The world will come to an end tonight.
Not with comets slanting through the rafters,
Or tidal waves surging across the coast,
Or the braze of volcanoes, unsubmerged.
Not with the earth’s decimated orbit
Spiralling it into a strangled sun,
Not with the rush of spurious armies
Turning fallow the scope of mankind’s dreams.
But with the last of your kiss, fading
From the sepulchre of these lips: it ends.
And the night sky may as well be shattered,
And the sun never rise again, or set,
And the stars may as well burn to cinders,
For all the worth they are, when you are gone.
Short link - http://bit.ly/s4worldends
ReplyDeleteNailed it. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS!
ReplyDelete-Suze
this exactly describes something I've been thinking about
ReplyDeleteOh loss...
ReplyDeleteAh, the inconsolable depths of romantic desolation. "It's not the end of the world" they say, but as you have so adequately said here: it might as well be.
ReplyDeleteMy hat goes off to this bard!
Yes.
ReplyDeleteI liked this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWow, nothing like fresh stuff to read on a weekend.
ReplyDeleteLiked this a lot.
iwritemymindout.blogspot.com
Just beautiful; for those who have been there, the feelings that come with these written words ring o'so true.
ReplyDeleteGreat Poem with Awesome Imagery. Reminds me of my first and second & perhaps third "true" love....
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written and such a sad end, as sometimes we must face...with heartache.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant as always.
ReplyDeletePeople are always worried about all the natural disasters that may eventually destroy our planet. But you are correct in saying that the world dies as each person is lost or dies. And as we lose people -- especially those we love and cherish and are dear to us, we, too, die. Little by little. Until we, are completely lost. And eventually die. . . .
ReplyDeleteYou precisely described how I felt over the loss of a loved one...my description for it was that the earth tilted another inch but your words add color to the feeling.
ReplyDeleteWhile I love the imagery and phrases, it is the voice that strikes me. There is a mixed voice here. On one hand, the voice describes cataclysmic events , yet does so in a grocery-list, calm and collected way. And the emotion is still contained even in the last lines. A statement of fact. Yet, with the anchor-man announcement of the end of times- we, the readers, still feel the pain that is yours-- and ours.
ReplyDelete"And the stars may as well burn to cinders,"
ReplyDeleteIndeed, they do. That makes closing the door the easy part. It's the aftermath that never ends.
dang....you evoke some brutal feeling in this...though attributing it to the end of the world...it def feels like it...the loss....
ReplyDeleteThe antithesis of Shelley's sonnet
ReplyDelete"What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?" in modern dress.
Such a finely crafted write.
Sonnets do it best--even in couplets--these are breaths to the tune of love before the last trace of lips releases.
ReplyDeleteArticulated loss. Unequaled pain. Persistent tragedy. One may survive, but never entirely recover from star-crossed love. Beautifully stated, and painfully remembered by everyone who ever experienced it.
ReplyDeletehow profound you make this loss! stunning.
ReplyDeleteOh. My. God. I love this.
ReplyDeleteLoss of person is very shocking in a lot of ways; for one, one becomes conscious of one's own mortality - where the world really ends! Beautifully composed. k.
ReplyDeleteAll of this is a lyric and remorseless progression of loss that rings like a bell, but I especially found the second and fifth couplets remarkable for anchoring the piece, nailing it to the door, as it were. And it resonates.
ReplyDeleteI was just highlighting this as my favorite:
ReplyDelete"Not with the rush of spurious armies
Turning fallow the scope of mankind’s dreams"
... when I read the soft turn in the next couplet. Then I melted.
"But with the last of your kiss, fading
From the sepulchre of these lips: it ends."
Such an unexpected change in emotion and tone. This is incredibly effective.
A wonderful write, Sam. When you are gone..... Heart-rending.
ReplyDeleteAhhh...I know this feeling all too well. You've written all with such romance and eloquence Sam. Beautiful.
ReplyDeletethere are things that mean nothing any more once the one we love is gone...great write sam
ReplyDeleteThe universe is a tiny place after all.
ReplyDeleteNice premise, well-controlled and much enjoyed.
Better keep them close, for such a feeling is awful indeed.
ReplyDeleteAh! A sonnet written in iambic pentameter, Sam. (do correct me if I'm wrong about that) Clever your use of couplets. I almost did not catch that at first. I try to analyze your poems; something I do with all your work I read. Great musicians analyze other artists composed work. I remember my jazz piano teacher stressing to me the importance of that. Wonderful the discovery that comes from such examination. Oh, before I forget. I really liked this more down to earth poem from you (figuratively speaking). It reads gently and is soothing/pleasing to both inner and outer ear. Excellent, sir!
ReplyDeleteAn air of despair when she's gone, so poignantly written Sam!
ReplyDeleteHank
Gorgeous
ReplyDeletethis makes me fearful. powerful.
ReplyDeleteVery, very nice. The poem is dramatic. And the message sublime. Without comparison the best I have seen on internet.
ReplyDelete▌ AWE ▐
wow wow wow, how come I only just found out that you are famous! I saw your recent compliment on one of my blog posts and I feel so honored by it! Your work is incredible and you are an inspiration! Please come visit my blog any time...your comments mean the world to me-for a brooding poet like myself you sure can light up a day!
ReplyDeletewow. i love this poem, so romantic and spiritual.
ReplyDeletedivine work as always!! well done :)
ReplyDeleteI SO LOVE this poem. Yes! THIS is the way the world ends. Beautiful writing, Sam.
ReplyDelete