Blue Poles
Eternal Hope Amidst Dust: Patti Smith's Blue Poles Saga
Lyrics
Mother as I write the sun dissolves
Mother, as I write, witnessing the dissolving sun
Blood life streaming cross my hand
Blood, the essence of life, flowing across my hand
And these words, these words
The significance of these words
Hope dashed immortal hope
Hope shattered, yet the concept of immortal hope persists
Hope streaking the canvas sky
Hope stretching across the canvas of the sky
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Blue poles, symbolically winding without end, as I express myself in writing
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Reiteration of the infinite winding of blue poles in the act of writing
We joined the long caravan
We, part of a long caravan, embarked on a journey
Hungry dreaming going west
Dreaming with hunger, moving westward
Just for work just to get a job
The purpose was solely for work, to secure a job
And we never got lucky
Luck eluded us, and we pressed forward
We just forged on
Perseverance despite challenges
And the dust the endless dust
The pervasive dust, akin to a plague, covered everything
Like a plague it covered everything
An image of the dust as an overwhelming force
Hal fell with the fever
Hal succumbed to the fever
And mother I did what I could
Expressing the limits of what the speaker could do for their mother in the face of hardship
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Repetition of the blue poles winding infinitely, linked to the act of writing
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Continued emphasis on the infinite winding of blue poles while writing
We prayed we prayed for rain
Prayers for rain, a desperate plea for relief
I never wanted to see the sun again
Aversion to the sun, possibly due to hardships endured
All my dresses you made by hand
Dresses made by hand, left behind on the difficult journey
We left behind on the road
The sacrifice of personal belongings on the road
Hal died in my arms
Hal's death in the speaker's arms
We buried him by the river
Burial of Hal by the river, a poignant moment
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Reiteration of the blue poles winding infinitely, intertwined with the act of writing
Blue poles infinitely winding, as I write, as I write
Continued emphasis on the infinite winding of blue poles while writing
Comment