The Lathe of Heaven ~ a Short Poem

We writers all get our inspiration in a variety of ways. Whether it be through word or photo prompts, listening to a song, nature, news items, or just things happening in our day. I often use book titles as inspiration for the poetry I write.

This is my 8th article this year based on the titles of books by science fiction/fantasy author Ursula Le Guin. I am surprised I have been able to come up with ideas for each of these so far but it is an interesting challenge I have set myself.

This time I used the book title 'The Lathe of Heaven' as the inspiration, and it took the form of a poem. The novel was written in 1971 but set in the then-future year of 2002. It revolves around a protagonist named George Orr, a man who has the ability to change reality with his dreams. The novel was nominated for two of sci-fi's biggest awards, the Nebula and the Hugo awards, in 1971 and 1972, respectively.

This is also one of the shortest pieces of poetry I have written. I intended to make it longer and although I tried my muse wouldn't provide me with any further verses. I, therefore, took that as a sign that this poem says everything it needs to.

Besides, sometimes less is more.

The Lathe of Heaven's turning,

The chisels cut and trim,

The Master Craftsman shows his skill.

There's no such thing as sin.

He sculpts the wood with steady hands

To carve the perfect shapes,

Modelled in His image,

He never makes mistakes.

But sometimes raw materials

Contain a warp or flaw

That causes imperfection

And breaks the Craftsman's law.