To me, truth is joy, and joy is truth – one in the same. So in my view, joy does not always come in the form of happiness. It does not always contain happiness. Always, it comes with the clarity of what is true inside. And that clarity brings a feeling of freedom. Not always a celebratory freedom. Sometimes it is a freedom that is heavy with responsibility to go forth and transform something painful into something so beautiful, it is worthy of the loss that necessitated it and worthy of those who will benefit from the gift of it.
Molasses And Steel
You brought colour to my life
Black for molasses
Blue for steel
You stood for things that were not real
You stole in the morning
Then peeled away
Laying rubber, black as molasses, on scorched streets
You performed elegant and death-defying feats
You raised a glass to greet something
That would beat us into submission
You were cold, hard
Blue like steel
Peeling away the layers of skin
That healed you into my soul
Is not a goal I cherish
Or claim the wherewithal to do
But there is a piece of me in you
And whether black or blue
We both must breathe
We must leave a trace of ourselves in this world
We have to be the steel and molasses
That builds and feeds
And sweetens harsh deeds into submission
It is our composition
At least it is mine
So if I am to thrive on the brine
In the glass you gave me
Break your fast and save me
A cup of molasses
© H. Hennenburg, 15 August 2019
Joyfully (and happily) linking to Poets United.
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2019 H. Hennenburg
You are right… freedoms come (and should come) with a burden to use it well… the same is with love. I think that in the end it’s what we need to fight for.
Well said, Bjorn.
So many wonderful images you have captured here
Thank you, Jay.
Wow what a very very creative juxtaposition of images
Thanks for dropping by my sumie Sunday today
Much❤❤love
Thank you very kindly, Gillena. And to you… ❤️
Freedom and joy and happiness and words wear different clothes depending on the hearts they are born from. Meaning and semantics and perspective (oh, and experience, too) are just personal concepts. It is wonderful to read what your words meant to you… The things we could learn from each other, if we could only read the world through their eyes while when we need to.
*saving a cup of molasses*
I most love, in your process notes above, the freedom that is a responsibility to transform pain into something beautiful. Wise souls do that. Your poem is beautiful, and the closing lines are spectacular. Wow!
Thank you so much, wise soul. Much appreciated.
This is incredibly eloquent! Especially like: “But there is a piece of me in you/
and whether black or blue/We both must breathe.”
freedom is indeed a responsibility. freedom isn’t free.
Thank you for reading, Toni!
This is something hard and sweet to think on! The idea of joy separated from happiness is something I’d never thought of but makes so much sense.
I have always loved seeming contradictions. Hard and sweet.
A little sweetness makes life better. That sense of responsibility of having the freedom to repair something is a wise thing to do- as long as you don’t bear the responsibility alone.
Yes, exactly. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting, Vivian!
Reminds me of:
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty.” The beauty of truth is that it is real. Even though we might not always like the truth.
Indeed. Thank you for reading, Mary!
Humans are complex creatures. Exhausting to fathom.I prefer cats.
Well said! I’m a dog person myself, and I agree with the sentiment.
A lot to ponder in these beautifully imaged, contemplative lines. An eloquent linger-worthy piece.
Thanks, Wendy!
Sadly we cherish freedom more when we lose it. Often we lose it by being blind believing rhetoric over common sense. We then get leaders that don’t respect us and this happens over and over again. Trust no-one until they produce results!
Well said!
We have to be steel and molasses… that’s very well put… I will ponder over that for a while!
Beautifully penned poem, I can read again and again. Thank you for sharing your wonderful images ….
Thank you, my friend!
Some people walk through this world heedless of the ripples that come out from them, some strong as tidal waves and changing the trajectory of the lives they touch. But we have agency to steer through those waves and perhaps even break cycles that have been holding people hostage too long. Our ability to create those ripples are no less powerful, and that is a hopeful thing.
Rommy, thank you for this very eloquent, wise and compassionate comment. It is much appreciated.