Comments | ysabetwordsmith: Poem: "Lending a Hand"

ysabetwordsmith

Poem: "Lending a Hand"

Mar 09, 2012 19:02

This poem came out of the March 6, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from wyld_dandelyon and sponsored by Anthony and Shirley Barrette. You can read more about the Monster House series on the Serial Poetry page.

Lending a Hand

The man who came to mend the roof ( Read more... )

poem, fantasy, reading, writing, fishbowl, poetry, cyberfunded creativity

Comments 28

ideealisme March 10 2012, 01:04:23 UTC

I like that one, particularly the ending.

Thank you! ysabetwordsmith March 10 2012, 01:59:03 UTC

I'm happy to hear that.

catsittingstill March 10 2012, 01:09:15 UTC

"he just does that on his own."

Wonderful!

Yes... ysabetwordsmith March 10 2012, 01:54:20 UTC

Not all people who do heroic things have a Destiny. Some are just quietly decent people.

Re: Yes... catsittingstill March 10 2012, 02:09:43 UTC

The roofer sets his hammer down
And does his level best
To catch the falling gargoyle chick
And tuck it in its nest.

The weaver hears a tiny cry
And lays aside her comb
To help the stranded kitten down
Or lead the puppy home.

They do their deeds and go their way,
Not knowing what they've sown;
They do not have a Destiny;
They do it on their own.

Re: Yes... ysabetwordsmith March 10 2012, 07:33:10 UTC

That is beautiful! Thank you so much. I'll link to it from the series entry.

Thread 15

fayanora March 10 2012, 01:16:56 UTC

Cute. I like it. :-D

Now, is he pretending to not notice what they really are, or is he just that mundane? :-)

Hmm... ysabetwordsmith March 10 2012, 03:33:06 UTC

As best I can tell, he's a roofer, not a birdwatcher. He saw something big with wings and a nest, and the only entry in his mental database for that was "raptor" -- which he probably just got from a nature program about eagles or peregrines. I don't think he realizes they are actually gargoyles.

Most people see what they expect to see, and if they see something different, are more inclined to believe themselves mistaken than accept that reality just did something bizarre.

Re: Hmm... fayanora March 10 2012, 03:34:18 UTC

True. :-)

RE: Hmm... zianuray February 10 2024, 21:49:09 UTC

And some folks are so used to not seeing what other people see that they just quit processing it as oddness after a while?

Thread 5

aldersprig March 10 2012, 02:58:27 UTC

Oh, oh, awesome. I like this guy. Also, I like the daughter's insight.

Thank you! ysabetwordsmith March 10 2012, 07:25:01 UTC

>>Oh, oh, awesome. I like this guy.<<

I'm happy to hear that.

>> Also, I like the daughter's insight.<<

The Eye of Fate allows her to see things in proportion to their consequence in matters of fate. She can't see everything. People tend to show up just because they influence things around them, but it varies. Someone who makes a big impact would be vivid. This guy is probably barely discernible. Thus he isn't doing it because he's fated to be a hero, just because he's a decent guy who makes spontaneous decisions ending in similar results. Though there seems to be some two-way action; someone who made a habit of saving people could build up a 'charge' just by the amount of change it would have on the world.

eseme March 14 2012, 02:05:07 UTC

Oh, that is awesome! I hope they refer the guy to their friends (does Grandma need her roof fixed too?). Guys like that are worth their weight in gold.

Thank you! ysabetwordsmith March 14 2012, 06:07:11 UTC

I suspect they'll keep in touch in case they, or someone else in the know, happens to need a roofer. I certainly would.