Valence

As his hands threw the net

His mind drifted away

Fragments of voices, faces, words

Yet each, having passed, was like a dream

Leaving echoes that brought others to life

A churning current carried him along

And barely noticing them writhe

The man pulled the fish out one by one

In the mountain's shade, his shins grew numb

As stung fingers drew the final net

Within the lake, he heard a hum

And saw colours dance beyond the shoals

Its form seemed without boundary

Its' message without words

Yet it whispered of his glory

And endless joys to hold

If only you could reach me

The others would admire

If only you could grasp me

The struggle would expire

Without heed, without a doubt

He slogged into the lake's expanse

Resisting as he waded out

The water grew around him

But all those steps would lead to nowhere

His motion masked futility

For all the effort he could bear

That thing would come no closer

His motion masked futility

For all the effort he could bear

Its' form seemed without boundary

Its' message without words

Yet it whispered of his glory

And endless joys to hold

The zeal drained into regret

Had he been down this path before?

Each time, it seemed, he would forget

That it would never resolve

So, giving up, he turned away

But once again would find

That each and every move he made

Would simply bind him tighter

But all those steps would lead to nowhere

His motion masked futility

For all the effort he could bear

That thing would come no closer

For all the effort he could bear...

Recursion without resolution

Purpose to justify itself

Boundless striving, fear and passion

To end in nothing, as it started

Perception collapsed around the shore

Where he could not believe

A fisherman, once lost in thought

Was staring back, and through, him

And as the man came ever nearer

Both entangled one aware

He mouthed a warning none could hear

And sank into the silt