This heart, or: This mind

Posted on by ben Alexander

My 1st puente

In the form of two envelope quintets

This heart has no other blood known
than flowed through all past generations
linked one-by-one through space and time
by ancient Hebrew conversations
echoing through flesh and bone

~ ever more so as I've grown ~

This mind has grasped that nothing's known
though men cling tight to correlations
creating of them gods sublime
and altars built on false foundations
they worship while I stand alone

d’Verse poetics prompt:

Build a bridge

At d’Verse, poets were instructed to either:

  1. Write a poem about bridges that uses some form of the word ‘bridge’ in the poem or in the title, or:
  2. Write a puente (bridge) poem, which does not need to include the word bridge (but it can).

I opted for the 2nd alternative, and decided to make my puente poem out of two envelope quintets. Given the rhyme structure of my poem, I envision it as a suspension bridge.

56 thoughts on “This heart, or: This mind”

  1. This is amazing, David. Your style, I think, reminds me of Leonard Cohen a bit with the honesty and rawness. Especially loved these few lines:

    “creating of them gods sublime
    and altars built on false foundations
    they worship while I stand alone”

    Just WOW.

  7. Love your honesty in both heart and mind in this one! The puente works well to set the stage for new ideas here. Life is about growth and our ever-changing perspectives!

  10. I love the way you examine your links to Jewish tradition and your feeling of isolation from the religious side. I also enjoyed the form and rhyme scheme!

  11. So poignant, raw and genuine in one. I love this contrast of connection and disconnect. You have a way with words. It’s funny because even the disconnect you describe brings connection with your readers. At least it did with me.

    I’ve been thinking recently about the bliss little children experience in the “not knowing”, discovering the world with fresh, unprejudiced eyes, before they are “conformed”. As adults we seek to categorize and explain everything. Kids feast on the mystery. I am longing to return to that place.

      1. You inspired me to have a go too:

        I explain
        The inexplicable
        Make sense
        Of the senseless
        But slay the child

        ~ feasting on mystery ~

        Who flies in the face
        Of reason
        Her only treason
        Rising above
        In awe and wonder.

        1. Wow, that is so stunning, Anna. Have you considered sharing it on your blog and linking to it from d’Verse so that other poets can read it?

          ❤
          David

  12. I love this, David. It’s beautiful and poignant, and the technicalities that hold it together make it all the more a delight to read.

  14. A wonderful puente. I loved both quintets, but the second one truly resonated with me, especially ‘nothing’s known
    though men cling tight to correlations’

  18. Oh this excels! The link between what our spirit tell us all along versus what men have said. And knowing only you alone can choose with whom to listen.

    1. You know, Kerfe, I think if I were to go back and write all of your comments to me on all of my poems, one line after another, that would be very poetic.

      1. That’s such a nice thing to say David. I often find comments inspiring myself. You always have some good threads of them in your comments section.

  24. This is deeply profound! I especially love; “creating of them gods sublime and altars built on false foundations, they worship while I stand alone.”💝💝

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