"smoke on the platform" by John Reinhart

smoke on the platform

John Reinhart

today, everyday, show up, show & tell

a pack of cigarettes lying to clouds

spelling it out: today is the battlefield

tell it to the mountains, raining down

everyday to clear the smoke spelling

messages secretly slipped from hand to pocket

downtown trains everyday arrive on time

carrying clouds of people, smoking

on the platform, breathing courage

time today, everyday, missteps, misspellings –

smoke ‘em out, dance for rain, rolling

off mountains, clouding the battle

it is a battle, everyday, to show

the mountains to the battlefield against

the wall, last cigarette smoldering

shadow – at noon, dreaming of trains

escaping to the mountains, above the clouds

& the smoke, people spelling today

Poet's Notes:  I recently watched Guardians of the Galaxy. The greatest part about the movie for me is Groot. Of course, we're all meant to fall in love with the simple tree beast that saves everyone in the end--it's the classic fairy tale scenario--except that what makes Groot work is his linguistics. He says only "I am Groot," but the way he says it says everything he needs to say, which, granted isn't much because his pal is a fast talking raccoon. 

Language is about context and body language as much as it is about the specific words. With relatively few words, we can communicate great volumes - sign language manages on concepts. As a wordsmith, and, though constrained by practicality, a wordy one at that, what if the ideas and words to work with in a poem were limited to a select few that could only be repeated or rearranged?  

Editor's Note:  Written language is all about symbols standing for words or ideas or concepts.  It is stripped of body language and all but the most subtly crafted written work is practically stripped of tone.  Written poetry, as opposed to poetry spoken or sung, is unique among the ways of conveying the written word in that white space may speak volumes, and enjambment of lines and arrangements of lines and stanzas may add many layers of additional meaning.  Still, as an insightful life coach once taught me, the most important aspects of true communication are tone and body language.  Your words are the last things that will be believed.