I don't understand this sunrise
I don't understand this sunrise
from this cliff.
I don't understand this parade-all-by-itself,
climbing;
that nothing lifts it
from such wide all-shoulders Ocean.
I don't understand this sunrise
from this alone, all the way over here.
How, Why it comes out of the ocean there,
no sound?
How can there be
carburetors
and computers,
or how can I be
back hustling my alarm clock
and get voice mail
in a room with walls.
How is there such a roar I can't hear?
And why don't the waters there
where it comes
rise up, surge-bewondered,
and rush-in-a-crowd?
Why does not this cliff
explode now
and fly?
And this piddling-with-my-face-wind
stop
take on eyes
and gape?
Why does not this darkness of
light years of night sky, moon and stars
refuse
such a Universe Buzz Saw
burning,
rolling across?
Why am I suddenly afraid it may have eyes?
Why am I suddenly but a piece of cliff,
a non-member, lost midst
The Gathering of God's Control-Room?
I don't remember any appointment here.
Am I supposed to do something?
I don't understand.
I don't understand this sunrise.
________________________________________
THE BAY
I kept watching
what we call
the bay,
going from high tide to low tide.
That is just the name we call it.
It is actually our world's pulse
exposed on the ocean;
the bottom gear
the earth moves on
as it tumbles through space.
As it throbs
it makes the lowest bass tone
humming deeply into space,
heard as far away as Pluto.
We hear it always,
but since it is always,
we do not notice it.
I was allowed
to walk on it.
It did its grand movements
every six hours
as it has done
for the last 12 billion years,
and with no attention to me.
I felt its time
and my time.
Under my bare feet
I could sense
the billions of fish
that were born and died there
and the ones now swimming
for their time.
This is my time.
Life goes as does the tide.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2007 by Howard Seeman from UNLIKE ANTHING ELSE in the UNIVERSE, Author House Press www.AuthorHouse.com
Two poems by Howard Seeman:
Professor Emeritus, C.U.N.Y., Howard Seeman is a Certified Life Coach & Education Consultant at Classroom Management Online. His book: Preventing Classroom Discipline Problems; A Classroom Management Handbook K-12 is used in more than 45 states in the U.S., and in more than ten countries and international schools. He also published: Preventing Disruptive Behavior in Colleges; A Campus and Classroom Handbook for Higher Education His poetry speaks of great appreciation for the awesome nature of being alive. Dr. Seeman was certified by The Association for Poetry Therapy, October 1971. Recently, he taught classes on the work of e.e cummings at the New School Institute for Retired Professionals. Unlike Almost Everything Else in the Universe is the book of poetry from which these poems come. To hear and watch a video of Howard Seeman reading I don't understand this sunrise, click here. The video was produced by Daniela Gioseffi and Created by Omar M'Sai at VIDEO POEMS for POETS: mojonoire@gmail.com