The Field Beneath the Sky
By: Aviantei
A Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Poem
I dreamt of a golden field
that stretched underneath
the sky I loved so much,
faint with the color of roses
descending into the dark.
I dreamt of the clatter of hooves,
the thud of my heart, the congestion
of fear in my throat, the fading
scent of summer dwindling
into fall. I dreamt of Father's
shouting, as I clung to your smooth
carapace, begging that you would live.
How much was dream, and how much
was memory? Your kind reached
out to me, trees within their touch, beckoning
me towards a towering trunk
and spinning leaves
I'd never seen before.
I've grown used to the plants you protect,
all oblong spores and bright colors of poison
that signal danger to trespassers. They grow
in the same shapes from the sand
beneath our earth, no longer specimens
of death. They promised life
for Father; but human hands
don't leave room for miracles,
only leave room for desperation
and needless struggles,
relying on ancient powers of destruction.
Many years had passed from that dream—
I became a woman,
but you were still
a child, and you will still
be a child when I'm old
and return to your earth—
but we both remembered
the other's presence. I cried
for your wounds, and they dyed
me blue; you cried
for me, though you could not spill
tears. We gave each other life
and now I walk across a golden field
that stretches underneath
the sky I love so much,
strong with the blue
that conveys peace in your eyes
building with the rising sun.
I hear the chittering of your kind
at the thud of my heart, the dissolving
of fear in my throat, the invigorating
scent of the sea breeze
returning to my valley. I soak in my people's
cheers, as I hug your smooth
carapace, celebrating that we have lived.
[Avi's Questionably Poetic Notes]
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to catch the Ghibli Fest showing of Nausicaä in theaters. While I had watched the movie as a kid, many years had passed and I didn't have much memory of it. I enjoyed it very much this time around, and, as I drove home afterwards, trying to wire my brain up to write for the day despite just wanting to go to bed, I managed to pull together a poem from the residual movie thoughts floating around in my brain.
I'm pretty proud of the balance of sensory/imagery I pulled together in this one, the variety of line breaks, and the parallel of the first and last stanza. Poetry may not be my strongest suit, but it's nice to see self-improvement (at least I hope that's what this is).
For the time being, though, I need to get back to trying to finish up the one shot I want to post next week. Thanks for reading!
-Aviantei
[10.09.2017]