Preview edition — Poet of Uplift is still in progress. The poem is as it appears in the video; the commentary is a working draft.
From distant lands, we had travelled afar to follow a guiding star to a brighter place.
This was no race but a journey to embrace with vision so fiery that could tear your shoelace.
We had resisted n persisted in every pestilence, staggering in the desert to a flowery habitat in May
With broken lenses and tensed, every traveler beheld to had come to the Voyage's end, from wander to wonder
Yet there was no fruits to pluck amidst the colorful petals, everywhere was ornamentally eligible but non-edible
As chaos n cries rose amidst anguish,
I sought to be gentle and resilient to distinguish this sweet scarcity
Paving through the noise with claps of encouragement,
I gave an utterance that we should keep moving forward as the sun scorches our reality
Though reality doesn't seem promising, let us forbear under the arising sun and be unseparated under nature's ferocity
I assured my fellows to be calm and that we will inherit something great by love's own merit
But were my words of empathy enough, for tension and division had grew on the path with dark upheaval
Hence I will hold my bags closer and wait for the light to guide the way
Sipping water little by little, I believed to be graced with more strength to cover beyond every passing day
And to crawl forward in fatigue with prayer whether the path seemed straighten or oblique
Therefore in meekness, I will strive and thrive in the things hoped for and smile at brighter place
whether nearer or afar
Poet of Uplift · Hear it on the channel ↗
Commentary
This poem is a journey told as a group crossing a hard land toward a better place. The speaker leads by staying calm, sharing water and holding on to a hope that is bigger than the hardship.
A band of travellers has come “from distant lands” to “follow a guiding star to a brighter place.” It “was no race but a journey to embrace,” and they have “resisted n persisted in every pestilence” to reach “a flowery habitat in May.” Yet “there was no fruits to pluck,” and the colourful petals are “eligible but non-edible.”
As “chaos n cries rose amidst anguish,” the speaker chooses to be “gentle and resilient,” and speaks with “claps of encouragement,” urging the group to “keep moving forward as the sun scorches our reality” and to “forbear under the arising sun.” The speaker admits worry: were the words of “empathy enough” when “tension and division had grew on the path”?
Still the speaker holds the bags closer, waits “for the light to guide the way,” sips water “little by little,” and crawls forward “in fatigue with prayer.” The poem ends with a promise: “in meekness, I will strive and thrive in the things hoped for and smile at brighter place,” “whether nearer or afar.”