by Zahur
Ra-ta-ta-tah! Rain on the pavement, rain in the street
Falling in sheets across the grey brick city, autumn’s tears
Gently waters the dying fields of gold-brown wheat
And washes away the scars and toils of the passing years
Bringing the taste of musting life and soft earth sweet
Dance! Dance! Cold bruised feet across wet concrete
In the falling rain, with the tears so cold
Cool to the skin and nourishing to the soul
Wash away the heartache, sooth the stinging feet
In the dusking evening autumn does control
Dance! Dance! Raise the bleeding arms up above the head
With a vigor matching the call of the dead
Wash away the lingering fear, mend the broken soul
Look away from all the dreams, life now is the goal
So raise those bloodied arms high above your head
And with your scarred humanity, wish your captors dead!
Ra-ta-ta-tah! Hail on the pavement, hail on the street
Ice cold arrows through the air, winter’s acher fleet
Flies down through the wind, clouds the autumn sky
Haste to gather the gold-brown wheat, lest it bend and die
And now the autumn’s gone to her lair to lie
Leaving only icy winter to hear your desperate cry
Cower! Cower! From the snow, from the sleeting rain
Hide it deep and hide it quick, all your pent up pain
For winter’s harsh and winter’s blind and winter’s cold reply
Is a silent, soft, destaining, mother’s lullaby
Cower! Cower! Till it passes and the spring comes through
With his sweet and loving smile covered all in dew
With the spring blooms flowers, fragrance nigh divine
Breathe the scent and dare not count your numbers swift decline
You are brave and you are strong, you they do not define
Laugh! Laugh! Under the shade of the drying pine
Here you rest and draw a breath and know you will be fine
The shade is cool and pleasant, nature’s great delight
Let it give you strength again, for the daily fight
Then let it give you weakness, let you cry and write
Laugh! Laugh! As you gather to your chest the golden flower
With each passing day, flowers bloom, then wilt away
Yet you hold on dearly, to the wilted bloom
Press it in your pocket, under weights, and soon
You will see it dried: a golden memory of spring’s fleeting power
Sleep! Sleep through the hottest days, buried under sand
Clutch close your doll and water precious, ignore the flavor dust
Don’t move an inch, don’t face the sun, unless (ordered to stand)
Then close your eyes and stand aright and work till fairly flushed
Sleep! Sleep while you skin burns in the heat
Till your face begins to blister
Then scramble, quick now, to your feet
And swear (and wash your face with soap and water)
(But it is too late, so sigh and) lie to sleep, till summer admits defeat
Here to live and there to die, no regrets now child
(Laugh when spring blooms golden and runs away so wild
Now sleep the summer hot away, till it disappears)
Then dance forever in the rain with your painted smile
And cower swiftly from the hail, hide and wait with fear
When it passes then you’ll see, you survived another year
Note: parenthesis indicate where lines of the poem where missing and scholars have speculated what should fill those gaps.
MissionSparrow: I composed the poem. Zahur is a fictional character. If you want background, please read the latter half of my previous post titled “to lady wisdom”