Journey to the Interior
There are similarities
I notice: that the hills
which the eyes make flat as a wall, welded
together, open as I move
to let me through; become
endless as prairies; that the trees
grow spindly, have their roots
often in swamps; that this is a poor country;
that a cliff is not known
as rough except by hand, and is
therefore inaccessible. Mostly
that travel is not the easy going
from point to point, a dotted
line on a map, location
plotted on a square surface
but that I move surrounded by a tangle
of branches, a net of air and alternate
light and dark, at all times;
that there are no destinations
apart from this.
There are differences
of course: the lack of reliable charts;
more important, the distraction of small details:
your shoe among the brambles under the chair
where it shouldn’t be; lucent
white mushrooms and a paring knife
on the kitchen table; a sentence
crossing my path, sodden as a fallen log
I’m sure I passed yesterday
(have I been
walking in circles again?)
but mostly the danger:
many have been here, but only
some have returned safely.
A compass is useless; also
trying to take directions
from the movements of the sun,
which are erratic;
and words here are as pointless
as calling in a vacant wilderness.
Whatever I do I must
keep my head. I know
it is easier for me to lose my way
forever here, than in other landscapes
Robert L. Martin
9aI have to keep things in order. If I don't, it disturbs me very much. I lose my patience trying to find things. If I'm too lazy to put them in order, I hate myself for it.
Fran Claggett
9aHow is it possible I have never read this poem before?
Y. J. Hall
7aIt's possible :)
Gopikrishnan
9avisualization of a disturbed mind in an alien country....
Mercedes Dembo
8aA journey through our inner natural world, beautiful metaphor for fear.
Ahmad Muhammad
8aA great comparison that expresses what's going on inside each and all. Yeah, I also believe that the inner journey to one's own self is more dangerous than that of the physical one. The way, Atwood Ma'am composed it is amazing & awesome.
MGR
7aIts a great Transcendental poem. This poem reminds me the Sidargal Padals (poetry of Saints) in Tamil literature. Keeping and doing things in order can be occured by meditation. Its a door step poem for transcendental meditation.