tiohn

A poem, by Mr. Robinson Jeffers:

<big>The Great Explosion</big></u><br>
<br>
The universe expands and contracts like a great heart.<br>
It is expanding, the farthest nebulae<br>
Rush with the speed of light into empty space.<br>
It will contract, the immense navies of stars and galaxies,<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; dust clouds and nebulae<br>
Are recalled home, they crush against each other in one<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; harbor, they stick in one lump<br>
And then explode it, nothing can hold them down; there is no<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; way to express that explosion; all that exists<br>
Roars into flame, the tortured fragments rush away from each <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; other into all the sky, new universes<br>
Jewel the black breast of night; and far off the outer nebulae <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; like charging spearmen again<br>
Invade emptiness.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No wonder we are so fascinated with <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; fireworks<br>
And our huge bombs: it is a kind of homesickness perhaps for<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the howling fireblast that we were born from.</p>

<p>But the whole sum of the energies<br>
That made and contain the giant atom survives. It will <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; gather again and pile up, the power and the glory--<br>
And no doubt it will burst again; diastole and systole: the <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; whole universe beats like a heart.<br>
Peace in our time was never one of God's promises; but back <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and forth, live and die, burn and be damned,<br>
The great heart beating, pumping into our arteries His <br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; terrible life.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He is beautiful beyond belief.<br>
And we, God's apes--or tragic children--share in the beauty.<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We see it above our torment, that's what life's for.<br>
He is no God of love, no justice of a little city like Dante's<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Florence, no anthropoid God<br>
Making commandments,: this is the God who does not care<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and will never cease. Look at the seas there<br>
Flashing against this rock in the darkness--look at the<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; tide-stream stars--and the fall of nations--and dawn<br>
Wandering with wet white feet down the Caramel Valley to<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; meet the sea. These are real and we see their beauty.<br>
The great explosion is probably only a metaphor--I know not<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; --of faceless violence, the root of all things.</p>

__________________
No one is anyone, one single immortal man is all men. Like Cornelius Agrippa, I am god, I am hero, I am philosopher, I am demon and I am world, which is a tedious way of saying that I do not exist. -- Borges, "The Immortal"

TexanAvenger

I'm not sure exactly where you're going with this - It is not a topic of discussion, nor does it really seem at home in Tilted Newbies. Mayhap it might be moved and given more personal depth?


It is, however, beautifully written and a poem I haven't read for a long time.

tiohn

I got so caught up in making sure that the formatting was correct that I forgot to mention that it also served as my greeting and first post.

__________________
No one is anyone, one single immortal man is all men. Like Cornelius Agrippa, I am god, I am hero, I am philosopher, I am demon and I am world, which is a tedious way of saying that I do not exist. -- Borges, "The Immortal"