I AM POETRY

I am the rainbow before the storm
the promise of serenity after these rumblings
these whirlwinds of energy urgently released.

I am the caress of gurgling wavelets
patiently smoothing out
the rough edges of every pebble and outcrop
carving a channel for thought in hard minds.

I am the fluttering of fragile membranes
carrying every randy moth down the pheromone trail
lustily embracing the cold rays of lifeless bulbs.

I am the song of the evening bird
mourning the dying day trussed in a harmattan gauze
ancient mummies burrowing back to the certitude
of bricks, blocks and earth.

I am the message greater than the messenger
the idea behind the mind seeking urgent delivery
a voice without speech awaiting comprehension.

I am the chant of the shaman
the praisesong of the oracle
the incantations that arouse the ancestors
conjuring warriors from the walls.

I am the last gasps of a dying heart
reluctantly giving up claims to sorrows and plans
bewildered by the long stretch of eternity.

I am the longing baying of a werewolf
at the slow death of the full moon
the horror of discovery, the terror of confessions
the reality of ephemerance.

I am the song in your heart
that you cannot sing
the rhythms that you cannot share.

I am poetry.


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Agada's poem "I Am Poetry" won the 2nd Sentinel Poetry Bar challenge (August 2004).