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Simplicity

“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not
in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
—Sir Isaac Newton

I smell you in the fresh-mown lawn
As linen billows in the breeze.
I hear you in the chirp of dawn
__And splash of seas.

I taste you in the velvet peach,
Plump and lush with summer’s glow.
I feel your pledge at winter’s edge
__In wisps of snow.

I catch you in a sun-soaked smile
From eyes lit with the luster of
Your blissful, clear-as-crystal style
__As pure as love.

You are the unembellished word
On lowly lips that burn to bring
The truth to be—a sky-kissed bird
__On unclipped wing.

You are the sweet and peaty burst
Of rain upon the seething earth.
You quell my pain. You quench my thirst.
__I know your worth…

No spin. No spice. No specious slice
Of mold-to-measure-pleasure highs.
You’re real. You’re never imprecise.
__You tell no lies.

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Susan Jarvis Bryant is a poet originally from the U.K., now living on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

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34 Responses

  1. Mike Bryant

    Einstein said that everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Susan, your words are simply beautiful.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you, biggest fan! Einstein had it right – simple, but never simpler.

      Reply
  2. fred schueler

    “This is, essentially, why we cannot any longer believe in the scholastic maxim ‘Simplex sigillum veri,’ because we know that all our constructions are defective, hence corrigible, since, deliberately or not, they involve the neglect of an unknown number of factors. Factual theories apply exactly to schematic, impoverished models or images, and only inexactly to the real referents of these pictures. The simpler the theoretical model the coarser or more unrealistic it will be. We need not wait for empirical tests to make sure that all our factual theories are, strictly speaking, false — or put in an optimistic way, only partially true. We know this beforehand, if only because we have introduced falsities into them, in the form of simplifications, as shown by historical experience and by an analysis of the way factual theories are built. Conceptual economy is therefore a sign and a test of transitoriness, i.e. of partial falsity — to be superseded by a lesser falsity: Simplex sigillum falsi.” Bunge (1963, the Myth of Simplicity)

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you for your thought-provoking comment, Fred. I agree with the words of Bunge… but his statement only applies in an ideal world where immutable truths are upheld. We live in a time when schools have cast aside the teaching of simple reading, writing, and arithmetic to indoctrinate our children in the wonders of gender fluidity and political activism. We live in a time when “experts” rule and common sense is mocked. A world where obfuscation is a key feature of our lives, enabling those who govern to clamp down with an iron fist on all those questioning “expert” information. When there are a mind-boggling fifty-odd genders to choose from and carbon dioxide is passed off as poison, as simple as possible (but not simpler) is better.

      I believe that most people would agree that the true nature of complex things lies in a simple core. Newton’s “Opticks” was written in plain English and is based on a simple idea. And how could Einstein have made relativity simpler than E = mc2? Surely the true nature of something is revealed when its underlying simplicity is uncovered, rather than when it is obscured by complexity, especially when those complexities are used for nefarious purposes.

      Reply
  3. C.B. Anderson

    I loved this poem, Susan. Unusually for you, you put no one’s nose out of joint, and you used a whole lot of pellucid, unadorned language. A perfect union of form and content, this poem is simplicity itself.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you very much, C.B. – you have captured my intention beautifully and the fact that you love it lets me know I was successful in my endeavor. I’m a very happy poet.

      Reply
  4. Cynthia Erlandson

    I love the beautiful flow of this poem’s form, Susan, especially the two-meter final lines of the verses. As usual, you used internal rhyme and alliteration to bring out that beauty.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      I am particularly happy when I am able to match form with subject matter. I deliberated over this one, and your comment, Cynthia, has cheered my heart! Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Joseph S. Salemi

    These are expertly crafted quatrains, of three tetrameter lines followed by a bob-line dimeter. That simple structure tends to make for a very smooth read, and as Kip Anderson has pointed out about the “pellucid, unadorned language,” Susan has filled out the structure with beautiful diction.

    The emotional intensity and sheer joy of this piece leads me to think that it is addressed to Susan’s “biggest fan.” Am I right?

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Joe, I am always thrilled to get an appreciative comment from you – especially where craftmanship is concerned. I sweated over this one on the form front – it had to match my subject matter perfectly. Alexander Pope helped me with his “Ode on Solitude” – I had no idea an ode could be so simplistically perfect. I simply had to steal this form for my message.

      I would love to say my poem is addressed to my biggest fan, but it isn’t. It is simply addressed to simplicity itself. Unlike Pope, I gave no clue in my title. I realize this fact is likely to disappoint all the romantics out there, so I am going to give a little of myself away here. The poem is inspired by my biggest fan. My biggest fan made me realize that love is simple – if it’s complicated, it isn’t love. Love really can move mountains, part seas, and bring a staid English woman to kick every obstacle out of her path and move to the wild coastal plains of Texas to shine in the purity and simplicity of the most powerful force in the universe.

      Reply
  6. Yael

    I just love simplicity in all its forms, as in your poem today. It’s simply elegant and true, thank you.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Yael, thank you very much indeed. I am glad you have homed in on the “true” aspect of my poem. This is its point.

      Reply
  7. Isabella

    Your poem is simply beautiful! I think the second verse is my favourite but they are all exquisitely charming. Reading it makes me long to live in a simpler world.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Isabella, I appreciate your fine eye, and I love that you love the second verse… lush peaches and wisps of snow are simple and priceless gifts that make life worth living… better than any designer outfit or exquisite perfume… in my humble opinion. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. jd

    Yes, simply beautiful – the gentle flow, the colors, the senses, the sentiment. Thank you, Susan.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      jd, I’m glad you’ve picked up on the senses… having lost a few of mine due to illness, I fully appreciate what a gift they are. One only realizes how precious the wonders of sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell and all the rewards that accompany them are, when they’re stolen. No material gift can compensate for these blessings. Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Shamik Banerjee

    Such a beautiful poem, Susan. You have skilfully detailed out the very instances where “simplicity” shines clearly—from a certain smell, taste, and vision to lips that cannot lie. Your poem’s simple approach to its subject solidifies your message. I enjoyed this poem very much. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Shamik, from someone who deals in very sensual poetry that taps into nature and the human condition, I thoroughly appreciate your encouraging comment. Your words have made me very happy indeed. Thank you!

