There is a person emerging from stone.
They are made of stone.
They have no features.
The sculptor was releasing them
From a wall of marble in an abandoned quarry.
But they haven't quite emerged.
And the sculptor is gone.
Maybe the sculptor was afraid for them.
There are wars out here,
The world is not such a great place right now
For a stone person
Or any kind of person for that matter.
There is evil and greed
And hopelessness out here.
Something about this sculpture
Seizes my attention.
Sometimes when I look at it
The person seems to trying to emerge
On their own volition
Without the sculptor's help
Against the superior will of the wall to hold them.
Sometimes they seem to be stuck
In the grip of some hideous trauma or guilt.
Sometimes they seem to be
Held back by the maternal reluctance
Of the Earth to release them
For Her own reasons.
Whatever it is
I sympathize with the sculptor for
Knowing when to stop.
(Article changed on Mar 01, 2022 at 12:54 PM EST)
(Article changed on Mar 01, 2022 at 1:06 PM EST)
(Article changed on Mar 01, 2022 at 1:06 PM EST)
