As We Live

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Allison Grayhurst

As We Live

Too much of artificial fate,

we ask for destiny.

The hero knows this

more than the king.

The river that plunges forward

into the source of the sea, also speaks

this forceful rhythm, void of agony

or bold illusionary self-praise.

Lovers too, who arch toward

the light, never compromising,

even with the threat of weeping, reach fullness,

spiritually united

beyond the conflict of longing.

And the poet and painter who,

with generous expression

extend their souls

to the uncomprehending crowd

(defenceless – transformed)

bloom artfully

from the centre

up.

Give us a name, an age

anchored in the owl-eye

sun.

The water is leaping,

baring its teeth to the Atlantic

shore.

These are no shadows

we seek

but God, God –

edible

repair.

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First published in “MacMaster Creative Writing, Beneath the Surface”, 1990/1991 under the pseudonym Jocelyn Kain (aka Allison Grayhurst)

You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

“Grayhurst’s rapturous outpouring of imagery makes her poems easily enjoyable … Like a sear the poet seeks to fathom sensual and spiritual experience through the images of a dream.” Canadian Literature

“Allison Grayhurst’s Common Dream is a massive book by a talented and enthusiastic young writer, with a feel for descriptive, meaningful verse. Philosophical and very deep,” Paul Rance, editor of Eastern Rainbow, U.K., spring 1993.

“Her poems read like the journal entries of a mystic – perhaps that what they are. They are abstract and vivid, like a dreamy manifestation of soul. This is the best way, in prose, one can describe the music which is … the poetry of Allison Grayhurst,” Blaise Wigglesworth Oh! Magazine

“Rich images and complex, shifting metaphors drive Allison Grayhurst’s poems. She focuses on sexual love and interior landscapes, widening to include the heart, eternity and all.” Next Exit