“So young lady you ask what will happen when the world ends?”
“Just thought you might know, you are very old, have the longest white beard, live in a cave, have a magic wand and keep a pet owl after all…and anyway Gawain suggested I visit, he says you are both sage and magician”
“Gawain you say…fine fellow by all accounts. True, I do have a reputation in these parts…indeed many think me a wizard yet I’m not all that clever. But yes I can help, I do know what happens come the end. Listen up though for first you must understand some basics before you progress to the spark of magic”
“I’m all ears”
Positive and negative
good and bad
birth and death
north and south
beginning and end
the constant theme
of all things
all in equal measure
all in a universe
of organic construction
infinite
in space and time
In order to know
benevolence
one must first
have witnessed
the malicious
or vice versa
one thing
cannot be envisaged
without the other
We have evolved
a conscious mind
to ordain such things
All the stars
you see in the heavens
seek to spread out
yet will one day
weaken and wither
become what they once were
a nothing
crushed to the size
of a tiny pinhead
every species
that has evolved
will be no more
all history seemingly lost
In this present moment
the act of coition
ensures survival
and will do so until
our forlorn fatigue
determines otherwise
Despite
best endeavours
of the fittest
it is all over and done with
yet ends inevitably
follow beginnings
beginnings follow ends
everything sucked back
into the blackness
from whence it came
then there be renewal
one giant orgasm
the promiscuous coupling of
two intergalactic ‘things’
detritus be creations sperm
newly formed planets be the eggs
one seed gets lucky
billions of its comrades
now just lifeless fragments
become the dross of the void
The realm of infinity
cannot be understood
until we know
this ‘vice versa’
Our corpse of being
will turn into fertile
carbon dust
materialising as
brand new concoctions
wholly bacterial at first
yet living things nevertheless
THEN THERE IS MAGIC
“What magic?”
“That which make us cognizant of all around us…nothing can exist until that spell is caste”
“Oh I see, or at least I think I do…anyway you said all history will be seemingly lost forever! Doesn’t that make everything that has happened pointless?”
“Not at all my dear, not at all…’everything that has happened’ as you put it will, no matter how important or insignificant, even you and your own memories, always and forever be there, locked in its own particle of time”
“Particle of time? You must tell me more”
“One day yet not right now. I sense Ambrose is pining for rodents”
“Ambrose does look a very wise owl”
“Believe me he is”
- MIKE STEEDEN - 
Ambrose is a very fine name for an owl. Great piece.
Thank you…Ambrose, legend has it was the name of Merlin’s very own owl as it happens!
I thought it was Bob, but then I’m behind on my Arthurian lore.
Bob the Owl of Camelot! Maybe that was the owl of Jack & Jaqueline?
No, that was Marilyn. 😉
Just noticed the words I typed to go with my last comment didn’t come out???? Meant to say the Kennedy (boy does the world need a Kennedy now) and the Camelot/Owl thread reminded me of this songwriter…sorry about that!
You’re a wise man Mike and even better poet! I Love and admire this unique and remarkable poetry!
Very kind of you yet I am more fool than wise man…my thanks once more
To be light of touch and profound is a gift and you have it sir 🙂
Ah, I really should have guessed … Mikesteeden the Magician.
I think the universe breathes …. in, out, in, out …. each breath it takes taking so many billions of years in our pathetic excuse for time. But what is it breathing ? O, and that singularity thing doesn’t help. Yes … magic is needed. Have a great week, Sir.
Cheers. Have a great week yourself…just trust it stops raining here in Hellfire Corner a place where the wretched National Front caused all manner of trouble just yesterday
ah, my dear friend, you have created here nothing less than a masterpiece – this is poetry as it was intended – a conceptual verse for the ages – and it is irrefutable evidence that you are of Merlin’s own bloodline
Cheers Paul. Often wonder if a Merlin existed…there is some tenuous evidence further back than Thomas Malory’s take on events yet guess we’ll never know
of course he existed
https://senchus.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/did-merlin-really-exist/
Cheers Paul…a fascinating link to read to start my day
Brilliantly sewn into poetry.
Sincere thanks for both reading and commenting…best of good fortune to you
You too 🙂
Splendid!
I enjoyed it without measure … thank you.
Thank you
I’m grateful to Paul L for reblogging your verse . . . Truly exceptional writing here, and that out of an extraordinary imagination . . . You just gained a follower, for what it’s worth . . . Blessings!
Cheers. Been following you for a while and count you as an exceptional poet of the old, most excellent order of poets Sir
I strangely feel as if I have purpose in the world…yet what that purpose is, I have no idea…
Snap young Marissa
You have expressed The Reconciliation of Opposites in poetry. Bravo!
My thanks for reading and your comment has rather made my day. Cheers.
Reblogged this on ldbush21.
Of course there is magic. You have it too x
Sadly my lottery winning spell let me own
HUH!! But you know don’t let it stop you. Just buy a ticket, shove it in the wash..
Talking of ‘the wash’ I’m afraid my wife has an overflowing laundry basket to greet her upon returning from a chums house when she arrives back this very morn…oops!
Just the ticket Mike x
Brain hurts this day…almost had a gal falling in love with an Invisible Mute…took me hours yet upon re-reading aborted the mission. I really don’t know how you keep so exquisitely positive…plus The Arsenal haven’t signed anyone on transfer deadline day!