      Reply
  10. Roy Eugene Peterson

    Vividly sensory and structurally beautiful. Breathtaking in simplicity, yet providing enthralling words and phrases.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Roy, I thoroughly appreciate your fine eye and I’m always grateful for your encouragement. Thank you!

      Reply
  11. Warren Bonham

    There is nothing simple about what you have accomplished here by taking something very complex and distilling it so that people like me can grasp it. Beautiful poem.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      People like you, Warren, are the salt of the earth, and your poetry connects with many. Thank you for your kind comment – you have let me know my words matter.

      Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Thank you, Russel – and I am one helluva lucky woman to have a man who understands this quirky poetess. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Mark Stellinga

    …and I know Mike feels the very same about you, young lady. A fairly rare and extremely enviable union in all respects. Two wonderfully lucky people – as are my wife, Connie, and I. We pray your health is improving. Another outstanding read. -:)

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      It’s lovely to hear that you have found love – a rare and beautiful thing – with your dear Connie. And thank you for your kind words on my poem and health. I’m getting better… albeit slowly.

      Reply
  14. Brian A. Yapko

    Susan, as everyone before has noted, this is a special and beautiful poem. It does indeed have elements of romance as the speaker’s tone is one suggestive of interpersonal intimacy. Indeed, I may be a bit of a fool for reading past that. But the pleasures you describe, the beauty you describe do not strike me as particularly suggestive of romance. This is not a poem about Heat. Nor is it a poem about Devotion. It’s a poem about Truth. It’s a poem which, I believe, affords us little, intimate glimpses of God. Simplicity is a lovely thing in a relationship. But does it not apply equally to faith? Your epigram does not strike me as the epigram one would choose in writing a love poem. But it does strike me as one suitable for a poet seeking answers. And finding them, much like Dorothy, right in your own backyard rather than past the distant horizon.

    If I may go out on a little limb here, I believe this is a poem with a theological theme. As lovingly physical as the descriptive imagery is, it all appears to me to reflect your speaker’s perception of divinity in the simplest of natural things. Isaac Newton was, famously, a spiritual man who did not make his many discoveries to divorce science from faith but, rather, to allow understanding of nature to explain how God runs things. Here your speaker is alone with a mystical “you” who is not seen with eyes that are material but eyes which are infused with a heart of gratitude. A phrase like “You are the unembellished word … the truth to be” leads us in that direction. You describe attributes no human could really have unless you are writing the most airy of romantic poetry. “You’re real. You’re never imprecise. You tell no lies.” This suggests to me the speaker confirming for herself the absolute reality of God. Notice that there are no descriptions of the “you” here other than in the most abstract or nature terms. “You” does not have any human physicality.

    But this is not a lord-supplicant relationship either. It is almost the idea of deity as beloved. This is an intimate relationship and there is an entire theology that this suggests – a relationship with God which is indeed intimate and independent of dogma and community. I am reminded of two poets. First, Gerard Manley Hopkins and his poems “God’s Grandeur” and “Dappled Things.” For Hopkins also describes that nondogmatic intimacy with the Author of Nature – the Word, who you smell in grass and hear in the ocean waves. The Word who is the Truth that you seek. The opposite of Satan who is the father of lies, the You described here is the exact opposite. The basis of Truth.

    The other reminder is of Alexander Pope’s “Essay on Man.” “Lo, the poor Indian whose untutored mind/Sees God in clouds and hears Him in the wind.” But, I must ask, where else would one look?

    Well done, Susan. You’ve written something beautiful, intimate and literally divine.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Brian, you have got to the very heart of my poem with your perspicacious and much appreciated analysis.

      As I mentioned to Joe, this poem is not romantic in spite of the sensuous tone. It is a straightforward nod to simplicity – the sort of simplicity money can’t buy – the sort of simplicity that shimmers on the periphery in all the heavenly gifts bestowed by our Creator. The truth is always simple. This is why I chose Sir Isaac Newton’s quote. Science used to be theology-based philosophy. Since God has been removed from this equation, we have gone backwards as a society, not forwards. My poem addresses “the Word, who you smell in grass and hear in the ocean waves. The Word who is the Truth that you seek. The opposite of Satan who is the father of lies” (a beautiful observation) – truth and beauty lie in the simplicity of the Truth which has nothing to do with manmade rites and rituals but everything to do with our blessing from God within.

      We can all feel it. We know right from wrong. We know love from hate. We don’t need reams of doctrine to tell us. The Truth is simple, humble, and real. All those seeking it will know it when they see, hear, touch, and taste it. The Truth costs nothing and is worth everything.

      Brian, thank you for unravelling my message and delivering it perfectly.

      Reply
  15. Norma Pain

    A really, simply beautiful poem Susan. I have read it three times now and shall be reading it again and again. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Susan Jarvis Bryant

      Norma, I’m so thrilled to hear your voice and thoroughly appreciate your kind words of encouragement and appreciation. I look forward to reading more of your joyous and uplifting poetry soon – this site has been too long without your sunshine presence. x

      Reply
  17. James Sale

    Very beautifully crafted indeed, Susan: “No specious slice
    Of mold-to-measure-pleasure highs.” is a particularly felicitous (apologies for any latinate intrusions here!) compound word combination!!! Well done.

    Reply

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