Dancing above Diffidence

[Sury]

Sand dunes
All around me
As I sit, mesmerised
Gazing at the
Wondrous waves
Dancing about with a kind of
Patriotic poise
I watch
As the prevailing wind
Streams through the air
Like a swift serpent
Spirited, strong
As though boldly acting
Upon a difficult mission.
Cotton candy aspirations
Determination
Melt away as
The heavens split open
Pellets of oxygen and hydrogen
Intertwined
Heavy teardrops
Roll down Earth
A tantrum from above
Tempting the waves
To grow wilder, stronger
A vigorous dance
Like a heart on fire
Battling for the last threads
Of conviction, courage, resolve
But insecurity
Is powerful and restricting
Drowning dreams
Pulling down ambitions
A ferocious current
Dragging all desires
Down, down, down
Into the depths of the
Stormy sea
To a place
Where futures cease
To exist
Like a flopped cake
A miserable combination
Of talent and diffidence
Where the will is not a way
And self-worth
Is but a crumb.
When all at once
The heaven stops to cry
Leaving a blotchy grey canvas
And a burst of sunlight
Shoots through the clouds
Shimmering in the sky
Embracing the world
With warm arms
The sea sparkles
Gliding and pirouetting
Rising and falling
In confident motion
Unfazed by the downfall
Of the waves
Only rising up again
Mightier and taller
Than before
A powerful blend
Of ability and self-assurance
Faith and gratitude.
As the sun saturates the world
In warmth
I gaze
Into a bright future
Of prospects
Success
A passionate dance
To rise above
My humble heart
To a place of belief
In Hashem
In myself
To enlighten the universe
With the gifts
Hashem blessed me

[riva pomerantz]

Wow! This is not just a poem, Sury; it is an odyssey, a journey into Self and so artfully done. I loved the amazing, magnificent descriptions and turn-of-phrases you used at so many different junctures that I can’t even possibly point them all out. This is MASTERFUL!

[Esti G]

Thanks for this outing to the beach! Your writing virtually transported me away…

[A Willing Pen]

This is so beautiful I loved reading it!!

[Kayla-Oppenheimer]

Sury, this poem is awesome. The way you describe waves:

“Wondrous waves
Dancing about with a kind of
Patriotic poise

and I the imagery about the wind:

As the prevailing wind
Streams through the air
Like a swift serpent
Spirited, strong
As though boldly acting
Upon a difficult mission

The lines that touched me deeply the heart of the poem:

A miserable combination
Of talent and diffidence

In those few words you described everything about we negate the gifts Hashem blessed us with, and the ‘diffidence” is so spot on, and it’s not even that negative a word, it’s more shaking away the talents in the first place, denying them existence, or as you eloquently say: ”

To a place
Where futures cease
To exist

The whole poem is a dance between the elements that give a person confidence and the voice of the inner critic pulling us down. Using rain, waves, wind, sunlight makes the whole picture nuanced, brings it so alive.

This poem resonated with me deeply but also gave me insight into the process of learning how to trust in Hashem and in the unique gifts he has given us.

[Sury]

Thank you Riva, Esti, lovetowrite and Kayla for your kind feedback. This is an actual journey in Self, for I think every person goes through this stage of pushing away talent because of diffidence, at some point in there lives, young and old alike.

In fact, I used the imagery of dancing, because I love dancing. Dancing and writing are a perfect combination in my humble opinion. What are creativity, imagination and inspiration, if not a dance into a higher realm. It comes from leaping/dancing out of our own comfort zone on planet Earth, to a loftier place where our thoughts/ideas/emotions dwell.

Most importantly, (something everyone including myself needs to remember) Hashem sends us all the creativity we possess, and it’s our duty to utilise it to bring happiness into the world.

[Anagrammer]

Wow. I wish I could write like this! My favorite line is “To rise above/My humble heart”; it contains such depth – utilizing, not squandering, your talents is the truest expression of greatness, not lowliness.

(I’m hooked on your poems!)

[Sury]

Anagrammer, you’ve been the source of my blushing the past few days 😉 Feedback like yours makes me want to write all night. So, thanks!