Blast and crash,
bright white bomb flash–
red-fire flowers and dragon’s hot breath
destruction, and the aftermath, of forever
~ashes~
from which you rise. Again. Remember.
Clay-cloaked secrets star-baked, retold in storied glory—
Golem or phoenix? Myth or fated?
Survivor embraced or avenger awaited?
For dVerse where Sarah is hosting Quadrille Monday. We’re to use the word ash. This is a puente.
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
Clay-cloaked secrets star-baked, retold in storied glory – amazing line. I feel like you’re creating a new mythology here.
Thank you so much, Sarah. 💙
I kind of thought I might be, too.
Interesting form, Merril. Love that ambiguous ending.
Thank you very much, Luanne!
I wondered if someone would write a post related to the rising of the phoenix from its ashes. Well done!
Thank you, Lillian.
You nailed the phoenix trope fer sure, Merril. Well done!
Thank you, Ron.!
Ditto what Luanne said. I like the ambiguous ending, too, maybe creating a new mythology, definitely suggesting we should question current mythologies 😉
Thank you very much. Perhaps a new one! 😀
This is absolutely breathtaking, Merril! 😀 I especially love; “Clay-cloaked secrets star-baked, retold in storied glory.”💝💝
Thank you so much, dear Sanaa! 💙
Clay-cloaked secrets star-baked — whoot!
I think the poetic form works really well here, in this piece – love the way it showcases cause and effect – and the second stanza really is both command and questions: remember. Remember. It does act as double edged-sword, does one truly know, understand, rise again, having understood, or does one repeat? or, as is “necessity born of fate” – touches upon the philosophical – we must be both parts of the coin, the differences we perceive, yet really of the same face ….
truly fascinating treatment of “ash” – I’m really digging this, I think you did this exceptionally well, in a highly creative way – well done indeed.
Thank you so much for your close-reading and very thoughtful comment. I truly appreciate your analysis and kind words.
my pleasure – it’s always a joy and surprise (in the best of ways, i.e. I learn so much from your writing) to read your works 🙂
💙
Beautiful Merril!
Thank you, Jill!
The first stanza read as a painting to me; then the painting crumbles to ashes. I don’t know that I’ve ever had this experience with a poem before.
Wow–that’s truly amazing, Liz!
Thank you for sharing that reaction.
You’re welcome, Merril! I love it when I’m surprised by the experience of reading a poem.
😍
What a beautiful Phoenix! And you have captured its betweenness. (K)
Thank you so much, Kerfe.
I found another image that I had wanted to use, but I couldn’t get it to post.
It’s such a beautiful idea, it makes sense it would produce beautiful art.
Yes, you’re right.
Such is war, sadly.
Yes.
You had me at “red fire-flowers and dragon’s hot breath, destruction and the aftermath of forever”. An excellent quadrille, and prime puente.
Thank you very much, Glenn! I’m pleased you liked it.
“Golem or phoenix?”
Myths–clay and ash.
This is incredible – what a great picture
“Clay-cloaked secrets star-baked, retold in storied glory”
wow
Thank you so very much for your kind words!
Before and after with ashes in the middle. Such a great idea and beautifully done.
Thank you so much, Dale!
It’s funny–I didn’t think of it as before, after, and middle.
Funny how people read what we write 😉
😀
Love the fast pacing of words and sounds specially the dragon’s hot breath
destruction. Phoenix for me.
Thank you very much, Grace!
Love the print and the way you make ashes seem exciting and on the verge of adventure. Wonderful.
Thank you very much!
I echo what Dale said. Only time will tell if this is an auspicious beginning.
Thank you. Yes, you’re right.
You’re very welcome, Merril.
Very nicely done! They way things are going your apocalyptic poem may prove to be prophetic!
Thank you, Dwight.
We’re living in a very scary time!
Yes, and with populations growing it may not get better!
😔
I love the mythological imagery you’ve employed here, Merril, especially that of the Phoenix rising from the ash.
Thank you very much, Ingrid.
A chilling reminder of man’s destruction and yet survival capacity
Thank you very much, Derrick!
This is better than the Avengers movie!
Love the destruction and rebirth theme 😀
❤
David
Thanks so much, David!
I’ve never seen any of the Avengers movies. 😀
🤷♂️
This strikes me as an indictment of our myth-making process, inventing a past and glorifying it because the new version of reality is more heroic than the old one.
Not at all my intention. 😀
Or perhaps it was about the need for myths to be real.
That’s part of it too. I just went a bit too deep 🙂
It’s easy to get us mixed-up. 😀
We work on parallel layers, but sometimes the layers merge…
So much depends on what our eyes want to see–this is vivid and seriously good writing, full of nuance and impact and questions implied–can forever really be destroyed, can something come from the nothing it leaves behind? I love “red-fire flowers and dragon’s hot breath” and “Golem or Phoenix..” The most impressive part is all you manage to convey in these few short lines.
Thank you so much for your very kind and thoughtful comment!
That last line is great! There is a playfulness to your verses that is refreshing, we just don’t know which way he will go in the end, but it will epic!
Thank you very much, Tricia!
Welcome! 🌷
Wow, Merril! I really like the Golem or phoenix question 🙂
Thanks so much, Lynn!
I love the weaving of myths in this… and how from the ashes something new is born…
Thank you very much!
Very excellent indeed – not that you need me to tell you so. Excellent and artful piecing together of various mythic elements to command something truly your own.
Thank you so much for your very kind words!
Survivor embraced or avenger awaited
Hits good✨✨
Thank you.
Amazing word choices and the artwork so apt! Excellent write, Merril. 💙
Thank you much! 💙
My pleasure.