Outside my door
the roar of divine wind
like the of the blast wave from Hiroshima:
only another storm we made
It’s only another storm we made
a storm we made
in a teacup
only another prayer un-prayed
one huge, almighty fuck-up
If knowledge is power
to kill ourselves
who wants that kind of knowledge anyway?
You praise this new technology, I say
It’s only another storm we made
a storm we made, domestically
and foreign policy
is meaningless:
Just tell me that you love me
It’s only another storm we made
a red tide, or a plastic surge
think of the infinite that we contain
divinities of words:
A life this fragile, skin this thin
is only another storm we made
so pray the prayers as yet un-prayed
to the wild gods within
In times as dark as these, I raise
my voice in praise, and sing
© 2022 experimentsinfiction.com. All Rights Reserved.
Written for earthweal
This week, Sherry hosts the earthweal challenge, ‘Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.’ She discusses her difficulty dealing with the heartbreak of seeing the environment that she so dearly loves destroyed for short-term profit. With the rapidly-escalating situation in Ukraine, I feel that shit has just got serious very fast, but it was only a matter of time. I didn’t know if I’d be able to write anything with all of this going on, but then I heard this song. For as long as we can, let’s keep singing:
Experiments in Fiction 
a scary storm alright Ingrid so painfully true.
I so agree…
💖 “If knowledge is power
to kill ourselves
who wants that kind of knowledge anyway?
You praise this new technology, I say”
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I refuse to give in to fear though: I am sure Putin feeds on people’s fear!
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totally and I agree this heartless beast!
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💖
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Your last two lines are telling. Zero control. Often, singing is all we can do. It’s the reason I post all this dumb-ass crap on my blog.
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😅 we do what we can, with what we have!
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true, but we also realise that what we can do is negligible. For example, what did you or I do to prevent Ukraine? Nothing. ?Because we couldn’t.
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Could anybody? I mean, no-one should have the kind of power that Putin has…
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there you go. There’s another cause to fight for. By the time you get to my age you’ll have a million of them!
But you’re right. The general [rinciple is that too much power should not rest in the arms of a single person. So we need to think about every situation where that applies, not just Putin.
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Putin might be the last one we have to think about 🙄
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Meh… death is something that comes to us all, anyhow.
But until then I’m happy to imagine a world as it should be.
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Oh, I’m not afraid to die, though I’m in no hurry to, either! But I have young kids and I fear for their future.
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cross yopur fingers is all you can do.
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Yes, it is beyond my control
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In this Anthropocene, the great and terrible is truly that, and invocation of storms out of teacups while some place burns. Anger is certain and futile, but wildness of the heart is prayer and greater than every terrible wind — a scale greater than all that is feared and collapsing. Europe from your vantage is a much more agonized place than my benumbed and besotted Florida, so that wildness is even more precious in your song. Greater than its own drumbeat.
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All of a sudden, Europe is agonized: as in, overnight! I suppose that’s how these things happen…
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I love the rhythm here – it really is singable. If we could sing. The storm motif is great, conjuring nature, but also the violence of man, the blitzkrieg, Hiroshima. How did we get here?
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Exactly, Sarah, how? I wonder if it was always inevitable with our so called ‘higher’ intelligence…
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You keep the theme alive in this powerful poem. Love it.
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Thanks Hobbo! I was feeling a bit desperate, but, like my Grandma, have a song for everything…
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😂 Good for your gran!
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Very powerful, Ingrid. And your final couplet comes from and hits the heart–I feel the same way.
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Worrying times, Merril, but I’m trying not to worry, as it doesn’t really help!
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So true, Ingrid–and we have poetry as an outlet. 😊
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So pray the prayers unyet u prayed
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*Unprayed
Obvs
Is a great line
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Did I steal that from Cohen? I should really add a note if I did 😅
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I too find the last two lines resonating deeply. It reminds me of the old hymn, “How Can I Keep From singing?” How indeed. (K)
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Humanity does stir up a lot of storms. Great write and song by Dylan!
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Thanks Tricia 🙏😊
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I love the repetition in this poem and, especially, those two closing heart-lifting lines. Fantastic, Ingrid. The attack on the Ukraine is devastating – putin is a very scary dude. No soul at home in that body.
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Thank you, Sherry: I fear not! Maybe he will listen to his angry oligarchs…
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‘It’s only another storm we made
a red tide, or a plastic surge’ – how many ways can man destroy the planet? Sad and angry face.
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😡 I agree! Thanks for reading 🙏
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There will always be those who welcome a storm in order to have there way, so thank you for your final couplet.
“In times as dark as these, I raise
my voice in praise, and sing”
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Thank you Ken 🙏
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I loved your poetry, Ingrid! Especially the end: in times as dark as these, I raise
my voice in praise, and sing »
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Thank you!
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I enjoy your end note and linked music as much as this poem that rages and sings with its imagery into my heart!
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Thank you Jaya: I think that now more than ever, protest songs are needed!
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The repetition, the rhythm, the sentiment – all reaches deep into the heart. Beautiful poetry.
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Thank you so much 😊
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You are very welcome :)
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What a brave voice that sings at times like these. Your poem reminds of those souls who sing hymns when all hell breaks loose – holding onto faith despite the odds.
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Thank you Suzanne: trying to stay strong 🙏
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My, my, that’s one powerhouse of a poem, Ingrid; and, the ending is absolutely perfect. Amazing! 👏👏☺️
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Thank you Jeff! 🙏
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Just now, my neighbor, holding her baby in her arms, told me that her whole family lives in Ukraine, Her mother is in Kyiv. During our conversation, someone informed her that Russia was at that very moment bombing Kyiv.”Who wants that kind of knowledge anyway?”
Your powerful poem captures the many overwhelming feelings we are feeling right now.
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Thank you, Cheryl: I do hope your neighbour’s family is ok xx
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“. . . think of the infinite that we contain
divinities of words: . . . ” and of that–at least we can make a prayer, if not an other storm. Pow!
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I hope the former 🙏 thanks Susan!
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Such worrying times! We need more voices to sing songs of protest. Beautiful writing, Ingrid. ❤️
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Thank you Punam 🙏
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A powerful poem with a powerful finish. And yes – now is about the time to start praying those prayers unprayed. May we all breathe through these storms ahead.
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Thank you Lindi: I am trying 🙏
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