The Pole

author's note:

To be clear: that’s not stack of pineapples in the picture above.


THE POLE

When I found the pole
lying on the ground
at once I sensed its strength.

So I put the pole in the center
of my humble dwelling--

not to hold the ceiling up
but to hold me up:

whenever uncertainty
possessed my mind and body
I would grab onto the pole
and find security as I embraced
its smooth solid natural wood.

Sometimes during a storm
the roof would shake
and then the pole would slip.

But I’d simply pick it back up
and again feel safe.

Alas, when I was forced
out of my house
I had to leave the pole behind.
However, now as a nomad
I sit down by the campfire at night
and stick a twig in the ground
then tell myself: here is the pole.
By focusing
I regain that feeling of stability.

If they catch me--
if they beat me--
if they stand me
in front of a firing squad
I’ll take hold of the pole in my heart
and feel the fortitude to face all.

Some will surely say:
the pole I’ve found
is really just my own inner strength.

Maybe so, however
I never found that strength
until I found
the pole.

mythsteps · The Pole

Common Courage: poetry book
dream steps blog
myth steps blog
you tube channel
© 2023, Michael R. Patton