💾 Archived View for gemini.hackers.town › Wetdryvac › poetry › 00055_Starsong.txt captured on 2023-06-14 at 15:53:53.
⬅️ Previous capture (2023-01-29)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
_______________________________________________________________________________
\\ / /
=====> VacHaus provisionals <=====
/ / a TNtD (Try Not to Die) drop \\
A Poetry tDrop
by Wetdryvac
_______________________________________________________________________________
Starsong
January 22, 1991
I - birth
remember oh so long ago
a time when you were young
dreams of the future batting about you
all the time looking forward
to things you knew must come
you thought you'd like to look out among the stars
to travel there one day
and join with the song you were sure they sang
how wonderful it would be to migrate
out into night's vast melody
once you found it, so you swore
you'd bring it back with you to earth
introduce it to the world's listening ear
perhaps you wanted them to understand-
the joys of the child are not so easily lost
perhaps all that really mattered was the aspect of dream
you thought you might like to swim out into the night
out over your head, just a little adventure to find
what it might be like as one of the deepened
though all you ever found was water and black pitch
water, friend to all the world's children
until the joy of kicking passes as they drown
II - knowledge
they, universal them you recall
they took you to a large dark building
painted in the dull concrete greys of a prison
here you spent your years, learning the joys of verse
the song of the stars solidifying your conscience
expressed in countless ways of music
less cold equations of the mind
in where the numbers lie hidden
you lived as the people in this prison, loved
prison by care alone, to those uncaring alone
an endless joy to you, loving without moderation
every turn something new
all different expressions of the melody harmonizing
along the way you lent yourself
to those fallen, eating dust and delusion
helped no few to rise, learn the song
for the song was the way, clear, true
on the final day you left the prison, swathed black
respect for the fallen, showing you had won
compliments were thrown your way from the crowd
catching you sleeve, head of all you believed in
and you had never forgotten
you had learned from the stars
out into the world
just another adventurer
with others to share what they knew
it seemed - you could never run astray
III - death march
as the years passed you looked about you
but it seemed the song was fading throughout the world
wherever you listened there was discord in the melody
arpeggios of reality and reason sprung more loosely
flying out of tune
you looked out through the increasing chaos
in search of that which you knew must remain true
but even you fell to the anger and fear
that grew up everywhere
you watched the nerve gas canisters
carried out in mottled olive trucks to the gardens
spreading devastation to all caught in the storm
caught an afterimage of the first atomic bomb
and listened as the snap of the melody wrenched free
sudden crossover in hometown Hiroshima
where the buildings shattered
running after, like glass
the panzers and the tigers have crept out across the trenches
the waves of human figures in the charge were first to go-
and you had to watch them as they went
tangling themselves in the spliced cables of mines
bursting apart as easily as jewel weed's seed
the friends who stood with you rot
intellect reduced to meat
there is no harmony to the song now
just low dirge
with promise of more to come
the song you believed in has left open only torment
chords improperly structured, notes far from key
music you once knew given way to wails
and you watch the cold star's glare close in
who could withstand such a thing-
the disillusion of a dream of years
peace you sought without empty, breakdown completed
beside the thought you tried, a headstone
this and shallow grave mayhap will be your last mark
as you walk through the fields
amongst the broken dead you are defeated
for it seems there is nothing more to say-
walking out through the annihilated land
you begin looking for your grave
IV - Awakening
in place of grave you find a child
out along the river side examining the dead
smiling and closing eyes, apologizing to each one
as he takes what he needs from each, souvenirs
and you have a fleeting vision of staring at the stars
you could swear to having heard voices raised in rhythm
remembering, so clear, one small stage of the song
that the pattern repeated
everything bubbling through water well above your head
how akin to drowning, approaching the child
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
With thanks to the good folks at Hackers.Town for answering the very
n00best of questions, with the following people politely [REDACTED].
May your time go in a manner you consent to.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
IRC [REDACTED]
Poetry, Short Form, With Contact https://writing.exchange/@wetdryvac
Poetry, Long Form, With Contact https://landofkittens.social/Wetdryvac
Web https://www.wetdryvac.net
KoFi https://ko-fi.com/wetdryvac
Links https://linktr.ee/wetdryvac
MATRIX [REDACTED]
BBS [REDACTED]
Primary mastodon residence, With Contact https://hackers.town/@Wetdryvac
All the other coms access points [REDACTED]
===============================================================================
:-==+++**********++==-:
:=+**+==============+++++++***+=:
:=+*+===================++++++++++*++*+=:
:+*+=======================*++++++++*++====+*+:
.=*+=========================++++++++++*+========+*=.
.+*============================+++++++++*++===========*+.
+*==============================+++++++++*+==============*+.
=*===============================+++++++++*++==============++#=
.*+================================+++++++++*+==============++++**.
:#==================================++++++++*++=============+++++++#-
-#==================================+++++++++*+=============+++++++++#=
-#===================================++++++++*+++===========+++++++++++#-
.#====================================++++++++**#@===========+++++++++++=#:
#====================================++++++++*++#@==========+++++++++++===#
++====================================++++++++*+=%%=========+++++++++++====++
#=====================================+++++++*++=@%========+++++++++++======%.
=*====================================++++++++*+==@%=======+++++++++++======+*=
#=====================================++*%%%###*++@#======+*+++++++++======++=#
%=====================================+++++++*#*#%@%#####*%#++++++++=====+++==#
%====================================++++++++++==#@*+++++*##+++++++=====+*+===%
%====================================+++++++*+===#@*====++++++++++=====++====*%
#====================================++++++*++===%@+====++++++*++=====++===+*+#
++==================================*++++++**====@@+===++++++*++=====++===++++*
:#=================================+%*+++++++====@@===++++++*+++====++===++++#:
#=================================#%%%%%%%%###*#@@#+++++++*+#%====++===*++++#
:#================================++++++++#*+*%@@@###%@%%%%%%%+=+++==+*++++#-
++===============================++++++*++++**#@%=+++#+*++==+=+++==++++++**
*+==============================++++++++====+%@%++++#*++====+*===+++++++#
#+=============================+++++*+===+==%@%++++#++====++===+++++++#
*+===========================++++++++====+=@@#+++*++====++==+*++++++#
+*==========================+++++*+=======@@#++*++====++==+++++++*+
-*+========================++++#*+======*@@*+*++====++==+++++++#-
+*======================+++++#########%@@#*++===**+==*+++++*+
.+*====================+++++++=====+*%@@#######%*=+*++++**:
.+*+=================++++*+======++@@@+====+++=+++++*+.
-**===============++++++=====+++@@@====+*==*++**=
.=+*+==========++++*+======+++@@@===++==***=.
-=+*+======++++++=====+++*@@%==+**++-
:-=++***++*+=====+++#%@@%+=-:
===============================================================================
�2022 by Wetdryvac / VacHaus provisionals / VacHaus Press / TNtD
Please contact Wetdryvac for reprint permission