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August 28, 2015

Poetry Friday--A Return to Hell

I seem to be returning often to the subject of heaven and hell. Some of it is due to the Sketchbook Project I'm working on, the topic of which is "Angels." A lot more of it has to do with human nature, the news of the day, or the political circus, a.k.a. the 2016 election cycle. The other day I was looking for something in my files and found a poem I had written in early July, 2010. You may remember this was the time of the BP oil spill. The poem was titled "Burning Sea Turtles." I won't explain the title. If you need more information, do a Google search on the term, "burning sea turtles."

Since I was already wrapped up in heaven and hell poems, I figure one more wouldn't hurt, so I illustrated it:


Click to enlarge. © Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Here's the text alone:
Burning Sea Turtles

There is no hell
for any creature
other than man.
We have created
it whole from our
imagination, and
not content, we have
re-created the vision
here on earth so all
God's creatures can
know the true Satan.

I promise this will be the last hell poem for a while. If I continue with angels, I'll try to lean toward the lighter side. I've actually written a humorous one, but it's definitely seasonal, so it's saved for December.

I'm sure there will be heavenly delights this week at the Round-Up being hosted by Sylvia at Poetry for Children. Please stop by.

17 comments:

  1. Living on the Gulf Coast, I remember the oil spill well. This poem is so poignant and powerful. The illustration is subtly eery. That event was tragic and so preventable. We humans can be entirely too arrogant.

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  2. Great truth here, Diane. I imagine the animal philosophers scratching their heads and stroking their beards, asking themselves the big questions.

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    1. Someone has to start asking the big questions!

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  3. Diane, your words are telling about human nature and what we do on this earth but your composition sets the an amazing backdrop. Can you please tell me how you get the picture to enlarge on a click?

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    1. Carol, when I double click on the picture it enlarges. If it doesn't work for you, perhaps it's because of your browser?

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  4. I do remember, Diane. You've brought it back well, & unfortunately there are so many events that have happened like this since. I both love and hate those first three lines.

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  5. Despite its grim subject matter, your poem is visually beautiful. I love the way your present your poems with graphics and backgrounds.

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  6. Wow--your words are powerful, and the image so devastating. I have to believe that no matter what we do to muck up our world, other creatures will survive and given enough time, reclaim it.

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    1. There are those who live deep, deep in the sea or underground who will escape us, and, of course, the roaches!

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  7. It's hard to be a part of this human race...

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    1. There are days like that... On those days, however, one watches cat videos.

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  8. Yes, that is a gorgeous image - devastating words. Thanks for being fearless, Diane.

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