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Ratleader

Member Rara Avis

since 2003-01-23

Posts 7026
Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass

0 posted 2003-05-11 05:58 PM

Sundial

The busy sundial rules this garden,
ignored but keeping still its times,
the only thing that changes here
and yet the only thing unchanged,
taking a measure of the days,
days into seasons, seasons years.
Your shadow blots it for a moment;
mine shades yours, three shadows
merged, an unrecorded instant.
There are a thousand shadows
in this garden, each leaf and thorn
keeps time, a stellar metronome.
Only flowers are too quick to measure,
and our three shadows count
the time as well but do not care.
The sundial has taught us this,
to mind the time but not to mind it,
the shadow to infinity at sunset
given no more meaning than the
strident inch at noon. But here
there are two times to measure,
dayswift, seasonslow; one marked
by whirling days, the other by
the grander sloping of the world;
and when the shadow’s long
for us at noon, can a mere sundial
guide us then?

icebox
Member Elite

since 2003-05-03

Posts 4383
in the shadows

1 posted 2003-05-11 06:05 PM

I like this, the merging shadows and flow of time. Thank you for sharing it.

Martie

Moderator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-09-21

Posts 28049
California

2 posted 2003-05-11 06:14 PM

Ed...Time has such infinite posabilites for poetry. To measure time by shadows cast, perhaps means come night the dark will last?

Enjoyed the thought in this, my friend...got me thinking I should go out and appreciate my sundial right now!

Ericc
Member Elite

since 2003-01-31

Posts 4178

3 posted 2003-05-11 07:53 PM

Wow....full of wonder and open possibilities.
Eric

Aenimal
Member Rara Avis

since 2002-11-18

Posts 7350
the ass-end of space

4 posted 2003-05-12 12:12 PM

Ed absolutely brilliant piece loved this

garysgirl

Member Laureate

since 2002-09-29

Posts 19237
Florida, USA

5 posted 2003-05-12 12:27 PM

Ed, I liked this. You have a lot of wisdom,
friend, and know how tho pass it on.

Hugs,
Ethel

passing shadows
Member Empyrean

since 1999-08-26

Posts 45577
displaced

6 posted 2003-05-12 03:50 AM

wonderfully wise

wranx
Member Elite

since 2002-06-07

Posts 3689
Moved from a shack to a barn

7 posted 2003-05-12 03:06 PM

This bit, nestled within, was especially good.

"to mind the time but not to mind it,
the shadow to infinity at sunset
given no more meaning than the
strident inch at noon."

Good writin' here, dude.

Marge Tindal

Member Empyrean

since 1999-11-06

Posts 42384
Florida's Foreverly Shores

8 posted 2003-05-12 04:48 PM

Ed~
You are being so very observant of 'things'~

'The sundial has taught us this,
to mind the time but not to mind it'

I enjoyed the all of this ...~

The gnomon of you casts a long shadow~

You need to go read this ...
/pip/Forum48/HTML/000273.html
from FOREVER ago~
*Huglets*
~*Marge*~

~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~
noles1@totcon.com

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

9 posted 2003-05-12 05:04 PM

there are two times to measure,
dayswift, seasonslow; one marked
by whirling days, the other by
the grander sloping of the world;

~*~

In this, you have afforded the reader
the slipping by, and the greater than...

well done, Sir.

BluesSerenade
Member Patricius

since 2001-10-23

Posts 10549
By the Seaside

10 posted 2003-05-13 11:36 PM

the only thing that changes here
and yet the only thing unchanged,
taking a measure of the days,

Interestingly enough, how some things never change, and yet nothing remains the same.

Gotta love it~ Thanks for the lead, Rat~

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