Faith in Light
The assembly line
installed
with pristine edges
and mirrored shines,
operated
by newly trained workers,
slides, pulls and presses
the raw materials
into identical
functioning forms.
In the repetition,
the workers age,
the corners nick,
and the reflecting
faces
from surfaces
dull and disappear.
Many are born,
that fail to glow,
and no one recalls
the design,
tearing on
thin yellow paper
in a corroded
file cabinet.
We arrive at the store,
with faith,
but find
no bulbs.
-Robert L. Jackson
In the repetition,
ReplyDeletethe workers age,
the corners nick,
and the reflecting
faces from surfaces
dull and disappear... loved that..what happens when we lose faith in the light?!
Oh! As we rely more and more on the man-made, we get too far from the original source. And then, I couldn't help remembering my nursery rhyme about Old Mother Hubbard who couldn't even find a bone for her dog. Do we just get out of practice or could emptiness prevail?
ReplyDeleteNot to find what you went looking for can be part of the journey of faith, don't you think?
ReplyDeletewhen hope is dashed....sigh...
ReplyDeleteI can not fathom the feeling when one's hopes are crushed.. sigh.. poignant write!
ReplyDelete"many are born that fail to glow" ... beautifully descriptive!
ReplyDeleteI love the unexpected ending, arriving in faith but finding no bulbs. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteI love the depth in this. Made me sad and aware of the fact that my faith deserves attention. I don't want it to dim.
ReplyDeleteRob I am reading Paulo Choelo's The Zahir your poem takes me back to what he says " Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage. Without her you would never have set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you. And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog to read mine
Much love...
This poem says a great deal. Makes me sad. No bulbs.
ReplyDeleteSo much is offered at the store, most of it made in China, not much made to last, why do we even go? Perhaps when the sun goes down low, it is time for rest....forget the bulbs?
ReplyDelete