A sonnet inspired by the poet’s initial reaction to the video above
Behold, she dangles, helpless in the sky,
Affrighted by the curving earth below:
It beckons so seductively, as though
’Twould be a blessing if she were to fly
Into its distant bosom, not to die,
But rather to embrace, to love, to know
(As we have known) the perfect vertigo
Where, in an instant, all the world wheels by,
But really I'm a stranger to extremes,
And in my life, where trifling things abound,
No heart-arresting plummet shall there be,
Yet plucked from airy summits in my dreams
I'm crushed against the safe and stable ground,
Extinguished by familiarity.
Daniel Platt is a translator, poet and musician who resides in Los Angeles, California.
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How to Get On in Society, Cartography of Absences, The Wolf Within & Les Sylphides
All poems featured in New Lyre - Winter 2021
Behold, she dangles, helpless in the sky,
Affrighted by the curving earth below:
It beckons so seductively, as though
’Twould be a blessing if she were to fly
"Extinguished by my mother's decree" occurred to me. Or, for a touch of exalted humor, "Extinguished by mater's decree." Though short-footed, either would work fine as a last line. Anyway, I think the poem is well done and I like it. What I wanted at the end I think is a word that snapped a revelation into my mind. In truth though, I think familarity could grow on me. It's already begun doing so.
I was amused and pleased by your tossing in a nod to the superseded style, obviously done as a devil-may-care touch, with whimsical abandon.
David, thx for this pleasing introduction.
I would publish your poem, Dan, were I an editor and you submitted it to me.