Saturday, February 18, 2023

ROCKS - photo prompt

At a poetry workshop. A good way to start the weekend.

The lesson:

Paint, meditate, visualize,

Ask the painting "what is your story?"

And the words will come through.

Try not to think inetllectually.


An aside: Anger serves no one.

Anger serves no one.

Except?

Maybe you need that moment

To let it out.

Then calm down,

Mediate

And rewrite your story.

—-----------

THE POEM


Rocks

Rocks,

Many are submerged,

Some rest in the sand on the bank,

Soaking in the sun,

Free from the water,

for now.

Smoothed by wind

and age,

They remind me of my grandmother's face

It was smooth, then rough,

then softened over time.

When she died her face

looked as beautiful

as it did

when she was twenty.

I wonder,

Did these rocks begin smooth

then roughen

and grow smooth again?

In and out of water

with the seasons.

Rain, snow, wind, sun,

Bare feet, hiking boots, sneakers, flip flops.

Treading across their surface.

Walking across time.


I shift my gaze and notice

snow capped mountains reflected in the lake.

They streak across the surface,

like they're trying to touch the rocks

But they disappear into the depths

in the middle of the lake.


Blue sky, a few white clouds.

Blue water, green surface, yellow buds,

Brown rocks soaking

White and gray rocks sunbathing.

How old are they?

How big did they get?

How small will they become?

Will they be here forever?

How long do they think forever will be?


 © 2023 Sue Schnitzer