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Dark Poetry #5
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The Matrimony Cycle
| Dark Poetry #5 |
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The Matrimony Cycle |
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fractal007 Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958 |
I've posted all of the parts of this cycle of poems on this forum previously. But I wanted to post the work as a complete whole for your consideration. This is a set of four satirical poems on a period of teenage existential angst I had when I was younger. I decided to tie the four poems written over a few months into a single "cycle" of poems depicting a marriage between passion and meaning, as embodied in the speaker, and inert knowledge as embodied in the woman. The female opposite of the speaker sees the world around her as something now fully understood and not something into which new experience can be injected. The speaker, however, is comfortable with the idea of looking at the world anew despite the fact that the world as is lacks any kind of normative direction for human beings and their lives. 1 The cold night air brushes my skin and the gentle lapping of the waves answers the forlorn face of the moon staring down cast upon the surface of the deep. It's then that I see her standing feet just touching the water's edge face held high eyes to the horizon I'd like to ask her if she comes here often but I know she probably gets that all the time so why would I be any different? I'd like to get to know her but would I be the first person to desire that? I'm about to walk away -- too chicken to try How long will it be? I don't know what to say. No one's ever asked me that type of question out of the blue before. How long will it be that we look out on shores like this and make up stories and conceive of knowledge and dream up ideas before it all ends and we die and turn to dust? Everyone someday dies I think to myself Joy Kogawa - Every world has to die Marcus Aurelius? and it will take its stories and knowledge into the blackness again what a pitiful sentiment what's wrong with living life to its fullest if you and your life won't count for anything beyond the confines of your own experience 2 I see her again the next night before the depths of the sea as the moon gazed down upon us. I still remember her question I'm brave enough to try first. It will take as long as we want It's the only answer I can think of Her face is still, eyes gazing straight out toward the distant horizon where moon and water meet I try again We'll create and conceive and revel for as long as we want because the universe won't care and neither will we when we're gone. Exactly It's a quiet answer but it's positive, assuring, calm. Every universe has to die again with every person will perish the universe taking her ideas and thing. his stories with it. I wonder now would she stand there if I weren't here to see it? Why do you always talk about this? I know the magic's been broken now -- this is one of those moments from an artsy film where the girl and I exchange profundities that only graduate students in philosophy get and the poor little undergrads get headaches. But I'm not playing. She can live in her little emo world all she wants and I won't care. nor should you everyone dies so everything what? ends 3 I have just about had it with that woman and her blubbering about a meaningless universe. No, the beauty on the beach is among the most boring women I've ever met, depending always on the world around her to provide her with purpose, never looking inside. So that's exactly why I took to grabbing her hand and bringing her with me the third night when the ship came alongside the beach I'd tell you what she said but I think you already know since I've given her thoughts on everything high and low previously in poems just like this one 4 There's Andromeda There's Scorpio There's Pisces There's The big dipper Okay okay I say I know But the captain is so enthusiastic about space and astronomy and science. I love listening to what he has to say as we voyage into the midnight waters, the monotonous beauty by my side. It's time for confessions I am befriending her I brought her aboard for slowly and surely the same reason any man with her sadness would have brought such melting - not that a beauty on this ship it was ever there in the first place. ennui is the first step to becoming creative, the world is meaningless, she says, creativity is manifestation of the nonexistent the universe without concern or love upon the plain of human experience I hold her in my arms, my Sophia, and laugh. The world is without meaning, I say and she sighs, smiles, and replies who cares? Life's short. Think hard! |
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JenniferMaxwell
since 2006-09-14
Posts 2423 |
"ennui is the first step to becoming creative, the world is meaningless, she says, creativity is manifestation of the nonexistent the universe without concern or love upon the plain of human experience" Thinking about those lines should keep me busy for a while. Good write, Kevin. I'm reading your Kelvin series in prose and liking it a lot. Also wanted to mention a new to me fantastic fantasy fiction writer whose work I think you'd really enjoy. Sheri Tepper. Ever read her? Great stuff. |
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fractal007 Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958 |
Thanks Jen: I'm glad you like my stuff. The Kelvin story is actually part of the other stuff - a spurt of stories that begins with "The Girl." As to that cryptic last stanza, you should keep in mind that I designed it to be composed of two voices. The indentations and line positions are intended to mark out two trains of thought overlapping. Life's short. Think hard! |
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