The Plaintive Song of a Stone

If I could but feel!
I would feel the warmth 
of the sun upon my old,
cold, featureless face....

If I could but touch,
I'd touch the grass I lay on
and revel in its texture like
a little happy king....

If I could but smell,
all the flowers of the world
would be mine: roses and
daisies and even orchids
would be endless delight....

If I could but hear,
then all nature would be
my own symphony--
the birds rejoicing,
the bees buzzing,
dogs barking, even 
rolling thunder, all
a continuous music
to my soul....

If I could but see-- ah,
what would a stone see?
The ever breathing beauty
of a world of color and life?  
Or would I see its slow and
merciless unraveling by that
other sentient being, burning
its forests and dumping what
cannot be dissolved in eons
into proud, awesome oceans?

But I would treasure my 
newfound mind and seek
to thank the Being that 
could make even a stone
see and feel and hear and
think and even, in time,
perhaps love....

O, how then I would pity those 
born with eyes and ears yet
unable to see Life or hear God,
living their lives scurrying about 
like blind, deaf and dumb rats
while the eternal Light bathes all.



[posted February, 2020]
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Fowler Avatar
December 31, 2022 at 7:08 AM
Congratulations on your win with this beautiful write LJ! :)
Carber Avatar
January 1, 2023 at 5:30 PM
Thank you Linda--happy new year!
Alex Avatar
January 28, 2022 at 12:40 AM
Great imagination. All inanimate beings might be feeling this, which, the human science, to some extent has proved it. Beautiful writing. Congratulations!
Carber Avatar
January 31, 2022 at 8:45 AM
Thank you!
Marcum Wong Avatar
June 19, 2020 at 3:58 AM
This is just beautiful L.J. I am putting it into my Faves! Congratulations on your wonderful win! Blessings xxoo
Carber Avatar
June 19, 2020 at 11:40 AM
Thanks Connie!
Hamilton Avatar
June 18, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Very nice L.J enjoyed this one a lot, congrats on a top win!
Carber Avatar
June 19, 2020 at 11:40 AM
Thank you John, I am honored--vaya con Dios siempre, mi amigo...
Dietrich Avatar
February 21, 2020 at 9:01 PM
You asked if my stone poem was on here. I found this long version of it: https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/impressions_from_a_stone_skipped_on_water_913546
Carber Avatar
February 22, 2020 at 8:17 AM
Thanks --I'll check it out
Adams Avatar
February 19, 2020 at 7:54 PM
great imagination and equally great personification of a stone... oh if they had feelings and a voice, the things they could share with is... wonderful penning :)
Carber Avatar
February 20, 2020 at 8:44 AM
Thank you Sandra--you're making me blush!
Dietrich Avatar
February 13, 2020 at 4:55 PM
Outstanding & a fave. I once wrote a personification of a stone!
Carber Avatar
February 14, 2020 at 9:30 AM
Cool, Andrea--did you post it on Soup?
Pandit Avatar
February 11, 2020 at 11:32 AM
The stone speaks eloquently in your poem--loved the message in your last stanza--lovely write, L.J.
Carber Avatar
February 11, 2020 at 5:41 PM
Thank you Vijay-- I'm very happy you liked it!
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