It took me by surprise
Hit me in the face
Caught me unawares
Never did I expect
To be struck by such a thing
I thought I was street-wise
But I’d never come across anything like this before
And now my features and way of being are changed for ever and ever
That morning had been much like any other
Setting out to fulfil my daily chores
Blind to certain things and oblivious to many others
All in all just a day as many before
Or so it would have appeared to have been
My only real thought that of evening meal to come
However accompanied by a friend
I was tempted to go along
A way I had never been or contemplated at all
On and on we went
Seemingly pointless to attempt this craze
Yet with still no idea of what fate would hold for me
We ploughed ahead, me absent of any real sensation
At a certain point it got beyond a joke
Up and up and higher and higher
And then it happened. That which had never happened to little old me before
Just as if a lightning bolt forked out of the heavens
Silence sprung out and struck me between the eyes
I had never been spoken to in such an intimate manner
Clarity and meaning waving and entering my very soul
Gifting to me a blessing so simple and yet so dear
The majesty of the rock
The thrill of the overhang
Scree, boulder, gulley, and ridge
Flocking all of them together
To greet me to the fold
Never again will I need to wander aimlessly
Thinking of little else but the next evening meal
Tramping those lonely streets alone
Coat collar pulled up high and face submerged in total helplessness
Never even knowing that clouds could drift and rise
Now I have a companion for life
One who says very little but says so so much
A new world awaits me away from the grimy downtown beat
A presence which aids me, a magnificent symphony whirling around me
And I as comfortable as can be in my new found domain. Amen.
Personal take
Will be spoilt if the reader reads on in this ‘take’ before reading the poem. BE WARNED!…
Now you are back having read the poem you can see what it’s all about and how the subtlety of a poem can also produce a dramatic effect and at times revelation. Without putting it too strongly, the subject of the poem unexpectedly meets his maker – a chance meeting which means a lot to him. It is an amazing statistic that many people never see the sea or make it to the top a hill, never mind a mountain top, in the whole of their lives. A great pity for it’s often the natural which can reach out to us, calm us and shape us much more than a herd of teachers or a throng of therapists can. Creating the chance would not seem to be an impossibility but for many it’s unreachable – a possibility not even remotely realisable. A pity indeed.
As for the structure of the poem I again think it hits at the beauty of poetry – it’s not only short stories, plays, or novels that can thrive on structure and plot but a poem can too. And all these forms are capable of arousing curiosity, misleading, obliging us to read on, reaching an unexpected conclusion.