Danger Above, Danger Below
by Mathew Paust
The creative spirit is a gloriously bold
and fragile thing
It must overcome
excruciating self-doubt
just to recognize its existence.
Once recognized
the creative spirit then must summon a warrior's courage
to lift off into the air
Most daring of all it must fly naked and
alone
No warrior's protection
neither armor nor weapon
It offers only beauty
In its early stages testing its wings
riding the currents ever higher
learning the dynamics, the thrills, dangers of unfettered flight
the creative spirit is perhaps most vulnerable
Adversaries now the dual perils:
expectation and
the poison arrow
from below
Naked winged thing- good conceit.
Thanks, Gary. (maybe we're just dirty old men, huh?)
A fragile poem about a fragile thing: "the creative spirit". So true.
Naked and alone ... yep *
I like :)
Erika, Arturo and Kitty, thanks.
Lovely *
*********
Thanks, Jill and Chris.
That's the truth. Love the final line.*
"the reckless hand loosing the poison arrow"
**
***, Mathew. I liked this.
Thanks, Dianne, Rachna and David. For a non-poet this is mighty flattering.
"expectation and
the poison arrow
from below"
Perfect end!
Tks, Bill.
*
"The creative spirit is a gloriously bold
and fragile thing" For sure.*
Tks, Sam.
No warrior's protection
neither armor nor weapon*
Perfect, Mathew.
Thank you, Tim.
from below - indeed.
Good stuff, Matt. *
Thanks, Larry and Charlotte.
Yes, I like. Especially the last two stanzas, plus that last two-word line
*
(Thinking out loud-- which always gets me in trouble ... I stop at "must" overcome and "must" summon, wondering if there's a more subtle way to say it, but I can't think of any off hand. And maybe it's just me, so ... see Emily Latella: "never mind"?)
Thanks, Ray. I thought about that, too, and decided the repetition might help build a sense of weight or necessity.