When Heavens Crumble

Responding to devastation

About to rise was her sun
fill her eyes with the bright of a new day
tell her skies last night's dreams
will make her way
in the first world of light.
She had no way of knowing
her sun was about to stumble ~
her heaven was about to crumble.

Now she cries as dawn is won
stilled her eyes with sights to forever stay
welled, as skies caught the screams
where victims lay
on Earth enlightened
where, but hours before, singing.
Her sun's crushed voice a cold mumble ~
her heaven had need to rumble.

Death's surprise she wished to shun
willed her eyes to lite on sad dismay
held her skies to sew the seams
torn in Earth's sway,
Canaan's silver lining
shines on worlds now trembling.
Her sun froze ... anguished flakes tumble,
her heaven's lives in a jumble.

Faith sees sunrise colors stun
till her eyes knew no fright nor disarray
fell on hope's white helmet teams
Syrian's pray
to cast Samael from paradise,
find lost souls surviving.
Her sun heard wrathful Gods grumble ~
her heaven calms ... planets humble.

2023

Author's Note

The morning of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria lightsong and I were chatting. She wrote that they had just had an earthquake. At the time I don't think either one of us realized just how bad it was. I turned on the evening news. I can't describe how helpless I felt knowing my friend was in the middle of that. Fortunately her home withstood the shaking. Just a few days earlier she was telling me she could see Turkey from her roof. The poet in me climbed to her roof and tried to see and feel the devastation through her eyes. 'She' could be anyone in Syria. She could be Syria herself.

This is one of the most complicated poems I've written. Eleven rhymes that advance through the verses. Syllable counts and repeating phrases. What might not be obvious is the fifth line in each verse relates to the 5th Heaven, which is roughly where the earthquake happened. Samael is the angel of death.

Reviews

[Miss Sharon]

Beautifully written! I like the end rhymes in the final two lines of each stanza. ~Sharon

[willweb]

Knowing of the earthquake and having read lightning this poem touches me. Beautiful words in an amazing poem

[William Michael Reeves]

Ooooh! I like that! Lightning. I might add enlightened lightning. If you're a fan and friend of hers you should read my 'Ballad For She Who Sings Our Light'. It's on my 3rd page. Thanks will