“Clarity”

On By Mike U.In Poetry

“Clarity”
(c) 2024 by Michael L. Utley

in my twilight world the seasons blur
snow on flowers, freezing summer rain
I seek clarity

dim uncertainty
gloaming settles on this silent vale
neither night nor day exists for me

in the mist beyond the frozen stream
yurei whisper in the burning woods
Yomi’s fey lament

nowhere left to go
hesitance and indecisiveness
stranded on the threshold of the fates

in the heavens moon eclipses sun
as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
fervently pursues

Amaterasu
fulfilling his futile destiny
casting earth below in shadow gloom

machinations of the earth obscure
as this spinning orb succumbs to guile
in its rayless fugue

and all eyes fall, dazed
as the haze of chaos binds and blinds
my discernment crumbles into dust

truth has lost its glimmer and its sheen
pyrite baubles magnified as gold
in one hand a rose

in the other hand
a dagger; the heart of man depraved
confusion’s inferno conflagrates

forests turn to ash, and ash to snow
bitter flakes descend upon the tomb
of veracity

cloak in acrid pall
verity’s forlorn sarcophagus
candor’s mere slowly evaporates

I can’t tell the darkness from the light
hope, despair—awareness betrays me
every day the scale

of acumen fails
there is naught left but to close my eyes
and weep for lucidity’s demise

57 thoughts on ““Clarity””

    1. Thanks, Iseult. I liked this particular line, too. I was going for conflicting imagery, opposition, and confusion in this piece, anything that blurs lucidity and discernment. Glad you enjoyed this one, my friend. I appreciate you. 😊

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  2. I like the line about forests turning to ash and ash to snow, as well. And these “truth has lost its glimmer and its sheen
    pyrite baubles magnified as gold
    in one hand a rose”

    That is my favorite stanza. I love how it sounds, and I’m probably biased because I love pyrite.

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    1. Thanks, Melissa. When I was a kid, my mom had a couple of pieces of pyrite in a bureau drawer and I remember thinking how cool it was to have these heavy chunks of gold, you know? And then I learned it was just fool’s gold. There’s so much fool’s gold in this country (and world) right now. So many lies, so much confusion, a distrust of actual factual truth. I couldn’t help but to be reminded of those pieces of fool’s gold. 

      I appreciate your kind words, and thanks a bunch for stopping by. 😊

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      1. You are very welcome. I agree there are a lot of messed up things happening, as always. Gold brings to mind these verses, among others: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.“
        ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬

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    1. Thanks, David. I truly appreciate it. I’ve been utilizing my “haiku trick” recently to break through writer’s block, using my own haiku and senryu as inspiration for longer poems. The haiku which inspired this poem spoke of confusion, conflict and contrast, so I ran with it. This world is rife with lies, propaganda and conspiracy theories and an abandonment of factual truth. I really enjoyed using startling imagery to describe how the world feels to me at this late date. 

      Thanks as always for your kind support, good sir. I’m always interested in hearing your unique and informed insights. Glad this one connected with you. 😊

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    1. Thanks, Layla. It’s a worrisome time right now, fraught with uncertainty and feelings of impending doom. I’m an old dude now and I don’t remember ever feeling the kind of pervasive fear I sense now. We need clarity, and hopefully lucidity has not forgotten us.

      I always appreciate your thoughtful comments. It’s a pleasure to have to stop by, my friend. 😊

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    1. Thanks so much, Kirsten. ”Existential”–you nailed it. It truly is an existential fear I was attempting to portray, a world eclipsed by confusion and uncertainty, a sense of impending doom, and a feeling of futility as we try to stave off the darkness up ahead. Happy to know this one resonated with you. It’s always a pleasure to have you visit, my friend. I appreciate you. 😊

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  9. Oh, Mike. This seems very different. Very different than most or maybe all of your pieces I’ve read thus far. I have many favorite sections in this piece, but I’ll get to the point and choose my favorite.

    “and all eyes fall, dazed
    as the haze of chaos binds and blinds
    my discernment crumbles into dust”

    This! This, I love this. The emotional imagery, the detail of a fallen face in words. I can imagine the body language at certain mental defeat of some sort. I enjoy this, very much. I love your wordplay. It flows so evenly, but bouncing off in broken rhythm, really added something to it, some layers of definition to “my discernment crumbles into dust” like a drop static beat and a half in a song. The contrast, almost like a juxtaposition in “snow on flowers, freezing summer rain.” Like the whole world is upside down, and mix-matched. Yet, presented so thoughtfully, it took me a moment as a reader to catch the tone and follow through – I had to go back and read it again!! Many times, interesting.

    The last stanza. No words, but magnifique🤌
    What a closer, indeed!