I keep positive cos today earlier I read some wonderful poetry….. I wonder who by ?
Operation Stack sent a million lorries down the road I live on last night (instead of the M20). It was thus that sleep eluded me…the bonus? Sorted out the word jigsaw I was stuck with…all I need now is a half decent kip of positivity!
Aye…you get nights like that Mike where you just want a mallet for the beleaguered brain. But it always sorts. Gonna be blogging that stuff soon x
Well quite the weirdest poem’ish sort of thing I’ve written…has Shirl’s seal of approval so may run with it later…all because you told me to keep the rigid digit off the delete button. I’ll find out if that was a good idea later!
COWERS …
I should be able to say more than, “Wow” after reading this. I don’t know if you need anything added anyway. Amazing astral awareness in this – I got something out I guess. And maybe I can add that I read this several times over, which I don’t normally do with poems. Even Plath’s sometimes.
Um … please write another like this someday? Ambrose included of course 🙂 But no pressure! (And if you have already done things similar would you mind linking them to me? I would seriously be appreciative) But no pressure!
That you took time out to read I thank you…I have a number of mind wandering poems about the blog, some hit the spot, others sadly don’t. I did knock out a book of poetry a couple of months ago and one reviewer did rather like;
https://mikesteeden.wordpress.com/2014/12/26/the-man-in-the-breton-shirt/
Regardless, my thanks again
Yeah, I remember this poem. I almost tried to like it again! Where could I find your book? That would be awesome to buy! I try to find time to read more of your prose stuff, but I’m partial to poetry, I’m sure you’ve noticed that…Thanks for linking this, it’s another one of your masterpieces!
My thanks for reading. My book on Amazon & Kindle is at;
Odd thing is writing, sure you feel the same sometimes…at least I hope I’m not alone in this for this day I have penned a mass of words yet deleted the lot…a wasted day. Notwithstanding, my thanks again
Deletion often happens, but I’m trying to do that less. What’s broken can be a lesson. Quick glimpses into a void can give way in how to fill those holes. But without what seems empty, maybe we don’t know what’s fulfilling?
I guess I’m saying, any word or word-string can mean anything in any moment, and can made into anything in any moment. My garbage is put in gold trashcans, because it deserves something too, and that fine outlining makes it shiny enough to want to check into sometimes.
I appreciate you showing me how to buy your book! And this random thought (advice?) thingy that happened 🙂
What fine words you say here…a lesson for this old fool. My thanks
This is absolutely brilliant and profound.
I like the style of writing.
Thank you…appreciated
I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. of course you’re under no obligation to accept. I’m not even sure why I did this time! Here’s the link:
http://nananoyz5forme.com/2016/02/01/one-lovely-blog/
Fascinating excellence. What a Wow! You have gained a new follower.
My thanks
So glad Paul reblogged this. Magic makes my day, especially when woven so finely.
So glad you read it…my sincere thanks
More than welcome, Mike. I’ve read a lot of your thoughtful comments on Paul’s posts and should have popped in before now. Very pleased I did. Hope you have a great day.
Have the most splendid day yourself
Perfect, is all I can say. Simply, perfect.
Cheers Jack
Reblogged this on lifehomeandaway and commented:
I keep coming back to this poem.
I hope you love it as much as I do.
Thank you…means a lot
You’re welcome. It’s an interesting read.
It is kind of brilliant, I sank into the poetry – like a saucer of milk – for my feet, I mean. But, however you did use the word ‘detritus’ which is wrong, as in ‘tendrils,’ or ‘marionette,’ – co-offenders to decency. Remember, I love the poem/piece but I don’t like detritus.
Ten Drills? Was he not a native American once in the employ of the Kray’s? Marion Ette of course had a preference for Twix over Mars I also recall.
I agree about Ambrose–perfect name for an owl.
That said, after all that you’ve said on my “Markers,” I think you’re right–this is a sweet yet strong example of where you’re coming from, I think. All is not simply lost to time, nor does everything end so much as begin again. May I dare say that you and I both see death as but a chapter break in this eternal book? 🙂 I dig the brevity of the lines, too–the words themselves acquire more power that way, always on the cusp of a line break. Lovely work, my friend. Xxxx
Legend has it that Merlin’s owl was indeed named Ambrose…a fine name, I must agree. And yes, if you consider no matter how long one lives for, be it an hour, or 100 years we are, and always will be alive in our own particle of time. In that way, notwithstanding the carbon dust of cosmic storms we shall all one day become, we exist forever within times particles. It is thus, albeit from different directions we have that common ground re death! Hope that makes sense. I really should be working on this book thing I’m trying to write yet keep knocking out bits and pieces instead…daft old brain does what it wants. Have a splendid day.
LOL, yes, there’s only so much we can do to reign these noggins in. You do make sense, at least in this midafternoon after nearly two pots of coffee while the air is filled with Canadian television because apparently, Canadian television is the best kind to my yungins. 🙂 A splendid day to you as well!
Just think, when we eventually can travel beyond the speed of light it will be possible (proven, Einstein) to travel back and meet up with those now dead…I find it the most exciting take on anything there is…we always life in the particle of time.