Saturday, November 1, 2014

Nightingale


By Fire Painter, Steve Spazuk


To fire painter

Draw me out of flames
Smoke streaking the air
Where there is darkness
Let your feather brush silvers

From out of soot & toxic air
Move your hand 
Etching my face, bones
To life until I am a bird

Singing at night 
Free of poisoned chemicals
Warbling of joy
To gentle moon



Note:  Steve Spazuk works are a reaction to the heavy use of pesticides in North America and the consequential poisoning of insect-eating birds.

Posted for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - 55 Words - Hosted by MamaZen
Shared with Poets United

40 comments:

  1. Dear Grace
    A wondeful poem! I specially love the beginning and the end...
    to gentle moon .... yes, very nice!

    Hugs
    JetteMajken

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  2. We are doing a great deal of harm to tthe nature and its beings. In India too vultures are dying due to use of diclofenac.

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  3. Yep, and humans don't wise up, using and using them and just shoving all the crap in their own mouth.

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  4. it reads like a prayer and so sad.....I doubt how long we'll hear this warbling of joy..thanks to the Wise humans!!!!!..

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  5. I love all the symbolism you've captured in this. Beautiful.

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  6. This is an amazing piece for the nightingale, (and the painter, those who can capture beauty out of soot and toxic air) but it could be written for all creatures, including 2-legged ones. I'm so happy to see some 55's again!!

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  7. Magic in your words today! To be so transformed is nothing short of magic---or grace.

    Whirling with Galway

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  8. Such a worthy cause to sing about (and to paint and write poetry about too!).

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  9. I hope there will come a time again, Grace, when we will be more free of those chemicals that poison the air.

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  10. no one hear their songs... but it must be listened too...

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  11. Tender poem.. our world is choking, voice by voice.

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  12. A powerful way to bring attention to such an issue. We rarely realize how industries and sometimes, our general day-to-day lifestyle, causes a harmful ripple effect in our surrounding environment. And one day, those consequences will eventually catch up with us.

    Beautifully penned. Loved it.

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  13. Grace - drawing good out of evil. What a beautiful piece.

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  14. you match the poem and the picture with typical finesse

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  15. oohhhhh so soft and beautiful, Grace. just love this. i can almost hear it being whispered in my ear. :)

    (um, i think you have some real hostility toward women going on a few comments up! time for some comment moderation? sheesh! signed, An American Woman)

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    Replies
    1. its a spam commenter...seems to come around every couple months....seems to have found PU as i saw him on several of the poems there....

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    2. I am familiar with this spammer and have deleted his comment, thanks ~

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  16. We continue to abuse our planet and somehow the birds still sing. I loved this piece, Grace. Beautifully penned and perfectly expressed.

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  17. what a sad thing...how we poison our earth...like
    medications it seems the treatment at times...and the side effects are worse than what we are trying to cure.....

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  18. can't really point to something, but i love this poem makes me feel... beautiful.

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  19. Draw me out as well--after you ssave the birds. How neat! To draw together--as in charcoal sketching and as pulling from the fire. Gosh, apainting, cause, in words. Lovely. Urgent.

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  20. Oh poor birds - thank you for addressing this topic. I love the closing lines.........I see the Boycott Man has commented on your site too.

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  21. Oh transforming from one to the other by the skill of a painter. Well done on this poem.

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  22. Interesting write. well expressed but a little confused with the message. But, that is, I'm sure, is me. :-)
    ZQ

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  23. How often we envy other creatures with their simple lives and their apparent freedom. While they in turn wonder at us and rejoice in our wastefulness.

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  24. You paint a gorgeous poem! I love the first stanza-wow!

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  25. I really love your opening lines in this, Grace!

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  26. love your words. my heart aches. my mind is despondent with disbelief that government and companies are so careless and uncaring. seems no matter the cries of animals the quiet of the birds the howlings of the wolves the human remains destructive.

    gracias

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  27. even from darkness, art... a gentle weave, Grace. Good week to you ~

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  28. We're doing such harm to nature and its beings..it's irreparable....you've put forward the issue so softly and nicely... :-)

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  29. love it when an artist and writer connect... great interpretation of the artwork

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  30. The images are beautifully stated, but the reality of a toxin free night...that is the time of day when all industrial plants blow their stacks, cleaning out the boilers, chemicals and soot build up. It is better now with scrubbers but still the birds are better off on the day less they be predators.

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  31. Birds free and then there are birds to be pitied. A giant air scrubber, like rain, would be of big help.
    The birds in the mines came to my mind. They die when they do their jobs.
    Modern advances surely need more applications of technology.
    ..

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  32. This is so beautiful...how tragically we have treated nature. Thanks for writing for the challenge.

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  33. We are so closely linked - I fear it will be too late for so many creatures (including us) someday…

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  34. Very well written. This has strong lines written with finesse, similar to the way the picture comes across. I like this a lot on a poetry level, though I dislike the subject very much (the fact that we keep destroying everything).

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  35. Wow, Grace. I love the message this delivers.

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  36. The underlying fatality in this balanced in contrast with beauty...this is affecting and graceful. The truth delivered is hard to bear. Well written, Grace.

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