Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Human

"Listen and tell, thrums the grave heart of humans.

Listen well love, for it’s pitch dark down here."

― Hailey Leithauser (See full poem below)

“I feel no need for any other faith than my faith in the kindness of human beings. I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels.” 

― Pearl S. Buck

source

 Midweek Motif ~ Human

I am human. I am only human.  
 I am sadly human.  Happily, I am human.
Hmm.

When you describe something as "human," 

what do you mean?  

(Click "What is a Human Being?" for a slideshow.)

Your Challenge: Write a new poem giving what is human its place in the natural world, the solar system, galaxy, and/or universe.

A Divine Image

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

Cruelty has a Human Heart 

And Jealousy a Human Face 

Terror the Human Form Divine 

And Secrecy, the Human Dress 

The Human Dress, is forged Iron 

The Human Form, a fiery Forge. 

The Human Face, a Furnace seal'd 

The Human Heart, its hungry Gorge.

👫                          

The Guest House

by  Rumi 

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

👫

Arrhythmia

BY HAILEY LEITHAUSER

The heart of a bear is a cloud-shuttered

mountain. The heart of a mountain’s a kiln.

The white heart of a moth has nineteen white

chambers. The heart of a swan is a swan.

The heart of a wasp is a prick of plush.

The heart of a skunk is a mink. The heart

of an owl is part blood and part chalice.

The fey mouse heart rides a dawdy dust-cart.

The heart of a kestrel hides a house wren

at nest. The heart of lark is a czar.

The heart of a scorpion is swidden

and spark. The heart of a shark is a gear.

Listen and tell, thrums the grave heart of humans.

Listen well love, for it’s pitch dark down here.

(Used with the poet's permission. First published in Poetry, October 2015)

👫

Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community— 

(Next week Sumana’s Motif will be ~ "When I think about myself.")

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Time

source

Midweek Motif ~ Time

From time immemorial humans have endeavored to bind the omnipotent, eternal immeasurable Time.

Science and Arts do that in their unique way. While the Rotation of the Earth from east to west, the Earth's Revolution around the Sun, the phases of the moon, the swing of a pendulum and the beat of a heart act as the alphabets to read the language of Time, colors and lines of artists and words of poets aspire to tease and go beyond Time.

We cannot deny the ambiguous nature of Time. While Time is truly a measurable entity it is both instantaneous and eternal.

Are we all fixed to a time frame?

What sayest thou?

A few quotes and a couple of poems for inspiration:

"Hide nothing, for time, which sees all, exposes all."---Sophocles

"How did it get so less so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"---Dr. Seuss

"It is looking at things for a long time that ripens you and gives you a deeper meaning."---Vincent Van Gogh

"Now five years is nothing in a man's life except when he is very young and very old"...Wang Lung ---Pearl S. Buck, The Good Earth

To His Coy Mistress 

By Andrew Marvell 

Had we but world enough, and time,

This coyness, lady, were no crime.

We would sit down, and think which way

To walk, and pass our long love's day.

Thou by the Indian Ganges' side

Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide

Of Humber would complain.

   I would

Love you ten years before the Flood,

And you should, if you please, refuse

Till the conversion of the Jews.

                            (The rest is here)

Time Xxi

By Khalil Gibran


And an astronomer said, "Master, what of Time?"

And he answered:

You would measure time the measureless and immeasurable

You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.

Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.

Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,

And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.

And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.

Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?

And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not from love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?

And is not time even as love is, undivided and paceless?

But if you thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all other seasons,

And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.

Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community.

                                 
                                        (Next week Susan's Midweek Motif will be Fathers)

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