOAA Aviation Weather Center, and Lt. Phil Eastman and Lt. Dave Demers,  of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center. (2)


37 comments:

Brian Miller said...

nice...well not nice, but...oy...great use of words in this, colors have some interesting numbers....ugh on what we are doing to our world...was talking about global warming the other day with a class...and we did an experiment to simulate what we are doing...ugh...

Trellissimo said...

Very interesting response to the prompt. Now I mys google "Niveous."!

Jinksy said...

A grim birthing, and no mistake...

Wayne said...

I like what you did with the prompt......thanks for sharing

Leovi said...

A great poem with great expressive force!

Helena said...

Wow! I like the darker side to your poetry. This is deep and bite-y!!

Anonymous said...

The language is absolutely delicious very profound and yes ominous. I definitely believe our actions impact the environment sure there are cyclic changes but it would be irresponsible, psychopathic and quite frankly insane to say that humans aren't harming the environment

Martin said...

Dark, dark, atrous (thank you for this yet unknown word). When I think of global warming as a consequence of everybody's strife for more income and more comfort the discepancy between natural, "good" needs and its evil impact shows up clearly. Yes, climate changes appeared in history induced by variations of solar activity but in the current case it is obvious that we strongly increase the natural effect if there is any. In addition, I relate your imagery of birth with the current immense growth of mankind which in fact involves the threat of destroying our natural habitat.

Susan said...

You could have posted this for my prompt at Poets United, too, I think for the love of language that lifts this out of the main stream. For a minute I thought I was in Rosemary's Baby, but taking the view of the newborn leaving the mortal world with appreciation for mortals--yikes!- is much grimmer. You might enjoy this: http://apiarymagazine.com/please-let-introduce-susan-chast/

Brian Miller said...

glad you made it back...smiles...happy saturday anna

Mary said...

This seems a different style for you. Enjoyed this style, and I can hear your passion for the earth. A strong message. It does seem sometime that humans are doing irreparable damage to earth. When will we all wake up and say NO?

Claudia said...

oh heck... those are tough images.. it's sad what we do to our planet and we have to live with the consequences...and feel them more and more

Mary said...

Hi Anna, I just read the comment you made on my blog. Just know that my heart goes out to you. Not easy, but I know it is for his safety. Hopefully, on some level, he will understand that as well! Prayers!

Anonymous said...

Dark but strong. Global warming is a problem, but it is giving us a very nice Spring where I live :)

enthusiastically, dawn said...

It kills me that greed and corruption are depleting this good created earth of it's beauty, glory and splendor... all for that which will not last. Powerful writing. Frightening in fact!

Anonymous said...

Goodness me, that was a rough ride! My dad would have loved the vehemence of this, alongside the message itself. A champion of the earth, the environment and of lost causes, he stirred things up to shake people out of his complacency. Damned fine poetry!

Tess Kincaid said...

Powerful statement...

mrs mediocrity said...

The changes happening to our world are almost too much to think about. I, too, think it's a combination of cyclical happenstance and man's disregard... This is a whirlwind of a poem filled with truth, fabulous words and intense emotion.

scotthastiepoet said...

Powerful and chastening work, Anna - issues well personified and brought to life... With Best Wishes Scott www.scotthastie.com

Unknown said...

A hard read for me, Anna. Today is my first grandson's due date, and he's still holding out. Waiting for that call... Besides that, it's an eerie poem with strength.

kaykuala said...

Global warming is a risk that shows only after it has started causing damage. Correction is more difficult than prevention. Sadly the greed for money make unscrupulous decision makers less sensitive. Great write Anna!

Hank

Colleen@Looseleafnotes said...

I was going to say birth and then you did. Every sleep is like a labor and every awakening like a birth. The photo really adds to the feel of this.

Anonymous said...

grim and relevant to what's important to you.

brudberg said...

I do think the impact humans make on the earth is hard to repair. Climate change is probably trap happening by our actions. Climate change would happen without our action as well. The earth will go on..and recover.. But at the end without humanity I believe...

Cressida de Nova said...

I do have any hope for the future of the planet environmentally. We will never convince consumers to give up their goodies...they will do it when it is too late....that is a very human response to everything! Sorry for being so pessimistic.

lynndiane said...

Grim scenario, intense writing, Anna! We suffer if we do not take care of our own habitat wisely. Just curious about "accoucheuse"...not in my dictionary?

ayala said...

I read your piece and then I read your comment at Mary's. I am sorry and I wish you strength.

Sumana Roy said...

it's a shame what we have turned our Mother Earth into...the words carry that sinister designs the humans are into...and thanks ..learned quite a few words today...

Anonymous said...

yikes - a harsh condemnation of our failure to protect mother earth - vivid and moving - K

Gabriella said...

Very powerful write, Anna! We should treat the Earth as if every day was Earth Day and keep in mind that it is the only one we have.

Unknown said...

Oh, my Yowza! Your skillful write makes the reader continue through the darkness.

author.nara.malone said...

I agree we're setting ourselves up for terrible consequences. The destruction of fracking just makes my brain go numb. We're already reaping the first fruits of our irreverence for this precious gift placed in our hands.

Jenny Woolf said...

In my life I have heard so many dire predictions and they never quite come true in the way I have expected - or shall I say, they haven't come true yet. And probably won't in my lifetime. I now concentrate on what I have a chance of doing something about. I feel this could be the kind of short sighted attitude that will bring the human race to an end one day.

Anonymous said...

fascinating - visceral, challenging, and edifying. that's some vocabulary ~

Brother Ollie said...

intense piece HC!

Heidi said...

Your poem terrified me and that's with me only understanding 3/4 of the words. Maybe I'll reread it with a dictionary when I'm feeling braver!

You are a brilliant word master, sweet Anna!

Hugs!

Brian Miller said...

hey i will swing through and wish you a happy saturday any way you know...smiles..