The Great Mistakes

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

Seek Him That Maketh the Seven Stars — Choir of Salisbury Cathedral

The great mistakes are writing nature verse

That tries to be as mystic as the lakes,

Their mists and hills, though maybe even worse

Is haiku that believes its picture shakes

The universe.  In Lakeland, mountain peak

And monk-like tarn will not compete with rhymes

And lines:   each ridge and shoreline sings unique

Religion that is deeper than the times

Before first priests created gods–and men

Created mysticism with its haars

And altars.   Later yet came moon-filled Zen

And Amos with his anthem-like strewn stars.

  Yet worst of all is thinking that the beam

    That matters comes from holiness’s dream.

~ Phillip Whidden