Down a River of Words: A Poetry Collection

The Well

At creation's foundation,

the birth of matter and sound,

when gifts were given to man and woman,

both material and unseen

A well was dug.

Deep into the recesses of the crystalized wonder,

the divine hand graciously carved out

this well, and let the mortal soul drink deeply of what

lay within.

For good or ill,

He let them use it.

The well was not covered,

and it never ran dry.

And scores came,

and drew out the contents

and crafted their melodies.

With hands of all sizes, hues and textures,

they wrote their lyrics.

With mouths that held voices both sweet and coarse....

...They sang.

I hear the echoes of my heart say:

What is it,

then,

my king,

What is it that I hear?

For that was then,

and this is now,

and still, I hear them

in the darkness...

They did not create,

that beauty in the well,

that place of sound and tune and word,

and still, they draw daily,

as if by their own strength...

The prophet replies,

Indeed, it is not the art that

brings good or evil,

but the intent for which it is created.

Melodies spun for the betterment of others

are sweet indeed,

but those brewed for only self-gain are

putrid at the core.

The Ages go by, and

they continue to sing.

They craft songs for many reasons.

Some to woo others, some to gain riches, some to express joy, many to show sadness, display their anger, and many, many more for the sake of love.

Some simply to make a living,

and some just for the fun of it.

They sing to teach, to spread ideas, to encourage, to celebrate, to move others to action.

Some know its power.

For the Divine Hand did not hold

back when the well was crafted.

The melodies act as the vehicle to bring words

straight to the center of human emotion.

The woman or man gifted with the power

of song is not only accountable for his or her own self, but

also bears responsibility for all who take in their song through the ear, and into their soul.

The children hear, and they listen, and they learn.

They learn for good

they learn for ill.

Woe to the one who willfully leads them astray by folly's tune.

Remember the millstone from scriptures truth.

The words of acid accompanied by a recipe to create gold at the destruction of others is a cause for sorrow.

But amidst the chaos and cacophony of selfish sound, I hear it still: a beautiful tune, with the voices of those who sing to help make the world a better place

To soothe the burning heart with a comforting wind of a song.

Calm the nervous spirit with a river of poetic, life-giving lyrics.

Comfort the stressed mind with the soft rain of meaningful tempo.

It is here for a reason,

and it is powerful.

It can cause the masses to turn their heads in thought, and change their lives for the better.

Or, it could direct people to walk off a cliff together, and plummet towards the rocks below.

It grabs the emotion,

commands attention,

causes people to define themselves by it.

It can make the world a sweeter place, if hands and hearts and minds reach into this God-given well, and find the music,

craft it with a Smith's Hammer of the mind,

with right intentions

and powerful results.

Hear the prophet say:

At the beginning of time,

and also at the end,

the Song of the Ages

is hear for the ears

of all who wish to

let it flow into

them.

And then, with true

inspiration,

let it flow forth

out of them

and renew all

who accept it.