Follow the green man he said
And so we did
Until our feet bled
His coat was rough
Like moss
He carried pebbles in his pocket
They rattled and chimed as he walked
The light hit the cedar trees
Everything felt right
Clearer than we had ever known
Clearer than childhood
Just a glimpse of fairies on the horizon
We really did lose our mind
She chuckles and sings like a wayfarer
I keep looking at her so she won't disappear
We tripped through concrete
Thick like woodlands
Took water from a pipe
Sat in houses that weren't ours
We ran until our chest burst
Stealing things like magpies
Happy
Really
Happy
Just ask Hatter
Madness is a gift
It should not be feared or avoided.
--------------------------------------------
October comes
Granite heat which trickles through our soul
We scratch our skin at the finish line
Safe and sound
Green man found
The oil sears our thoughts
It has been a year at sea
All aboard the sinking ship
A single line discount
Burnt brown leaves
Falling pumpkins
Painted faces
We welcome the dark nights.
Ah. Very cool poem. Thanks. (Manicddaily@wordpress.)
ReplyDeleteJae, your collection of art on Alice and the Hatter should be made into a book! I’m entertained- as always!
ReplyDeleteI often think that "madness is a gift" - because people who struggle with it seem attuned to a higher frequency than the rest of us, and speak truth "clearer than we have ever known". I love the green man with pebbles in his pocket that rattle.....I am just back from a hobble in the woods.......yesterday a young First Nations woman told us all about the many different types of moss.
ReplyDelete"Viva la difference" in so many ways. Even as poets we see the value of being different even with our fellow poets as we learn much from each other.
ReplyDeleteI love the magical nature of this.
ReplyDeleteA whole year at sea while the ship is sinking? Oh, my! What fortitude!
ReplyDeleteOctober is a delightful month for madness.
ReplyDeleteAlluring images of your October, where we welcome the dark nights and embrace madness. If we followed the Hatter's cue, we could be really happy. Love this, Jae!
ReplyDeleteSuch a magical poem. And yes it is true, "Madness is a gift
ReplyDeleteIt should not be feared or avoided."
Beautiful, amazing poem.
ReplyDeleteI like the way this poem has been written in two parts, Jae, and that you have written about the green man, a legend in the UK, we even have pubs named after him. The pebbles in his pocket remind me of Hansel and Gretel, and I love the ‘glimpse of fairies on the horizon’ and the shift to reality with the concrete, the ‘houses that weren't ours’ and ‘Stealing things like magpies’ – and then suddenly October comes, with Halloween, and nobody notices the madness!
ReplyDeleteMadness is a gift... what a wonderful way to meet October.
ReplyDeleteThe first poem is like a walk transformed into a ride that takes the breath away. The second one is the dizzy exhaustion afterward...an amazing pair of fall images.
ReplyDeleteMadness is a gift ... something to chew on ❤️ Beautifully deep and evocative.
ReplyDeleteFascinating poem Jae. I knew nothing regarding the background of the Green Man, so thank you for introducing me to the legend.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have a wee touch of madness in us of some sort...maybe some more than a "wee" amount. :) I don't know the legend of Green Man but he sounds quite intriguing. I also like that line about "stealing things like Magpies."
ReplyDeleteGayle ~
A really exceptional write.
ReplyDelete