The Fool

I am not a fool…

 

I learned to, “put away childish things”

to see clarity within my mind

when my eyes could only, “see through a glass, darkly”

suffering the loss of childish illusions,

stiff chinned

with a resolute heart

 

trying the gold of my character

in the fire of repression,

filling the lamp of my soul with burning oil

pressurized in the vacuum of sanctified facts,

until the black coal of my humanity could shine

as a hardened crystal of diamond purpose

 

hovering above the passions of life

this ghost longs to fall ~

dancing the wind

as an unstrung kite

to tumble in the surf of living,

to strip naked…

blushing not as gooseflesh thrills

hellish fires of judgment chilled

 

filtered in acceptance

a spring of persistence

dribbles forth purity,

until the harsh light of interpretations

evaporate … this brooked song

transformed into dark clouds

above a dry desert

 

dunned  mountains of “grown up” abstractions

longing to discover the oasis of a little child

born again into vulnerability,

unafraid of being a fool…

 

Reviews

[Josie E. Cook M. A.]

Nice structure & form.
Ending pulls back to your title
The second stanza is my favorite.

[David Scott]

Thank you for the kind thoughts. Yes, I intended to tie back the severed ends of foolishness. :)

[Josie E. Cook M. A.]

You are welcome.

[KWP]

Layers many layers here ... as if written whilst perched on a fence observing the commotions we cause ourselves in life.

Our purpose in life is to flourish, in whatever form we choose, tricky part is never to question for to every question there is an answer and surley that's all heresay :D the answers lie within all of us, just as the universe is within you, you are within the universe, ask and you shall receive ... but existence is a gift and one must never forget to flourish X

Your words resonate in a time of whispers passed - easy to allow myself to be swept along a bit X

[David Scott]

Thank you kindly. You share wisdom in your comments. I always welcome answers, for each answer is the foundation of the next question. :)

[...]

And you have just written "The Fool" into a deeply poetic work of art, An "oasis "for the child in all of our hearts. Notice my quotation marks :-) Cut the string of judgmental, misguiding and navigations and fly away into the purity of your heart, know you are a diamond in the rough...ooops "diamond in the rough".
A diamonds purpose is to shine, and you, my friend certainly do! I love it

[David Scott]

You are such a dear friend. Thank you Lynn.
I fear you give me far too much credit, but I do enjoy seeing my writes through your eyes. How could I ever thank you for your kindness... Humbly, your friend.

[emmajoy]

So much of your finishing lines reflect my thoughts. And yet more, perhaps we need to remember that children hold innocence in their minds until adults distort their thinking with their own wrongly adopted or perceived observations on Life. Via children, adults can see the world anew, rainbows and puddles, kites and playful kittens.! If they mature at the rate of Years and Toil and Bank balance and the like, they, adults, stop feeling what is deeply hidden by the acquired rather than the given at the first breath of life. Maybe.

(A fool doesn't know the meaning of the word, because.... and thus can wear whichever coat he wants! So sayeth someone or other)

There's childish and there's child.like - knowing too much and treating knowledge like a fool and, there's the sweet naivete of seeing the simple and appreciating it without analysis or criticism.. If i had a choice, please, let me be child-like.

Your words, your poem, has inspired and will... you've opened the dam and people will paddle in its outpouring.

[David Scott]

Thank you. With all sincerity.
I was reading some poetry before my lunch hour and was inspired to respond...
I must live in gratitude for such inspirations and for such kind comments on my poetic expressions.
Gratitude...

[Will Neill]

David 13:11Corinthians ...A portrait of words, and a pleasure to read.
Will

[David Scott]

Thus the quotations... I assume the passages to be very familiar, but maybe they are not...?
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i want to be unafraid again, David...but alas with age comes sometimes the bad kind of maturity...the one that makes us too careful...

"through the glass, darkly" such a good phrase...reminded my of the Stones greatest hits vol, 2...titled, "through the past , darkly"

whether reflections of our lives, or memories deep within...there are so many dark ones...it can be a scary trip back there...i think...

love this piece.

[David Scott]

Thank you Jacob. I think you get to the core of the human condition. How do we unlearn what have deceived ourselves to be truth?
The quotes are from Biblical scripture. I cannot take credit. I wish...

[jacob erin-cilberto]

and you have them in quotation marks which indicated you had borrowed, but you use them so well to blend in with your own words...really well.

[A hare off]

Child-like and childish are two all together different things I believe. We can act childish and throw our tantrums and point fingers or we can be child-like at times, having fun and maybe just maybe playing a fool because it can be fun to do so. I like your poem. put aside the childish things but never put aside the child for that would be foolish.

[David Scott]

A wise rabbit once said... :)
Thank you for the thoughtful review.

[Willard Wells]

Very nice work with metaphors and imagery spilling forth on the page. To put away childish things as they say, but as I feel you have stated, don't lose the child and maybe play the fool sometimes can be fun.

[David Scott]

There seems to be a call to contrasts in the human spirit.
Thank you for the comment Will.

[A. Amos]

Unafraid of being a child, felt your words my friend... Awesome!

[David Scott]

Thank you for reading Amos.

[A. Amos]

You're most welcome my friend.. ..