Absences Poem by Dom Moraes

Absences

Rating: 4.4


Smear out the last star.
No lights from the islands
Or hills. In the great square
The prolonged vowel of silence
Makes itself plainly heard
Round the ghost of a headland
Clouds, leaves, shreds of bird
Eddy, hindering the wind.

No vigils left to keep.
No enemies left to slaughter.
The rough roofs of the slopes,
Loosely thatched with splayed water,
Only shelter microliths and fossils.
Unwatched, the rainbows build
On the architraves of hills.
No wounds left to be healed.

Nobody left to be beautiful.
No polyp admiral to sip
Blood and whiskey from a skull
While fingering his warships.
Terrible relics, by tiderace
Untouched, the stromalites breathe.
Bubbles plop on the surface,
Disturbing the balance of death.

No sound would be heard if
So much silence was not heard.
Clouds scuff like sheep on the cliff.
The echoes of stones are restored.
No longer any foreshore
Or any abyss, this
World only held together
By its variety of absences.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Michelle Claus 17 April 2014

Like SNOW by Archibald Lampman, ABSENCES by Dom Moraes renders me solemn - in the way of truth, not mere sadness. Like a painter, Moraes imbues each line with crisp, dimensional description. I so admire his mastery of our language and the stark beauty of this poem.... the stromalites breathe...

2 1 Reply
Leesaan Robertson 17 April 2014

This poem is beautiful and very creative.

1 1 Reply
Hardik Vaidya 17 April 2013

I am awed, amazed, and so inspired to read this Masterpeice by Dom Moraes. The last two lines which are an epitome of the poem are also an epitome of perhaps the central seed of all human Philosphy. Individuality powers creativity and the difference stems from the absence of different strengths in each of us. A different way of saying presence of different strengths in each one of us. What a master craftsman.

2 0 Reply
Ramesh T A 17 April 2013

Looks to be suitable for the present world to make a note of this poem! Wars are of no use as they have become old fashioned!

1 0 Reply

A pessimistic poem but lot of fine lines and beautifully created poem in such a good poem.

0 0 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 03 July 2020

" No wounds left to heal" . A well deserved modern poem of the day.

0 0 Reply
Mahtab Bangalee 03 July 2020

the last stari Smeared out ..No vigils left to keep. No enemies left to slaughter. ....No vigils left to keep. No enemies left to slaughter. .....Nobody left to be beautiful. No polyp admiral to sip ....No sound would be heard if So much silence was not heard.... ...cause of absence allover there ....imperceptible... Shapeless.....feelings

0 1 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 03 July 2020

No sound would be heard if So much silence was not heard. Clouds scuff like sheep on the cliff. Very good poem indeed. tony

0 0 Reply
Dr Antony Theodore 03 July 2020

No vigils left to keep. No enemies left to slaughter. The rough roofs of the slopes, Loosely thatched with splayed water, Very fine poem. tony

0 0 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 03 July 2020

The rough roofs of the slopes! ! Unwatched, Unwashed; Death! ! ! ! Blood and whisky from a skull. . Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

0 0 Reply
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Dom Moraes

Dom Moraes

Mumbai / India
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