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Open Poetry #34
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Grey Man quits race from our past, each other (sestina)
| Open Poetry #34 |
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Grey Man quits race from our past, each other (sestina) |
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RSWells Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533
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“A 13 million years old ape living in what is now Spain may have been the last common father of all apes, including chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and humans.” - www.xinhuanet.com “……Dr. Dennis M. Bramble of the University of Utah and Dr. Daniel E. Lieberman of Harvard, report in the journal Nature that their analysis of the fossil record found striking anatomical evidence for the capability of prolonged running in the Homo genus, beginning about two million years ago.” -NY Times “A team of Indonesian and Australian scientists has discovered fossils of a new human species on the island of Flores, midway between Asia and Australia in the Indonesian archipelago. Named Homo floresiensis, the species coexisted with modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago. Scientists have speculated that Flores Man must have colonised the island by boat or raft, as the island would have been surrounded by deep-sea barrier even at the height of the ice age” - www.wsws.org . . . . . . He thought he alone ran from the past, saw most others solid as a post. His sorrow, guilt buried in his poems, confessions often disguised in ruins he’d hoped would mix with the better bones of those assumed needn’t count each sin at night. His darkened umbra made his days all night, hope shackled in a heavy chambered past. Shame’s turnkey made a jail of pliant bones. He sentenced life to pillory and post and waited for an end in ruins (sub rosa he would hemorrhage in his poems). “I don’t see it in their eyes, perhaps their poems explain how they see day where I see night, how it is that they’ve the strength to build on ruins, fellow beings who see forward from a past while I can’t gain release from ‘pre’ to post” “Perhaps”, said he, “the answer’s in our bones”. In tortured writes he’d make no bones about it. Anger found its’ way into his poems that often he would force himself to post before forgotten sleep each restless night as slowly he saw all had shared his past (for everywhere he recognized the ruins) ‘Collective unconscious’ lies in the ruins, ignored too long locked in buried bones. There is no now, tomorrow, till the past exhumes by honest forensics in the poems of those it turns out share the Grey Mans’ night (and need to join him at the sentry’s post). All races, species shared the starting post. These fragments have been shored against our ruins* Different paths lead all into a night that in the end won’t separate the bones and never understood the words in poems that didn’t mention much a common past Bones, in whispered pleas urge poems toward the past. What good’s an unread post in the ruins of our night? . . . . . . *”These fragments have been shored against my ruin” -T. S. Eliot ‘Whispers of Immortality’ ‘sub rosa’ = secretly ‘umbra’= a brooding replacement for tired old “soul” |
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| © Copyright 2004 Richard S. Wells jr. - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Richard As always, well done and interesting! |
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Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
"Different paths lead all into a night that in the end won’t separate the bones" And when the ash of all of us settles, there will be nothing to distinguish one from the other, the high top-of-the-chain-creatures to the lowliest creatures, not even the marsh grasses. I always appreciate the depth of thought you offer in your posts, Richard. And this new photo? It breathes you. |
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~DreamChild~ Senior Member
since 2001-04-23
Posts 544in your dreams |
im not an ape... r u? " Now what do you THINK about that? " |
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RSWells Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533 |
Martie, as always, thank your for you kind attention. Midnitesun, We all came from the same place. It wasn't from a suddenly appearing man or his rib. We rose and started running from, what we thought was each other, but is in reality ourselves. I only see hope in the discoveries of all these fossils and "links". I sent DNA to a study that has proven my roots back to 1608 and that recently found a man in France with the same DNA that is leading the search back even further. Soon (maybe this week) on PBS, there will be a story about the uprooted american Blacks finding their people back in Africa. I encourage this digging. At the bottom is our commonality and then perhaps some acceptance. DreamChild, perhaps you intended humor, or are miffed that I tried to help you straighten out a few lines in one of your poems (you did ask "what do you THINK...") If you've another point of view by all means post it....as a poem. Try a sestina, I dare you. Thanks for skimming. |
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
The learning never stops, does it Richard? Enjoyed the links, too. *s M |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
Excellent write and great links to check out as well. Thank you Sir. |
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