Lake Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Drinking with Li Po - For Barrie For nine and fifty years you’ve rowed on Moontarn like a fool, hair whitened with reed catkins, conversing with the formless omnipresent, the nonexistent omniscient. Now you jump into the water to catch the moon – What splashing! Barrie, a poet friend of mine, just sadly passed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen M. Callirhoe Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 nice tribute. i like the poem and the metaphor at the ending of the poem. well done lake. larsen aka vic Quote Larsen M. Callirhoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleksandra Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Ah Lake, I am very sorry for your loss :(. Your poem shows the anger in you, and the sadness. The last lines hits and hurts a lot. Wonderful tribute Lake. My condolences! Aleksandra Quote The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau History of Macedonia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Lake, A beautiful tribute, and the reference to the confusion of Li Po's between the moon and its reflection is simply a marvelous comment on dieing- This would be perfect at a memorial, or in honor of... I would be very gratified by this poetic tribute to me;-) Well done! DC Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badger11 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 A thoughtful tribute Lake for your friend at pg. take care badge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douglas Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 beautiful lake! what a lovely poem for him! what a tribute indeed. hope that you are ok. sending you light and love, douglas Quote To receive love, you have to give it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenlangur Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hello Lake, A most marvellously crafted work this tribute to your friend. Love the echoing effect in your use of the moon, the water - evokes a sense of rebirth beyond the physical death: Now you jump into the water to catch the moon – What splashing! You've mirrored Li Po's lyrical beauty of details and execution in this fabulous work. One of your most accomplished poems in recent weeks. goldenlangur Quote goldenlangur Even a single enemy is too many and a thousand friends too few - Bhutanese saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 Thanks everyone for your kind, comforting words. I'm still in shock. Larsen - glad you liked the ending. Thanks. Alex - Yes, this made me angry and sad. Always wanted to find something to blame. dr_con - glad you spotted the reference. I would be very gratified by this poetic tribute to me. I feel a bit soothing hearing this but at the same time, I'd say no, not again. You know what I mean. badger - thank you to let me know about PG where I posted quite a number of translations and received excellent suggestions. douglas - thanks for the light and love which are very much needed in this cold weather here. I'll be fine. golden - I'm so moved by your reading Love the echoing effect in your use of the moon, the water - evokes a sense of rebirth beyond the physical death. People say different things in their own way, this is the one I managed to utter. Thanks everyone for your encouragement. I'll be back to the reading and commenting when I feel a bit better. With gratitude, Lake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenlangur Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Hello Lake, You're ever so modest. Our readings and praise for your beautiful and magnificently written poem was only giving due credit to your writing. Lake wrote: Thanks everyone for your kind, comforting words. I'm still in shock. Lake I hope you'll write and post more such wonderful poems goldenlangur Quote goldenlangur Even a single enemy is too many and a thousand friends too few - Bhutanese saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 So sad, Lake, especially the last lines: Now you jump into the water to catch the moon – What splashing! I've said before, that I think it takes courage to write an elegy, because the outcome must be world class. With this one, you compromise nothing when it comes to quality. Even the title is perfect. I'm very sorry for your loss. Tony Quote Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Drinking with Li Po- For Barrie For nine and fifty years you've rowed on Moontarn like a fool, hair whitened with reed catkins, conversing with the formless omnipresent, the nonexistent omniscient. Now you jump into the water to catch the moon – What splashing! Barrie, a poet friend of mine, just sadly passed away. Hi Lake, Two years late I run across this one. I am sure Li Po would be very pleased with this piece and his name used in connection to it. It reads like something the master would write. You not only honor Li Po with this offering you honor your friend who passed. It is so beautifully written and one of my favorite of yours. ~~Tink Quote ~~ © ~~ Poems by Judi Van Gorder ~~ For permission to use this work you can write to Tinker1111@icloud.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dedalus Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 One day among friends in the pavilion by the swift-flowing river I had no further thoughts as the moon was full of failed examinations ... http://dublinerinjapan.blogspot.com/2005/0...d-in-china.html Quote Drown your sorrows in drink, by all means, but the real sorrows can swim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lake Posted March 8, 2011 Author Share Posted March 8, 2011 Thank you Tony for your words. Yes, it indeed takes courage to write an elegy and it is also true you become restless without writing one for the respected. Hi Tinker, I didn't realize that almost two years have passed by. Thank you for your encouraging words and I'm glad it can be of some use. Hi Brendan, lovely poem. I've been thinking your English Chinese poems are better written than those translated Chinese English poems. Though I am still trying to figure out what 'examinations' means here, the last sentence is really a great surprise "as the moon was full of failed examinations..." Thank you for the link to your blog. Lake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.