The Golem

Somehow the materials are far more orderly
than my mind, than the art they spawn,
Everything in its place, easily found,
carefully chosen,

And then let loose like a storm,
like the feelings that bubble beneath
my calm exterior – color, line, and energy
that no discipline manages to contain.

If I let it loose, even a little,
it becomes the Golem,
a master of nothing beyond
unintended consequences.

About this poem.

I always think I know what I want to write or paint. I am almost always wrong. A poem about unintended consequences, of power and free will, of the surprises of history.

If you are not familiar with the Golem, you can start with this from Wickipedia: “A golem  is an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore that is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late-16th-century rabbi of Prague. According to Moment magazine, “the golem is a highly mutable metaphor with seemingly limitless symbolism. It can be a victim or villain, man or woman—or sometimes both. Over the centuries, it has been used to connote war, community, isolation, hope, and despair.” The Golem has a rich history, and is steeped in culture, movies and readings. It is worth learning more about.

The photograph is from the Russian Icon Museum in Clinton, Mass.

Tom