    Very powerful stuff, my friend. Very inspired. 😌

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    1. Thanks, Sam. Here’s the original inspiration I posted in Nov. 2021:

      (#72)

      Seasons’ edges blurred
      Snow on flowers, freezing rain
      I seek clarity

      The juxtapositions and conflicting imagery stood out to me, so I altered the piece a bit, decided on a simple 9-9-5 / 5-9-9 alternating syllabic count to give it a unique flow (casual, that is–the flow drifts in certain places) and tried to convey the feeling of lucidity’s demise in a world of lies and conspiracy theories. I sought to paint contrast everywhere possible to portray confusion. I particularly enjoyed learning a bit of Japanese mythology for the eclipse section. The stanza you mentioned was a lot of fun to write. I love the choppiness of the first line, and the repetition of long vowel sounds in the first and second lines (it’s just sort of delightful to read back to myself). It adds texture to the lines, like mackerel-scale clouds in a sunrise sky. My imagination goes to some very dark places sometimes, and as this one progressed, it became more bleak and hopeless…which was exactly my intent. The ending rhyming couplet was incidental–the words just fit together nicely. 

      I’m glad this one spoke to you, Sam. Thanks for your in-depth appraisal and kind words, my friend. I appreciate you. 😊 And thanks for stopping by! 😃

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  10. rajkkhoja's avatar rajkkhoja

    “can’t tell the darkness from the light hope, despair—awareness betrays me every day the scale”!

    What a great title of Clarity . Indded & sounded words use in poem.

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  11. Mike, I feel privileged to have spent time with your poem today. Every stanza its own story with vivid imagery. A speaker trying to make sense of the disorder that surrounds. A poetic rebel with the voice of reason. 👏🏻

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    1. Thanks so much, Michele. ”A poetic rebel with the voice of reason…” I like that! It’s a difficult time these days, trying to wade through the confusion to find the truth. It’s easy to just go along with the conspiracy theories and propaganda–it takes pretty much zero effort to go with the muddy flow of misinformation and fear-mongering. 

      Your warm comments and thoughtful insights are refreshing and mean a lot to me, my friend. I appreciate you, Michele. Thanks as always for visiting. It’s always a pleasure to see you here. 😊

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  13. Beautiful poetry, Mike. This one was a complex read with the contrasting imagery, and I got a sense of drifting confusion/searching/disorientation in a world without a solid place to land (hopefully that makes sense). The quest for truth occurs on multiple levels, and it’s not easy for us to find. 

    I had to look up the Japanese/Shinto mythologies, which was an interesting parallel “search for the truth” in the poem. You may not have intended that, but I liked that it took a bit of extra effort to understand the full meaning. If only the world would look a deeper. Well done, my friend.

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    1. Thanks so much, Diana. My aim here was to paint a picture of confusion, disorientation and mistrust of all things, and in particular our search for truth (and honestly, current American politics played a HUGE role in the inspiration for this poem). I used conflicting imagery whenever I could to throw the reader off-balance and imply a sense of disillusionment. 

      When I began the eclipse section, I was going for that weird sensation of nighttime-in-the-middle-of-the-day. Being as I love and respect Japanese culture so much (and wanted to offer a bit of tribute), I did a little digging to learn about the sun and moon in Japanese mythology. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the futile destiny of Tsukuyomi and his eternal chasing of his sister/wife Amaterasu. That was a happy coincidence as far as fitting into the overall meaning of my poem. The idea of being separated from something and spending eternity trying to attain it is sort of a universal concept. Even during an eclipse, when Tsukuyomi is so close to Amaterasu, he still can’t reach her, and the fruitless pursuit continues, with Tsukuyomi remaining in the dark, separated from what he seeks in the light. 

      The search for truth can also mean one’s own journey of seeking meaning in one’s own life, which brings me to a brief, boring and sort of silly anecdote that ties my own life into this notion. Many years ago, I worked in a Circle K convenience store in Farmington, New Mexico. During one lonely graveyard shift, a guy came in and we started talking about serious stuff. I remember telling him, “I’m searching for meaning in life…” So profound for a 20-something convenience store worker at 2:00 a.m. in some out-of-the-way random place in the desert–it’s like something you’d see in Kevin Smith’s cult-classic movie Clerks. 🤣 

      Anyway, the Japanese mythology/Shinto parallels were serendipitous occurrences that lent their coincidental meaning to this poem and, I hope, made for a deeper overall reading experience. 

      I truly appreciate your deep and thoughtful comments, my friend. Thanks for your kind support. I’m always happy to see you stop by. 😊

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      1. I can relate to your feelings about US politics. The gaslighting and lack of critical thinking is frightening. Some nights it keeps me up!

        Thanks for explaining more about the legend of Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu. The futility makes for such a sad story. And a perfect metaphor for the endless search for oneself. I’m still looking too and hope that it translates into growth.

