This being human is water,
blue blankets, morning mists, and waves,
green sea foam, slick pools in blae caves,
bubbling, then steeping morning tea.
Pushed by seasons, pulled by physics,
this being human is water.
Warm and greeting, cooled receding,
ice-stretched hinterlands. Temporals
shaping our molecule’s context.
Single teardrops and moon-tide swells,
this being human is water.
We wander from mud to rainbows.
We’re pulsing whooshes, boggy splash,
we’re tinkling rain on duckweed ponds,
we’re airborne raging white cascades.
This being human is water.
Today’s offering is in the quatern form.
Top image: “Breaking the surface,” by Samantha French
Kim of Writing in North Norfolk is today’s host for dVerse’ Poetics. Kim says:
The challenge is to write a metaphor poem that starts with the words ‘This being human is…’ It does not have to be in the same format or style as Rumi’s, and you can compare being human to anything you want: a building or place, an object, something natural or something manufactured, a ritual or an everyday act. It is up to you to explore whatever it is in your poem.
Tao Talk 
I love the circularity of this poem – like a ripple in water, Lisa! I also love the use of colour and the different shapes. Being human is definitely ‘Pushed by seasons, pulled by physics’ and ‘Temporals shaping our molecule’s context’. A poem to swim through.
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Kim so glad you enjoyed the poem. Thank you for the wonderful prompt that sparked it.
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I love this.. always returning to water… and it’s very much correct… we are lots of water.
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Thank you very much, Bjorn.
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I was washed along with the tide of this .. perfect metaphor Lisa and you described it so vividly!
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Kate, thank you and very glad you liked it.
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my pleasure
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I’m loving it all, Lisa, but that last verse is beee-YOND merely good.
And that wandering from mud to rainbows is one mind-blowingly good line, too. Write on Sister!
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Thanks, Ron!
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Water. What a uniquely creative metaphor. Beautiful write!
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So glad you enjoyed this, Beverly. I’m a water baby so it felt natural to use water for the metaphor :)
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Wonderful!
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Many thanks, D!
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The flow of this poem is very soothing, I quite enjoyed it! The line “we wander from mud to rainbows” is my favorite!
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Very glad you found it soothing, Evan and liked that line. Thank you :)
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I so adore this! Especially; “Temporals shaping our molecule’s context.” You rocked the prompt, Lisa :D
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Sanaa so glad you enjoyed the poem, thank you <3
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I LOVE this, and now I’m gonna attempt a quatern. It just fits this prompt so well! My favorite line: “We wander from mud to rainbows.”
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Good, I hope you do and that you share it with your readers. Glad you liked it, Tricia, thanks!
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Yes, going to post in a minute. 💝
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:)
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I just realized I missed the part about the quatern being 8 syllables! 🤣 So no, mine is not a quatern, 😞 but hey your poem still inspired it!!
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You’ve heard of the term “poetic license.” I love the poem!
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Yes! I think the spirit hit me and not in 8 syllables this time! 😂
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Thanks for the nod, Tricia! <3
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Great job – love the form
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Thanks much, Ron. This form wasn’t as difficult as some because there is no metric feet requirement on it. It’s a great way to examine one topic.
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That’s a very interesting way of looking at life. Your poem flows like water. It makes me want to visit the sea.
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Many thanks, Suzanne. I can’t wait until summer gets here so I can jump in Lake MI.
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We gotta jump in and keep swimming…wonderful watery metaphor, Lisa!
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Lynn, thank you very much :)
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I find it quite interesting how reading a piece of poetry can spark so much feeling. Right now I am going through a bit of a tough time and to me water is a struggle. It was just a great metaphor for me to relate to.
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Sending you a virtual {{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}
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Thank you so very much!
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<3
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I love your metaphor for being human! You are exactly right… without water we are just dust to dust and ashes to ashes!!
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Good way of putting it, Dwight! So true!
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:>)
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We are almost 60% water by weight. Great writing Li.
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Thank you, Sadje!
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You’re welcome 😉
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I love the flow of this, like water, and the repetition of the line ‘this being human is water.’ One of my favourites!
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Thank you much, Ingrid :)
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This is incredibly clever and beautiful, Lisa, and, dare I say, scientifically true? :-D
Yours,
David
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Thanks, David :) Water metaphory plays a big part in daoist philosophical texts.
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We wander from mud to rainbows…exactly. Great imagery. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe :) How is the move going??
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I’m trying to deal with the things in storage first. My biggest problem is getting so overwhelmed that nothing gets accomplished. I’m working on it. If I could just take public transportation everywhere it would be a lot easier.
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Sounds like it’s been challenging. Good luck and hope you’re in your new place soon.
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Your slowly sinking repeated phrase is such a clever, subtle reinforcement of the metaphor. I found myself gasping for breath a little!
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I’m glad you connected with it, Alexandra. As soon as I picked water for the metaphor I knew I wanted to use a repeating form.
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I love this poem so much, Lisa. I think about how much water we have in us often. I love the way you use the different forms of water. It really spoke to me.
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Many thanks, Sarah and glad the poem spoke to you <3
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I like the tides aspect of this, our moods affected, pushed & pulled, by our surroundings and experiences.
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Thanks much, Ken.
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You’re welcome.
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I LOVE this poem. All the ways of water – I love all the sounds and images of it making its way. Yes, we are water.
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Most pleased you connected with the poem, Sherry, thanks!
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Lisa, you had an excellent idea on being human, and conveyed it in ways easy to understand.
Water is life and it takes different forms and still exist as water. So are we. Different but still human.
Hope we could all see the wonderful thoughts — of being likened to the majesty of water — as the poem brings to mind. This makes me appreciate myself more as a being.
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Biko, thank you for reading. I appreciate your thoughtful comments and glad you connected with the poem :)
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Any time .. 😉
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Great metaphor! I especially liked, ‘Single teardrops and moon-tide swells’
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Thank you very much.
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You’re welcome!
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Whoa that is so cool
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Thank you, Kshama!
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You are do right Lisa, this being human is water — beautifully rendered piece. The pessimist/realist in me adds — “and we are all evaporating slowly”… sorry to be a smudge on your fine painting. Love you friend!
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Fabulous pics!
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Yes! This artist is fabulous!!!!!!!
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Rob, there is noplace water doesn’t go. We evaporate, gather in the clouds, then fall again as gentle rain <3 Thank you for reading and your thoughtful comment, my friend.
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Love it! :-)
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Thanks, JP! :)
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Wowza, beautifully crafted within the form–Exquisite…I kind of felt my breathing change a couple times ;)
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Thank you very much, Zelda :)
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You’re totally welcome!
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Yes, this being human is water. Well done, Lisa!
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Thanks, Sara :)
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A wonderful take on being human as we are made of water. Connected physically and emotionally to the element.
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Glad you felt the connection, Truedessa, thank you.
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We are water and without water we are nothing. Beautifully captured.
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I’m glad you see that. Thank you for reading and commenting.
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We are made up of mostly water. Your poem is making me think in a whole new way of going to the lowest level or pushing, pulsing and wandering. We do it all.
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Colleen, thank you. Yes we do!
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Amazing post
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Thank you!
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