Day 29 of NaPoWriMo. The prompt, edited for succinctness:
For poet William Wordsworth, a poem was the calm after the storm – an opportunity to remember and summon up emotion, but at a time and place that allowed the poet to calmly review, direct and control those feelings. A somewhat similar concept is expressed through the tradition of philosophically-inclined poems explicitly labeled as “meditations,” …
Today, I’d like to challenge you to blend these concepts into your own work, by producing a poem that meditates, from a position of tranquility, on an emotion you have felt powerfully.
Not completely on prompt, but this is what I came up with:
Meditation on Dispassion
When finding oneself in the disposition of
being where one does not belong, or perhaps of
not belonging where one finds oneself,
it might be of consequence for one to ponder
how that circumstance came to be.
If, for example, one is where one does not belong
due to a displacement of some nature, one might enquire as to
what compulsion or energy caused such an event,
and whether it is a permanent condition, or whether
one might best prepare for subsequent supplantations.
Alternatively, if one does not belong where
one finds oneself, one may have merely been misplaced,
and may therefore be inclined to wonder
what careless entity committed such a dismissive act,
and whether one might perchance some day
in some manner attain one’s proper placement.
It is imperative, however, that one never allow
one’s emotions to surface and escape their
carefully fabricated confines,
lest one come to realize that the
feeling of not belonging where one finds oneself
is – in fact — excruciatingly painful.
I find it interesting that this meditation is accompanied by a cat, who clearly makes the environment he finds himself in, his own. He never “does not belong, as everything belongs to him!” 🙂
Your poetry makes me think too hard! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
True about the cat. I didn’t have an apt photo, but I thought her downcast eyes made her at least look uncomfortable. She definitely is one to claim ownership tp everything within her realm.
LikeLike
That last stanza is too true.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, unfortunately. Thanks for commenting!
LikeLike
Hmmm good thoughts! Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it!
LikeLike