re: icon

[whitereflection]

Calavera Road

You never asked what I saw
that time I was dead;
It wasn't heaven or hell or nothing at all
(choose your shade: grey or black or white)

There was a sunset highway in a watercolor land
and our shadows spilled blue ink in rivers behind us
We were giants

side by side we towered over the horizons
filled to the throat with the noon-sky and the dusk just before midnight
Each stride was miles
each footprint filled in with states
and cities parted and flowed away like the sea
so we could pass
even though we were ghosts
that could step through mountains as if they were shadows
that could rise with the morning mist from beneath damp earth

(There is mud on my jeans, and dried dirt that still needs to be brushed
from your cheek.)

Brand new road is born blushing beneath our feet
ages into asphalt
and we'll leave it grey-haired and grizzled interstate behind us
until its born again because its biting its own tail--
a Möbius business loop,
a cloverleaf Celtic knot interchange
And even though we're still giants
there's still road stretched out in front of us that we haven't yet walked on

That is what I saw;
that is what I'll see again tomorrow

We're just humans,
simply men,
but these highways don't end,
not even at the horizon


(dvad 11/1/09)


[Editnote: Calavera btw is a nod to the Day of the Dead and to calaveras as described here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calavera ]

re-edit
inspired by the icon image

by secretlytodream

Comments

[joseishijin.livejournal.com]

I know I never comment on it, but I just love your poetry. &hearts

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* That really, really means a lot to me, I mean seriously so. Thank you tons! (I have such a love/hate thing going with anything I write :x It really is hard for me to rate if stuff is any good or not. So far from where I want it to be, though ^^; But knowing someone out there's actually read it helps :) )

[joseishijin.livejournal.com]

I totally understand - that's why I wanted to say something. It takes a lot of guts to put your stuff out there, even when you are talented. I love poetry and know how hard it is to express something in such a limited space. Keep going!!! ^___^

[mysticwaters.livejournal.com]

That. That right there. Was awesome. Seriously, I had tears in my eyes.

(And I don't blame the person who wanted to get the last two lines tattooed on their skin. I don't blame them at all.)

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

♥ Aw, thank you, so much.

Saw you link this over at coyotesuspect's journal

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

It wasn't heaven or hell or nothing at all
(choose your shade: grey or black or white)

There was a sunset highway in a watercolor land
and our shadows spilled blue ink in rivers behind us

This contrast between the black&white reduction that is all the angels and demons have for them and the richness of this, their life together on the road.

I've been on road-trips where it felt like that: all open and bright and endlessly free.

Damn, you're good. And first prize in another spnland writing contest, congrats! Someday I will get you to believe what an amazing writer you are!

Re: Saw you link this over at coyotesuspect's journal

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

Seriously, thank you so much, as always ♥ I really like knowing the bits that someone focuses on, see it through their eyes as opposed to my own. And good golly yes, in regards to road trips like that--I think that's why I have been missing such so much lately.

I just can't find a good enough way to say thanks though, for how freaking supportive you are and the compliments you leave. I know I've got this thing that I tend to listen to silences more than when someone says something positive and read to much into it--but truly, it does mean a ton to me. Though I won't ever mind criticism either, heh.

♥

[zempasuchil.livejournal.com]

HEYYYY :D

So weird but somehow I had not read this, and tonight I was talking to a friend... asking her to read over my soon-to-be-posted motherlessguns appropriate-content-clarification, incidentally... and she was like, Speaking of SPN poetry, have you read this one? And linked me here! and I was like WHAT A SMALL WORLD <3

/cool story bro

THAT ICON. omg. *stares* your description of it is so great too, the watercolor desert and blue road <3 I want that art on my wall, man.

We were giants
:DDDDD

filled to the throat
:DDDDDDD

even though we were ghosts
that could step through mountains as if they were shadows
that could rise with the morning mist from beneath damp earth

oh this is beautiful. GHOSTS THEY ARE GHOSTS. crossing America like nothing. part of it <3 And the Ouroboros road! omg! mythological and unendiiing. I also feel like Sam/Dean is very ouroboros, very eating-its-own-tail. In a good way.

Okay, like everything, the title makes me want winchesters-in-mexico fic. I can't stop myself. GUH DESERTS GUH SKELETON LADIES. The vivid death there! eee.

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

I am a *terrible* person who lets herself get behind on comments and hides from her e-mail when getting stressed at stupid, minor life things. ^^;

But thank you so, so much! ♥ I appreciate that you read this and all the wonderful things you say here. I have a strange fondness for this poem, and it remains my favorite of the ones I've written, so compliments on it from someone such as yourself mean a great deal for me. And just a silly thing, but I got sparkles to hear that someone recommended it. There's something extra awesome to know that someone did that. ♥

Anyway, not surprising that you hadn't read this before--I wrote it almost a year ago, and haven't posted any of my older SPN poems to motherlessguns. I've meant to maybe do a single post linking to the few of them so I don't spam by posting them one at a time, but eh. Been lazy and hidey, so I haven't gotten around to it.

But truly, thank you so much! ♥

[zempasuchil.livejournal.com]

omg I am doing the EXACT SAME THING right now - getting overwhelmed, avoiding email, email piles up and overwhelms me even more, vicious cycle - so, you are not alone. *solidarity backpat*

You should definitely post your SPN poems to motherlessguns, I would love to read them all and see other people enjoy them on the comm! Do not feel hidey about your poetry :) it's really lovely. I'm super glad to have been linked <3!

[paxlux.livejournal.com]

Okay, this is a full poem made up of haikus. Which sounds stupid when I type it. It even reads stupid. Can you even write a poem where the stanzas are haikus? In any case, not as beautiful as your original. A blank homage.


We're giants who take
the roads, create the roads, we're
tall living legends.

We see the edge of
the world, it's a horizon
stretching out for us.

Infinite, like the
roads, I saw us driving down
sunrise sunset all.

Just for us, humans,
men who can't sleep on asphalt
we smell the lost ghosts

Of hairpin turns and
free straightaways bleeding speed,
that's where we belong.

When I was dead, I
saw how we're too big for this
world, giants, tall

Living legends, mud
on my jeans, dirt on your cheek,
but we stride endlessly

Because it's ours, all
of it, boys born of the engine,
roads, sky, wanderlust.

[whitereflection.livejournal.com]

It doesn't read stupid, it reads awesome ♥ Swear it sounds better like you say it. PS "boys born of the engine, roads, sky, wanderlust." <33333

Tumblr didn't give a shit, but least you liked <3*squishhug*