FEATHER IN THE WIND - A poem about blind obsession

Down a road I traveled alone and lonely
Traveling with no place to go
Floating before me was a bit of down
Just floating in the wind
I reached for the feather to no avail
The breeze from my hand pushed it away
The further it went the faster I moved
Trying to catch the plume
I did not see the flowers
Once a thing of grace and beauty
Petals crushed beneath my feet
I ran faster for the feather
I did not feel the water on my leg
Silt now clouds the crystal
Pristine beauty disturbed by my step
I had to have the feather
The spider watched in vain
My hand destroyed the web
Tireless ants rebuild their mound
A rabbit flees in fear
In earnest I tried to catch the plume
It only floated away
Winded and tired I ended pursuit
I ended my chase for the down
I looked behind me
I gazed upon my path
Behind me there was once beauty
It all seemed destroyed
Serenity lost for vanity
All this for a feather in the wind

Oct '92

Comments: 18

Susan *. Mar 3, 2007, 12:39pm EST

this is beautiful Barney...it is such a perfect portrayal of us trying so hard to reach that which is unreachable only to miss the small beautiful things in life. I remember knowing a woman blown up by her own self importance of her new Doctorate and they position of power she was now reaching for....she walked so straight and self centered down a sidewalk one March morning that the melting snow did nothing but irritate her. When she entered her office, she noticed the staff discussing something gathered by a window. As she approached they were pointing out the window...she demanded to know what was so interesting in the melting mess outside...they pointed again and she looked. In her self importance she missed a patch of crocus with their brilliant purples and golds right beside the sidewalk.....it was a beautiful sight in contrast with the snow but in her world of self importance, with her mind on the job she so wanted...she missed them completely.

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 3, 2007, 2:26pm EST

Thanks, Susan!

Yes, we can miss things around us.

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arlene (no shame in my game) w. Mar 3, 2007, 3:04pm EST

Now that makes you think. Very nice poem Barney. If you don't mind, I am going to collect this one.

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 3, 2007, 6:45pm EST

Thank you. Arlene!

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Penny G. Mar 7, 2007, 3:09am EST

I really liked this. I think we've all at one point or another chased that elusive "feather", disregarding what we may have missed along the way.

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 7, 2007, 6:37am EST

Thank you, Penny!

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!FANTASTIC!

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 11, 2007, 7:34am EDT

Thanks, Mr. Bill :-D

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 11, 2007, 9:15pm EDT

You are welcome, Lynx, and thank you for that story.

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 11, 2007, 9:31pm EDT

Thank you, Liz!

The poem was written about me and my destructive behavior. Sometimes I became obsessed and could not see the harm I was doing.

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Barney JP Not Smarter than an 5th Grader Shel Is Pres of Gather Mar 11, 2007, 10:17pm EDT

For the most part I have. Being Type A W/OCD is a challenge.

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Dale Coparanis Mar 14, 2007, 11:06pm EDT

Barney - This is excellent. Could you put some spaces between some of the lines so it would be easier to read?

As I read it, one of my favorite lines from the Psalms kept coming to mind:

"Be still and know that I am God" PS 46:10

If we would do that more often, we would not have to look back on so much destruction and we would not feel so compelled to catch that feather.

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