Poem: "Raising the Hero"

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here is the first of the poems sponsored from today's fishbowl, prompted by minor_architect & jolantru and sponsored by minor_architect. This one is a free-verse epic, about a sword intended to redeem someone -- not a sword for a hero, but a sword for making a hero out of a villain.

Raising the Hero

I see you standing there,
hesitating at the arch.
Come in, come in –
there is no one here
but the two of us.
Take the first step toward your future,
as you came here to do.

Did you think I would not notice?
Did you think I could not see?
Come closer, lad,
and look at me –
these two chrysoberyls in my quillions
give vision.

I have seen you long since.
I have been watching you.
I have seen you press the torch to the thatch
and raid by the light of its flames.
I have seen you steal jam from the kitchen
and gems from the smashed chest.
I have seen you put that wicked little knife
into fleeing backs and laugh.
Come now, don’t blush for shame –
the past is past.

The evil deeds you have done
weigh on your soul like stones.
Come into the light of this holy place
and set them aside.
I know, I know –
they are heavy things,
and you do not wish to be seen
in all your darkness.
Let me tell you,
there is a place in your soul
that will shine if only you let it.
Just take the next step.
Come into the light.

Do not demur –
Do not try to deny me,
saying that you are no hero
and not fit for a sword like myself.
I know what you are,
and what you are not,
and what you could become.
It is my nature to know these things,
to know your nature
better than you know yourself.
Come to me,
and I will show you
how to be a hero.

I was not made
for the white hand untouched by blood.
I was not made
for the swan-souled saints.
I was not made
for paladins gilded with pride and purity.
Come here,
and I will tell you the truth of it:
I was made
for such as yourself,
for the hand red with blood and weary of it,
for the heart to bring light out of darkness –
for only you have the strength
to do what must be done.

You are so close.
Come on, touch me
and know that I speak the truth.
Feel how my hilt fits your hand,
how your heart fills with hope
when you look at the light
sliding down the length of my blade.
See how my stone eyes shine for you –
envision all that lies ahead.

Come, raise me up
and I will do the same for you.

Comments

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Great stuff. I like the sword's voice. :)

Excellent!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

The sword's voice has to carry the piece, has to be good enough to believe it would lure the villain into the light. I'm glad it worked for you.

[je-reviens.livejournal.com]

VERY cool!

I have an entry up now about sexism in grad school -- would love your thoughts.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked this.

I've read your entry about sexism. Things like that contributed to my tendency to respond to men's verbal football with a verbal hockey stick. I've left a comment on your blog. Your personality differs from mine, so ... your mileage may vary when it comes to deciding what to do.

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

I was made
for such as yourself,
for the hand red with blood and weary of it,
for the heart to bring light out of darkness –
for only you have the strength
to do what must be done.

I love this part especially.

Most awesome. :)

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you like it.

For some tasks, you need a fine unsullied hero. For other tasks, you need someone made of sterner stuff. I've always been fond of redemption stories.

[ladyqkat.livejournal.com]

This poem brings intriguing images to my mind and seems to want to evoke a tale. Now my backbrain is going to percolate on it for some time. I don't know whether to be pleased or annoyed. I alread have three stories I'm working on. *sigh*

*laugh*

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I know how that goes. Characters can be as pesky as mosquitoes, sometimes. (To which Jenan replies, "Yes, but dealing with a writer is like having a baby alligator embed its teeth in your butt. You never see one coming until it's too late.")

Anyway, have fun mulling over the possible ideas.

[dulcinbradbury.livejournal.com]

Love this. :)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

You know I collect poems of inspiration. This is *so* going in that file.

[thnidu.livejournal.com]

browngirl pointed me to this. And as I read it, I was saying "oh-h-h-h-h, oh-h-h-h-h" under my breath with a tremor in it, and shaking a little.

*hugs*

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I am glad you found this so touching.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I knew that you liked inspirational poetry, didn't realize you collected it so avidly.

I write a lot of inspirational pieces. You should see some of my desert poetry. Or the ones about Death. Or some of the Zen haiku.

[jenny_evergreen]

This one is really fantastic. No pun intended! :)

There's a story that could come from this, too.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, sometimes I get story ideas from poetry. I have a few matched pairs, notably "Peacock Hour" and "Goldenthread," that exist in both fiction and poetry forms.

[puffbird.livejournal.com]

Much love for this one. Well written.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Feedback is candy.

[archangelbeth]

Ahh, and this certainly speaks to the cracked RP character who lives in my head. (Though the only innocent she has ever deliberately destroyed is herself, because hey, survivor's guilt and vigilantism go together like green eggs and ham, y'know?)

*laugh*

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Cracked characters can be such fun, from a safe distance.