Impossible

Alphabet Ravine8 Comments

Singing on the clouds like an army—
bodies, robes, warriors guarding,
so adjacent I can’t see through the wall.

Melodies like weapons fending off
for my protection, I don’t know whom,
for what lies beyond?

Angels, I want to know—why
are you watching? I would not look away
from any of the doubts, questions,

and dangers that I would face. Where can I
build a fire? This room is too bright.
I want to know how the sparks would

warm my hands before it burned them.
I want to know how far I can run
so that I can know how fast.

And what has carved your face?
And are you in love with me?
What are the rules that guide your halls?

Angels, let me fall. For my neck
rolls at your control, and I cannot sense the
rhythm or percussion to your voices at all.

8 thoughts on “Impossible”

  1. our lines evoke a powerful image of surrender and vulnerability, where the speaker feels under the influence of angelic forces but disconnected from their guidance. The contrast between the idea of angels, typically seen as protectors, and the sense of being out of control or unable to perceive their rhythm creates a tension that suggests a deeper inner struggle or conflict.

    Is there a particular direction or theme you’d like to explore further with these lines? They could be the beginning of a poetic exploration of divine influence, fate, or the struggle to understand higher powers.

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    • Hi there! Sorry for taking so long to respond. Thank you for the thoughtful comment!

      To answer your question, I was using a prompt about Seraphim but actually pondering my experience growing up in corner of my religious community that, yes, when it should have been protecting, used a lot of fear, dominance, manipulation, etc., to control its members.

      I do have some poetry though that wrestles with inner tensions when it comes to sort of feeling at odds with or neglected by myself or a deity, like you kind of allude to regarding further themes to explore!

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  2. Hi, no o worries at all—I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

    Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s interesting to hear how your prompt about Seraphim connects to your personal reflections on growing up in a community where control was often exerted through fear and manipulation. That must have been difficult to navigate.

    I’d love to read some of your poetry, especially the pieces that delve into those inner tensions and feelings of being at odds with yourself or a higher power. It sounds like a deep and meaningful exploration of themes that resonate with a lot of people. I think there’s so much value in unpacking those struggles, and I’m glad to hear you’re doing that in your work!

    Looking forward to hearing more from you!

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    • Thanks for the patience, the empathy, and the interest! It’s always fun to connect with people who have respect for everyone’s religious experiences and journeys.

      I think the main poems on here that deal with or reflect those sorts of tensions are as follows, in a loose in order of relevance:

      Romans, Must Be Fear, Rocks, I grab my corpse by her hair and yank, Galaxy, Desert, Genuine, crash, “Hunger, Thirst”, Assurance, Esme, Man-eater, and Accounting.

      You’re welcome to use the search bar on here to check any of them out at your own pace!

      I’ve been exploring those general themes more in my work this past year, and I think I’ll continue to do so for a while, so they’ll start to show up here. I tend to work on getting them published by lit mags first, but they’ll slowly trickle on!

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  3. Thank you for your thoughtful message! It’s always refreshing to meet others who value and respect diverse spiritual journeys. I really appreciate you sharing your poems, and the themes you’re exploring sound incredibly powerful.

    As a writer myself, I can relate to wrestling with spiritual tensions in my work. Though I’m currently focused on writing several books, many of them also have a spiritual focus. It’s a fascinating process to explore those deeper layers of faith, doubt, and personal growth, and I admire how you’re doing that through your poetry.

    I’ll definitely check out the poems you mentioned, and I’m looking forward to seeing how you reflect on those tensions within them. It’s inspiring to find other creatives who delve into these complex themes.

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