Clarity, a poem by Michael L. Utley at Spillwords.com
Home
Publications
Poetry

Clarity

Michael L. Utley·
PoetryEnglish
·6 Comments·1 min read·

Clarity

written by: Michael L. Utley

 

in my twilight world the seasons blur
snow on flowers, freezing summer rain
I seek clarity

dim uncertainty
gloaming settles on this silent vale
neither night nor day exists for me

in the mist beyond the frozen stream
yurei whisper in the burning woods
Yomi’s fey lament

nowhere left to go
hesitance and indecisiveness
stranded on the threshold of the fates

in the heavens moon eclipses sun
as Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto
fervently pursues

Amaterasu
fulfilling his futile destiny
casting earth below in shadow gloom

machinations of the earth obscure
as this spinning orb succumbs to guile
in its rayless fugue

and all eyes fall, dazed
as the haze of chaos binds and blinds
my discernment crumbles into dust

truth has lost its glimmer and its sheen
pyrite baubles magnified as gold
in one hand a rose

in the other hand
a dagger; the heart of man depraved
confusion’s inferno conflagrates

forests turn to ash, and ash to snow
bitter flakes descend upon the tomb
of veracity

cloak in acrid pall
verity’s forlorn sarcophagus
candor’s mere slowly evaporates

I can’t tell the darkness from the light
hope, despair—awareness betrays me
every day the scale

of acumen fails
there is naught left but to close my eyes
and weep for lucidity’s demise

Subscribe to our Newsletter at Spillwords.com

NEVER MISS A STORY

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER AND GET THE LATEST LITERARY BUZZ

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Latest posts by Michael L. Utley (see all)

Previous ArticleIn The Name of Grace
Next ArticleSmoldering…

Related Posts

6 Responses

  1. Dearest Mike,

    This piece is filled with so much emotion and touches every sense many of us have of uncertainty in current days. Your words speak to me of someone trying to understand and make sense of the world changing into one without light. I love this piece, and your writing is a piece one wishes to read carefully every line, every word, and every stanza at least three times, not to miss one thought. Brilliant writing, my friend. Congratulations on another wonderful publication in SpillWords Press NYC. It truly is always such an honor to be seen in this magazine. I am so happy to see you published her once again.

    1. Thanks so much, Joni. Yes, it’s a perilous, confusing, uncertain time right now, with so much darkness on the fast-approaching horizon of 1/20. The light appears to have been snuffed, and truth has been run off into the ditch. How can we find our way through what awaits us? That’s the essence of this piece. Your kind and thorough appraisals and keen insights are always spot-on and very much appreciated. Thanks for being a light in this community, my friend.

  2. A moving poem, Mike, full of uncertainty that many of us feel. When humankind makes cruel and unfathomable choices, it’s not only disorienting but crumbles our sense of a safe and meaningful future. You capture that so starkly with your imagery. I’ve always appreciated twilight and dawn as between times when the veil is thin and magic leaks through, but there’s a darker side too. Thanks for sharing this powerful poem, my friend. May dawn find us in the not-too-distant future. <3

    1. Many thanks, Diana. This current darkness is akin to peering through a dense mist, where details are blurred and truth is impossible to discern. I’ve always enjoyed the transitions between night and day as well, but this seems more like a transition from truth to deceit, from good to evil, and we’re all going to suffer, I fear. Elections have consequences, and if we don’t learn that this time, we never will. I hope for that dawning of truth and justice once more, and may it comes in my lifetime. Thanks as always for your kindness, my friend. I appreciate you.

  3. Words so daunting and true as we continue to close our eyes and weep you penned so well for all of us to unite in sorrow. With hope and love for better days ahead. Congratulations, Mike! 💗

    1. Thank you, Cindy. It’s a fraught time, indeed. So much darkness and uncertainty now, and such damage already done… Can we recover as a nation? I have no answer to that question. I appreciate your support so much, my friend. Thank you for your constant kindness and for being here.

Spillwords Press © 2015-2025