Balsam and Pine by Joey Ng

Balsam and Pine by Joey Ng

A man once exclaimed to the universe:
“Sir I exist!”, his voice traveling through
The thick haze of balsam and pine needles.
Whatever entitlement was lost the
Moment the first sparks were derived from black
Flint and cold steel , an amalgam of true
Desires and scurried indifference,
Feigned in the face of his peers, never to
Truly reach its point of satisfaction.

The smooth smoke caresses each jagged edge,
Slowing them one by one into svelte forms.
Cast into a cloud of viscous laughter
They flow through each pore, relaxing and numb.

As I become one with glass and water
My senses are acute, every feeling
with thousands of tendrils unfurling,
Steeped not in expectation, but youthful
Giddiness and ephemeral musings.

I decant the liquor into my cup,
A pale orange brown with notes of earth and
Rock salt, smooth like calfskin on the palate

And I imbibe, draining my chalice with
Reverence and humility, counting
Each blessing, the flower buds of the tree,
Each with their own distinct consolations.

But left alone with much time on its hands,
The mind will crowd, a dime a dozen thoughts
Pervade past ambitions or lack thereof.
“Can I be blessed through the balsam and pine?”
Pressed for time, I shan’t spoil the secret.

Poem of the Day: A Man Said to the Universe

BY STEPHEN CRANE

A man said to the universe:

“Sir, I exist!"

“However,” replied the universe,

“The fact has not created in me

“A sense of obligation.”