Friday, July 07, 2006

Potential Energy Enthroned

Haikus

This sanctified sweat
these hours upon the wheel
we will teach this flesh

This holy iron
the rumor of clanking plates
our steel communion

How much, how many
the catechisms of weight
this strength recorded

We are not alive
until the taste of death fills
our throats with ashes

We are not fulfilled
until the weight is too much
and we are vanquished

We cannot triumph
until the iron succumbs
and moves to our touch

Love, this metal war
this challenge the soul gives to
the mutable flesh.

Religion enough
we fall upon bended knee
before the loaded rack.

6 comments:

Mushster said...

Ahh haikus, my favs :)

Love, this metal war
this challenge the soul gives to
the mutable flesh.


Ain't that the truth!

Now I've got Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield in my head lol.

Bill said...

I couldn't help but think of my time "in the brush" last weekend... and the preparations this morning to resume the clearing... By the time the trailer is loaded, I'm definitely ready to fall on bended kneee!

This was probably not in your mind... but I've been flirting with physical exhaustion and the piece was certainly about that!

Good to see another one from you!

Anonymous said...

It was nice to tune in and see another poem, Firehawk. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

You musta' had a good workout. I can identify. I had a good ride home from Boise. Left the 3rd and was on the road 9 hrs. Now back to work. Played a little road-tag with a chevy van that was cookin' pretty good the last 100 miles. Helped the ride go a bit quicker.

MB said...

Haiku, a lovely form.

We are not alive
until the taste of death fills
our throats with ashes


That really stands out.

Patrick M. Tracy said...

Mush,

Always glad to see you around. Happy you liked the haikus, as well. I find that I can always go back to them, and they somehow have a way of organizing my messy mind.

Bill,

Strange, but days that you have to blink sweat out of your eyes and wonder if you can push yourself much further seem to feel like "the good days" to me.

Doc,

Sorry Blogger lst your previous comment. It probably kicked some ass!

Bob,

Hey, you wrote in! I'm impressed. Glad you got home okay. Too bad you have to go back to work, huh? It was great to have you come down this year. Be well.

MB,

I'll have to come by and see your blog. Haven't been around much lately, so I'll surely find something new. Hope your trip was great.

Thanks, everybody, for coming over. I'll try to cook up a new one soon.

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