Rate:5.0 / 8 votes

Circle of Life

Susan Mayer Brumel

Free Verse
Circle of Life

We are the windmills, catching currents
Spinning slowly, then energized —
— but suddenly!
The wind turns its back on us

We are the trees, bending
but we do not break
In time —
we bow on twisted knee
— In surrender

Winds lift our spirits high
— then low,
Sometimes…
in the same moment

Searching for lightness,
our breath
fills balloons of every color —
How high they fly…

Our lives do not flatline
on the horizon,
But are circular…
As sunrises follow sunsets,
we rise

Fertile earth
delivers us —
then consumes us,

…Beautiful flowers
propelled skyward,
then pulled back under —
In time, to live again.

About this poem

This poem reflects the philosophy that our lives our circular, a continuum of living, dying, and rebirth.

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Written on March 31, 2023

Submitted by susan.brumel on November 08, 2024

40 sec read
325

Quick analysis:

Scheme X XXAB XXXAC DXXX BXCD EECXX XBB XXCE
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 659
Words 134
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 5, 4, 4, 5, 3, 4
Full analysis for Circle of Life »

Susan Mayer Brumel

A few years ago, I retired from a thirty-five year career in hospice counseling, at which time I began writing poetry. My poems are influenced by my patients’ journeys, the compelling beauty of nature, and the human condition. A lover of all animals and most people, I enjoy spending time in nature, long walks, and reading Pablo Neruda, Blake, William Carlos Williams, James Joyce, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, Leonard Cohen, and more. Baudelaire tells us to ‘be drunk’ on something every day; I am drunk on poetry and intend never to be sober! more…

All Susan Mayer Brumel poems | Susan Mayer Brumel Books

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8 Comments
  • philmaund
    philmaund
    I echo what npirandy said, free verse is also out of my comfort zone. It's so easy to write drivel and call it free verse, but to be able to write free verse this well is a special talent! And as your bio says, drink on! 
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Thanks so much for your kind words, Phil. They encourage me to write more free verse, as rhyme has always come easier to me. I enjoyed reading all of your smart, witty poems and look forward to more of them. :-) 
      LikeReply1 month ago
  • Mkenj
    Mkenj
    I loved the poem
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
      LikeReply1 month ago
  • AmyMMosier
    AmyMMosier
    I love the imagery and wisdom in this piece. I see you worked in hospice counseling. No wonder - you are the one perfectly qualified to write this.
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Your comments touched me deeply, Amy. Thank you so much.
      LikeReply1 month ago
  • JessicaWheeler
    JessicaWheeler
    This poem is beautifully crafted with stunning imagery. I am always drawn to your rhyming pieces, but your free verse is just as gorgeous! Well done, my friend! Xoxo
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Thank you for your kind words, Jess. So glad you enjoyed it!
      LikeReply1 month ago
  • nelzealoursmotoe1
    nelzealoursmotoe1
    Good one!
    LikeReply 11 month ago
  • devonb.14033
    devonb.14033
    Wow! Great writing true imagery! I had a mental picture the whole time!
    Devon Bates2024©
    LikeReply 21 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Thank you for your kind words. I am grateful for your support.
      LikeReply 11 month ago
    • devonb.14033
      devonb.14033
      your welcome I enjoyed reading it
      LikeReply 21 month ago
  • npirandy
    npirandy
    Once again, you've done what I can't. Free verse is out of my comfort zone. But you have mastered the art.
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Thank you, Randy, for your kind words and ongoing support. It means more to me than you know.
      LikeReply1 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Sometimes free verse is very freeing from searching for rhyme all of the time! ;-)
      LikeReply1 month ago
    • npirandy
      npirandy
      Maybe so, but you'll need a poetic vocabulary that I don't possess.
      LikeReply1 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      Like my 3 year old grandson says, “Google it, Granma!” And I do! Lol
      LikeReply1 month ago
    • npirandy
      npirandy
      He's probably smarter than me.
      LikeReply1 month ago
  • jonsaviours
    jonsaviours
    Gorgeous.
    The resiliency of humanity, still we move forward in this circle of existence.
    LikeReply 11 month ago
    • susan.brumel
      susan.brumel
      I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jon. Your support of my work means a lot to me.
      LikeReply1 month ago

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"Circle of Life" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Dec. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/204035/circle-of-life>.

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