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Sheraton on Canal St.
| Open Poetry #8 |
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Sheraton on Canal St. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart 
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Sheraton on Canal St. The diary says we arrived safe to our room, here at the Sheraton. Small room, 24th floor, but OK because we are only going to be tourists here. Mississippi flows long and lean outside our window busy with ship's traffic, busy with memories only a river can lay claim to. Christmas Day. N'Orleans. Tourists. Bourbon Street on Christmas Night is not a typical evening in the French Quarter. Only the architecture remains in focus of what once was grand and eloquent. Too many niceties of the day bring about the fake realism of history's once-was. But the food is good. The chronicled data indicates we did a lot of window shopping there on Royal Street and admired the St. Louis Cathedral and found Faulkner's home. But what I recall in my spirit, and no notes required, was where the steamboat paddled us to, a location of civil strife, where heart's blood gave life to the ground, in a very small field in a very important moment for love of country. For on this very day 184 years ago Andrew Jackson met a victory at Chalmette's field and as my gaze swept the battlefield it was far too, too easy to see the men in uniform, and not in uniform, running, trenching, readying weapons, spilling blood, laying their lives down under the winter sun of 1812. Flags raised, drums drummed, yells, curses, screams, smells of blood smells of powder spent sounds of things other than life. Orders given, "March, March" into death. So, there was a crossing there, a space of time where, for a moment, my feet were planted in the past, the sounds roared in my ears and the visions of men against men on a small plot of acreage, for a large political reason resounded desperately in my soul memories which have not let go, as I turned and returned to Sheraton on Canal St. ©Karilea Rilling Jungel 29 July 2000 < !signature--> Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ [This message has been edited by Sunshine (edited 07-29-2000).] |
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| © Copyright 2000 Karilea Rilling Jungel - All Rights Reserved | |||
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
I have goosebumps, as I know Chalmette Battlefield very well--you described it so well...I am glad you got off the tourist tract and found a piece of our local and national history...and the next time you're here, let's go to Fort Jackson for the re-enactment!!! Thank you for this, this morning!!! |
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linda munday Member
since 2000-06-17
Posts 315Adelaide, Australia |
mmmmmm...what can I say? This created a vivid picture in my mind. I loved the whole thing, and returning to the luxury of the hotel after the memories evoked...was a stroke of genius. Good stuff!!!! Linda M. |
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Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Karilea~ Perfect ! ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ [email protected] |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Very nice descriptive writing Sunshine...James |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Serenity, we had more fun than we knew what to do with, and certainly did not get to do it all in such a short time. I corrected the spelling of Chalmette...thank you! Linda, "genius" simply came from allowing the self to be touched by the past, I'm glad you enjoyed, thank you... Marge, "perfect" works, thanks! Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
James, you snuck in on me. Thank you for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed my ramblings... Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
You describe your trip so well and the side trip you took back into the history books. I have never been to Chalmette's Field but I think the same kind of feelings will overcome me if I ever do. I found this to be excellent Sunshine. Very, very well done!!! |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Ethome, thank you for your kind words. I hope to do more of this type of poetry, and soon. Thanks! Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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brian madden Member Elite
since 2000-05-06
Posts 4374ireland |
WOW Sunshine, a very vivid poem indeed. wonderful piece "A frog, it cannot comprehend the sea Nor me happiness" Paul Draper-Mansun |
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Sven
since 1999-11-23
Posts 14937East Lansing, MI USA |
Just wonderful Sunshine, A "picture" that will last far longer than any taken on film. . . you have not only captured the sights and the sounds. . . but the feelings and the emotions. . .let us in on what you felt when you opened yourself up to what was there. . .and that's really the only way to experience something like this. . . Excellent, my friend. . . ---------------------------------------------------- That which gives light must endure burning --Victor Frankl |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Brian, thank you for your kind remarks... Sven, what I really felt made my flesh crawl...the Park Ranger depicted the history so well, it was not hard to see the land lay in red, and to hear the cries of the fallen...indeed, I should have done a far, far better job of this, but it was early when I wrote it, and all of my senses were still dull from sleep...but thank you... Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
This describes my hometown so well, & I'm glad you like the food, (I write Cajun/Creole Cookbooks too!) Just wanted to say you captured & enraptured me with your eloquent pen!!! |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Todd, I've heard fine things about you, so it pleases me that you took time to read this piece. I am very glad you enjoyed it. Thank you! Sunny ~~~Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA |
You continue to shine, Karilea  |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
'Deer, I cannot say what lies in my heart at your words, but suffice to know it is part of what helps me shine... Karilea When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Elizabeth Santos Member Rara Avis
since 1999-11-08
Posts 9269Pennsylvania |
Sunshine, In an unexpected twist, you took us on a journey of mind and soul, in a captivating piece that encorporated all of the senses, and yes, it gave me goosebumps, too, a lot of goosebumps.What an extraordinary piece of writing. Liz |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Thank you, Lady Santos...I knew then that I would try to put the feelings to words, but only yesterday did they come to me... I guess some poems need to percolate... Karilea When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Poetry par excellence... lovely work Karilea... just too lovely... regards, sudhir |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Thank you Sudhir...very much... Karilea When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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Auguste
since 2000-02-16
Posts 3953By the sea |
Karilea, I hope you don't mind me digging this out of the archives. I'm truly impressed with your writing and this goes in my library. Your description of the battle so matches my own when I think of the Civil War battlefields that surround my home. Thank you for this wonderful piece. Michael Proust- |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Auguste, that you found this and enjoyed it, no matter when...pleases me... I sincerely like the way this came out, and as I reread it this morning, could not think of any way to change it... so I guess I'll keep it. |
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