Wind smothers the snarling of the great ships,
And the serene gulls are stronger than turbines;
Mile upon mile the hiss of a stumbling wave breaks unbroken-
Yet stronger is the power of your lips for my lips.
This cool green liquid death shall toss us living
Higher than high heaven and deeper than sighs-
But O the abrupt, stiff, sloping, resistless foam
Shall not forbid our taking and our giving!
Life wrenched from its roots-What wretchedness!
What waving of lost tentacles like blind sea-things!
Even the still ooze beneath is quick and profound-
I am less and more than I was, you are more and less.
I cried upon God last night, and God was not where I cried;
He was slipping and balancing on the thoughtless shifting planes of sea.
Careless and cruel, he will unchain the appalling sea-gray engines-
But the speech of your body to my body will not be denied!
(John Reed)
More Poetry from John Reed:
John Reed Poems based on Topics: God, Cry, Charity, Night, Life, Power, Speech, Death & DyingReaders Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Life Poems, Night Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Cry Poems, Power Poems, Charity Poems, Speech PoemsBased on Keywords: smothers, unchain, tentacles, turbines, sea-things, sea-gray