        Thanks for the wonderful poem and reply, my friend. ❤

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    1. Thank you, Cindy. It’s a confusing and dangerous time, indeed. Here’s hoping clarity prevails before we lose everything we’ve fought so hard to keep. I appreciate you, dear friend. 😊

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  15. Brilliant use of metaphors, Mike. The imagery and the overall atmosphere of the poem are chilling, melancholic, but incredibly powerful. I find the last line to be hauntingly relatable.✨️

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    1. Thank you kindly, Aaysid. That last line…yep, it’s sadly pertinent to today’s world. I’m glad to know this one spoke to you, even though it’s such a somber poem. I always appreciate you, my friend, and it’s good to see you stop by. 😊

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  16. Wow… What a journey you’ve taken me on in the poem Mikey. God have mercy, you have been blessed with an incredible gift…

    “nowhere left to go
    hesitance and indecisiveness
    stranded on the threshold of the fates”

    That line just identified me in the lineup. Love how you just weave these opposing thoughts, inviting me to this inner debate between the forces in my head
    This is very “invasive” or mental voyeurism lol…. And I love it.
    Fantastic stuff my brother.
    As always, I’m finally catching up on my reading. This has been the highlight of my morning. 👏👏

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    1. Thanks, Nigel. Your comments are always so enthusiastic and thoughtful. Truly grateful for your kind appraisals. I had to grin when you said, “That line just identified me in the lineup…” That imagery! 😄 Only a superb writer with a quick wit could muster something like that! 

      Thanks, man. I appreciate your friendship and support. It’s a joy interacting with you, my friend. *tips cap* 😊

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  17. Dearest Mike, this is a piece that is so deserving of many readings. There is so much vividness and so much mournfulness weaved into the lines of this forecasting of the unimaginable things to come in the future of our world. 

    “machinations of the earth obscure
    as this spinning orb succumbs to guile
    in its rayless fugue

    and all eyes fall, dazed
    as the haze of chaos binds and blinds
    my discernment crumbles into dust”

    Your writing in this piece seems divergent and I love this style as well. You are full of wonderful surprises Mike. This piece should be in the pages of a great book somewhere on many shelves. 

    There is also so much truth in this amazing piece of writing. The world is in chaos and it is hard to find the light among the shadowiness. Lies are indeed all around us and it is difficult to not feel like we are all standing on the “threshold” of something sinister. 

    What a great piece of writing Mike and what a treat. Thank you for sharing this piece with us and I am sending you the biggest southern hug and my love, wrapped in a silk package, made from the finest silk that comes from lilly pads, harvested, which is also becoming a lost art. Inside are lightning bugs that never lose their luminescence. They are there to remind all of the special humans in this world, whom I hold a special love for, who always will bring their light to us. Blessings my friend. 

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    1. Thanks, Joni. You’re so kind, my friend. It’s sort of coincidental when you said this piece feels “divergent” from my regular writing because another friend mentioned something similar. I just turn on the tap and let the water flow, you know? I definitely aspire to broaden my scope as a poet. This one does feel a bit different, however. I really enjoyed writing it, especially delving into Japanese mythology to learn about the sun and moon gods, which serendipitously fit right into what I was trying to portray (the endless, futile search for something one can never attain). I tend to write the best when I’m writing about somber, melancholic, sorrowful themes (I just don’t enjoy writing happy material as it seems inauthentic to me), so this poem flowed and I rode along with it. I rely heavily on vivid imagery and I was continuously bombarded with examples of opposing themes to describe the chaos and confusion brought forth by constant lies, propaganda and conspiracy theories. At some point, no one will be able to trust anything at all anymore, and all will be lost. 

      As I noted in the comments, this one was inspired by one of my own haiku. It’s amazing how much a tiny three-line verse can spawn when restraints are removed.

      Anyway, I appreciate your always profound and supportive comments, Joni. I look forward to your appraisals of my poems because I know you’ll understand on a deeper level what I’m trying to say. Thanks for stopping by today, my friend. 😊

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  18. I loved you writing in this style Mike, it was so natural and so incredibly compelling. Perhaps it is because I actually agree with your summation of what is going on in our world and to voice such a beautiful piece around that sense of “the unknown,” was brilliant. Have an amazing day my dear friend. 🌹

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  20. Mike, wow! Such a beautifully crafted poem! As always rich imagery and rhythm. Word choices that tease and teach ( I enjoyed looking up the Japanese gods and their roles). Your poems don’t just entertain, they force us to feel and engage. Great work!

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    1. Thanks so much, Peggy. I’m delighted to hear you dug around a bit to learn more about Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu. I was fascinated by their story and it fit right in with what I was trying to say. You’re always so kind with your reviews and I sincerely appreciate it. I’m always happy to see you stop by, my friend. Here’s wishing you a good week ahead. 😊

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