Summer Night
In the cool of a summer night,
sleep finally comes.
Oblivion for a few short hours.
Too soon the mind wakes; struggles with life.
Prose wishes to break free.
Sentences struggle for completeness.
References and words float on the air.
Mind’s eye holds a crystal,
considering its complexity,
its simplicity,
its perfection.
Turn the thought over.
Consider infinity,
eternity,
mystery.
To hold the world in your hand.
The scene that follows won’t come.
Struggling for completeness,
for meaning.
Air flows cooling the soul.
The mind rests,
yet it struggles with the thought,
the image that wishes to be found.
Gaze at the crystal again,
into infinity,
into power,
wisdom.
On the wind the voice is heard,
but in the mind a glass wall prevents hearing.
Mumbled words, a phase starts,
“Gaze into the crystal and see … “
Frustration as the words will not flow.
Completeness fades.
The cool air brings relief and
lulls the mind to sleep.
Sweet rest.
Thoughts fade to sleep,
reviving the weary soul.
Sleep gently lays to rest and,
lets the thought lay incomplete,
nurturing the imagination.
Play the scene again,
and again.
Gaze into the crystal and what do you see?
oblivion,
restful dark,
sleep.
This poem is a revision of one I wrote a couple of years ago and this time I’ve included a recording of me reading it. Over the last year, I’ve been finding that reading my poems aloud helps me write better poetry. The act of speaking the words forces the work through different pathways in the mind and you see and feel thing differently. Going to the poetry reading group has really brought this home for me.
It’s a bit time consuming to do the recording, but I hope to do more of this.
I am spending almost all of my writing time finishing my prostate cancer poetry book and hope to start the publication process soon.
Till next week,
Andrew
Andrew's View of the Week 
Peaceful. Thank you.
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Lovely poem. I find reading my writing aloud helps me with making good revisions. That’s why I usually read my blog entries aloud before I post.
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Reading aloud does help in the editing.
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Yes, the audio experiment certainly works. A very restful poem, isn’t it? It’s about tranquillity, really.
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It is about finding tranquillity. I am hoping to do more recordings.
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Good to hear it spoken, Andrew. 🙂
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Thanks, some poetry is better heard than read.
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You have a calming, restful voice Andrew. Good idea to put a recording of your poem in the post I could close my eyes and let the beauty of your words wash over me.
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Thank you.
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Wonderful poem. It was fun hearing your voice–for the first time. It sounds exactly as I expected.
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Glad you liked the poem.
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I miss summer and can’t wait for her return. She’s one hot number. 🙂
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She is. 😉
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Excellent piece and so good hearing you read it. All the best. Kris.
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Thanks. Some poetry is better spoken.
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That is a really strong accent. It’s lovely. We should never leave our heritage behind.
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Thank’s your basic Californian accent.
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You’ve said beautifully what many of us experience. In fact, I had one of those days today where the words just weren’t coming. Maybe tomorrow…
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Get at good night’s sleep and try again.
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Well said. Blessings and Aloha – pjs/
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Aloha.
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