The earth, thawing,
Prepares a warming,
Moist, cradle for
Life’s seeds.
Once attached,
Strong,
Enclosed by the chaff—
Held in by the spike,
Undefiled
And without disturbance—
The wind blowed,
The rain pounded,
The tall grass endured.
Until it didn’t.
Slowly, surely,
It began to age,
Its color collapsed,
Its hue humbled,
Less vibrant,
Faded—
The color of straw.
Each blade a pale pallor,
Hardened,
Wooden,
Dried-up,
The smell of decay
In Sleepy Hollow,
Where each seed detaches
And is blown off
Like the head of a Hessian
Horseman with horrific hubris,
Charging a calibrated canon.
Together, these headless stalks—
Golden without their lustre—
Stand tall, but doomed,
Destined for winter’s weakening weight,
Crushed under death’s design,
Frozen,
brittle,
b r o
k
e
n
,
Fo r g o t t e n.
Life’s seeds are all that remain
Locked in slumber.
Awaiting their chance
To soften, to sprout, to shoot,
To grow, to harden,
To weather, to wither,
To die.
Life carries on
As the grass withers
And the flowers fade.
A cycle captive—
Caught up in
Futility.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
-
Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: May 4th, 2025 06:53
- Category: Gothic
- Views: 21
- Users favorite of this poem: sorenbarrett, Cheeky Missy, Teddy.15, Damaso, Muse of Calliope
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Comments8
Oh, good old Ichabod Crane- he was a childhood companion as much as Tom and Huck were🙏🏻🕊️
Yeah, indeed! I figured, since I only grew up about 50 miles away from Sleepy Hollow, and in the ever weird and Sleepy Hollow-ish, Northwest NJ, I'd resurrect the good ol' horseman at an unusual time and in an unusual way...sorry, Ichabod! 🎃🔥🤣 Thank you, my dear friend. I am glad it delivered and you enjoyed the reference. A great taste in the American classics you have, I might say! 😊 Love Tom and Huck, too! Thanks again, friend. 🌾🦴👻🙏
Much of literature is good fun; only wish more could partake of and share in its wonders. 🙏🏻🕊️
Yeah. 💯 A small world, but a plethora of great literature to discover...past and present.
The cycle of life seen through other glasses. Futility, why just keep carrying on? What is the meaning of life? Such an existential question. Here it is brought to the page in metaphor and with great textual design representing the bowing of the grass (wheat) and the fading into forgottenness. A lovely portrayal of the demise in form and thought. A fave
Thank you, my friend! Indeed, I gave a bit of thought to the bowing grain and forgottenness. I am super thrilled to hear it was pulled off successfully and that it aided the metaphor visually, which was my hope. I am humbled, my friend, and extremely thankful for your time, feedback, and fave. 🌾🦴👻🙏
"...vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." (Ecc 1:2) And whom but the poets to echo that while man seems to chase his tail madly, deluded by dreams of grandeur which eventually leave him chagrined. Excellently rendered with haunting imagery and a damning poignancy.
Indeed, my friend. While this poem explicitly invokes Isaiah 40, Ecclesiastes really does underpin it and I am so glad that you picked up on that and on the themes that come out of that. Your time, your feedback, your fave and your understanding are most appreciated. Thank you so very much! 🌾🦴👻🙏
Tremendous imagery.
Thank you so much, Thomas!!! 🌾🦴👻🙏
A haunting and beautifully written poem that captures the cycle of life and death in nature with vivid imagery and emotional depth. Well written!!!!
Thank you so much, Salvia. Glad that the poem delivered. Your time and feedback are very much appreciated, my dear friend! 🌾🦴👻🙏
Excellent write Tristan
Thank you so much, Tony! 🌾🦴👻🙏
You're welcome
But we have just had a few days of a heatwave here! LOL. That you in that field? Or it could be you-know-who Obi. Heehee.
Good question. It could even be one of ring wraiths from The Lord of the Rings, or all 3 wrapped up in one (though that might actually be too horrifying, even for the horror streaming service, Shudder! 😱🤣 Thank you so much, Orchi. Glad it delivered and I am always thankful for your engagement, my friend! 🌾🦴👻🙏
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Thank you so much, my friend! 🌾🦴👻🙏
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