Yellow butterflies drink salt from your tears,
drain your colours to monochrome.
Silence white margins your words
to endless winter.
Stillness so deep you can hear clouds
transmute to diamonds.
Check your shoes for black scorpions –
belief in Armageddon is self-fulfilling.
An end to all colour.
Previously published in The Journal and first posted on this blog in 2008.
I just posted a poem and accompanying collage over on my Shapeshifting Green blog - you can see it here.
belief in Armageddon is self-fulfilling
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful line. This poem has a real sense of authority to it. I enjoyed reading it.
I love the title (as well as the finely tuned poem) and how you tie culture to nature. Something many have clearly forgotten to do.
ReplyDeletei am with writerwoman,,, that line is chilling.....
ReplyDeleteeach phrase is so well writen. very tastefu and powerful piece.
ReplyDeletewriterwoman - thanks!
ReplyDeletedeb - thanks, yes I think we have too often forgotten the links there.
gautami, paisley - thanks
A bleak & chilling vision of the passing of the world.
ReplyDeleteI like these first two lines, although the entire poem is a work of art:
ReplyDeleteYellow butterflies drink salt from your tears,
drain your colours to monochrome.
I am going to read this one again - it deserves it.
Gorgeous, Juliet, very powerful.
ReplyDeletedick - yes it is a bit bleak!
ReplyDeletemariacristina, jo - thanks
The clouds transmuting to diamonds is a breathtaking image. God, you're good!
ReplyDeleteStunning images in this one
ReplyDeleteI like this very much.
ReplyDeleteEspecially this:
"Check your shoes for black scorpions –
belief in Armageddon is self-fulfilling."
So many of us think and write about this, in these times...
we are all
ReplyDeletestanding on our tell
the rumble
_m