The human being stands alone among
the sundry living creatures of the earth.
the gift of language comes upon the tongue
the pow'r of reason active from our birth.
These traits allow for pondering and thought
for noticing relationships and ties.
Ideas are formed and concepts keenly wrought
and beauty, recognized, elicits sighs.
When heightened moments glorious emerge
when bursts of insights move us to compose
creative juices then begin to surge
for science, music, art, for verse or prose.
From whence come flashes so inspired and fine?
From human thought, or from a Source divine?
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Comments: 11
Lovely, David. I like how you ended with a question.
Jan, thank you so much. How else can one honestly conclude when exploring the realm of the unknowable?
Co-creation?
Wonderful poem!
I like your term, "co-creation," Alison. Yes, creative people might well be operating in concert with THE creative reality. The term synergism is one that theologians sometimes apply to posit that human beings are working in concert with the creative Divine Spirit, or at least they have the choice to do so. If true, than the individual soul had the potential to apply effort along with the "effort" or grace of God in cooperative synergy to accomplish good things.
Very well done. Capital letter for start of third line?
This is very positive. The trouble with me is that I've grown curmudgeonly and disillusioned and I can't help noticing that the gift of language enables personkind to dissemble and insult. Blake wrote Songs of Innocence and Experience with lovely positive poems like yours on the one hand 'Little lamb, who made thee?' but then complemented them with darker pieces 'Tyger, tyger....what immortal hand or eye etc?' Perhaps you could write a companion piece!
Take no notice of my tongue in cheek cynicism. Your poem is full of light.
Mike, I really like your suggestion. The notion put forth was for a writing challenge that asked for something on the subject of "inspiration" or revelation in the creative process. It also asked for it to be somewhere in the Elizabethan to Victorian style of writing. But this posative and high notion of the human spirit does, for accuracy, beg for the other side of human nature. As one of the New Testament epistles says, "with the tongue we can bless or curse...and as a small flame can set ablaze an entire forest, so the tongue..." Your cynicism's other name is seasoned realism. Thanks for your thoughtful reflection.
i think that we are sparks, small parts
pieces of divine
dancing on the spheres
solar mini mirrors
designing from raw potential
sifting for essential
truth plucked from the vine
I think that as I look about
at mirror shards
reflecting beams of love divine
that you are among those
polished and gleaming ones
clean and catching undistorted
those most glorious rays
How generous you are with your reflections, Barbra, and how eloquently you express them. Thank you.
I am so grateful to hear your reflections on these lines. I appreciate the connection you idientified between the beginning and end. Thank you so much, Autumn.
David, I really enjoy your work. I write stories, mostly about my childhood and upbringing, and how my idyllic childhood has and does affect my adult life. I have written several stories that seemed to come out of my mind in one draft. I later learned that my written words inspired or comforted or otherwise lifted someome from a dark or bad place in their life. I have no doubt that these words came not from me but from my God. I was used as a tool to advance His will. I can think of no better blessing for one than to be used in that way.
I haven't done much writing lately, maybe it's time to begin again. Thanks for the lovely words. You evoke an inspiring spirit!