It is always dawn and dusk
Time moves on geographically
The terminator line marches inexorably
Round and round the planet
Smoothed across the sparkling Pacific
Cut to shreds by jagged mountains
Rippled across desert dunes
Unnoticed in the mega-cities
Each second brings a thousand tiny awakenings
A thousand tiny refugees from sleep
A thousand predatory opportunities
A thousand closings
Copyright © 2016 Kim Whysall-Hammond
First published at https://inbetweenhangovers.wordpress.com/
I love that image of the Terminator Line sweeping its way around the globe!
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Thank you Ingrid- it’s the astronomer in me struggling to get out!
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Very nicely done Kim, and one that deserves reposting and rereading. I remember describing this line as a littoral arc in a poem about the night shift in my book The Human Hive, but my poem didn’t develop the theme in the way you have done so imaginatively: time moving geographically. Beautiful poem!
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Thank you John. That is much appreciated.
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Wonderfully avid description there, very nicely done…
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Wonderful.
And all of this in a moment. Every moment.
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All the time!
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Very touching and true Kim – I was touched by this…
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Thanks!
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I’ve always been fascinated by the simple reality that one moment is so different in so many places for so many people. Your poem with it’s “terminator line” just brought it to life for me. Nice!
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Thank you Mish!
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Every line fits the bigger picture beautifully. Love this!
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Glad you do! 😊
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“Each second brings a thousand tiny awakenings
A thousand tiny refugees from sleep
A thousand predatory opportunities
A thousand closings”
wow, very well written, loved those last 4 lines, i could feel the earth turning with each detail in your poem, agan, very well expressed
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Sometimes a poem arrives in my mind, whole and complete. This was one of them.
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Such powerful imagery!
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Thank you Lucy
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Love your reachin’ high for a great OLN, bravo kim! 🙂✌🏼❤️
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Thank you Rob!
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I loved this line, “Each second brings a thousand tiny awakenings.” We are all connected in the revolving light and darkness.
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Thank you Ali, that’s very much appreciated
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Now you’ve made me look up “terminator line” and I’m glad I did. A compact and intriguing poem, Kim. I particularly like the last 4 lines. A belated happy new year…JIM
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See, my poems are educational! ;)
Happy New year Jim!
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The earth moved beautifully in your lines.
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:)
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I love the image of the terminator line sweeping across the globe, so that
“Each second brings a thousand tiny awakenings. . .”
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Thank you Merril
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You’re welcome!
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