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A Lament of Hope
She sleeps … like in some other kind of form
she weeps even at the gentlest touch, fragile
as if her world tried to give birth
but such effort comes to nothing done
On a mundane Sunday morning
flattened at the altar of cut trees
I wonder what the padres truly think
strangely dressed as they are in kevlar
incense rising from their chainsaws —
they scatter beliefs across the congregation
who watch nations sink further in deep psychosis
During this war of attrition
Mother Earth turns over, maybe in despair,
cities crumble and nothing seems to wake us more aware
I sit in my sacred circle
flute in hand that makes no sound
and blow soft air like a butterfly’s wings
hoping, hoping …
Written by
Josh
(Joshua Bond)
Published 1st Apr 2023
| Edited 27th Mar 2024
Author's Note
My Day-1 contribution for NaPo-2023
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/05/the-last-great-tree-a-majestic-relic-of-canadas-vanishing-boreal-forest
(photo credit: Joshua Bond)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/05/the-last-great-tree-a-majestic-relic-of-canadas-vanishing-boreal-forest
(photo credit: Joshua Bond)
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 10
reading list entries 3
comments 15
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The author encourages honest critique.
Re. A Lament of Hope
2nd Apr 2023 2:40am
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 10:18am
Re. A Lament of Hope
2nd Apr 2023 10:13am
A great lament ending on beautiful notes of hope, i like your fab word choice that adds to its poetic eloquence. Kudos!
Plz also read and comment my newest poem too.
Plz also read and comment my newest poem too.
1
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 10:20am
Thank you Zaynab; when things are going downhill one needs hope to carry one through the situation.
Re. A Lament of Hope
3rd Apr 2023 4:16am
Dear J,
Very soulful and prayerful to me. I liked the mix of nature and religion rolled in together. Lovely. H🌷
Very soulful and prayerful to me. I liked the mix of nature and religion rolled in together. Lovely. H🌷
1
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 10:24am
Thank you H, I think historically Nature and religion are one, or at least indiginous belief-systems were Nature-based. We've certainly lost that with the Abrahamic religions of the West. Indeed, the historical roots of our ecological crisis are largely due to christianity desacralising Nature and putting the emphasis on an off-planet god where the after-life is the main thing, thereby supporting an attitude of 'who cares about the planet, it's not where it's at'.
Still, soulful was what I was after; glad you felt it.
Still, soulful was what I was after; glad you felt it.
Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 3:34am
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
Thanks, LJ; the only way I can cope with the destruction is to try and tap into a much bigger picture in which it all makes sense. Civilisations rise and fall, and we seem to be living through a 'falling' time. My parents seemed to have found these 'moments' during World War 2, when homes and family business were lost/bombed. I guess that's the challenge.
Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 5:42pm
I love the soft, soulful presence of this, but of your writing overall, which exists in and of itself in harmony with the page.
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Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 9:00pm
Thank you Daniel for your kind and insightful comment; and RL. I think April 1st must trigger something deeper in me and I got up early and wrote it down, discarding other possibilities.
Having been brought up in the shadow of two worlds wars (parents and grandparents who either fought and/or had their family homes bombed, and livelyhoods too) I also picked up a sense of 'soul' and 'calm' which I reckon they developed from their war experiences of everything spinning out of control. When I consider the big and apparently unstoppable forces of destruction running riot across the world, I try and tap into that same sense - and one day at a time.
Having been brought up in the shadow of two worlds wars (parents and grandparents who either fought and/or had their family homes bombed, and livelyhoods too) I also picked up a sense of 'soul' and 'calm' which I reckon they developed from their war experiences of everything spinning out of control. When I consider the big and apparently unstoppable forces of destruction running riot across the world, I try and tap into that same sense - and one day at a time.
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
5th Apr 2023 9:08pm
One day at a time is often all I can think to say when someone is going through an impossible situation.
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Re. A Lament of Hope
21st May 2023 3:18pm
Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
24th May 2023 3:39pm
Re. A Lament of Hope
19th Aug 2023 6:23pm
Nature suffers just as much as we do from humanity's actions. Very well penned, Josh.
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Re: Re. A Lament of Hope
22nd Aug 2023 4:59pm
Thnk you Luna - sometimes watching this endless destruction gets too overwhelming.