Jump to content
Poetry Magnum Opus

Voices pretending to be Silence


Recommended Posts

Posted

Voices pretending to be Silence

 

Paradox heterodox and maybe cream cheese and lox

these voices driving me out of the house where paranoia

and parsimony create the optimall conditions for poetics

The least becomes the most our infinite plain skipping

over silence uneven conditions of waves

causes a sudden drop

of the stone

below

 

The surface where hungry ghosts will not mix meat and milk

cow and curd but fish O fish are a wholly different beasty

than a wholly cow its sacredness divided into chunks

good not good never with bacon and a salad a sin

if it contains the most benign and beneficial

parasitic organisms Don’t please don’t

ever forget God hating oysters

and Gods hating meat

float this far

above

 

A surface that never breaks

never tires always vigilant

the all seeing all knowing

eye seeming to be me

more family

more blood

 

This orange carrot

grown in icky dirt

than the entire

pantheon

of stars.

Posted

Hey, doc! You know, I read your work, over and over and sometimes I pick up more than in previous readings and sometimes I do not (I find some of your words/phrases to be abstract beyond my capabilities).

 

I find this one to be interesting, because as I have read it, I think I'm coming up with something of what you're talking about, here. "Paradox and heterodox" seems to lay it out, initially, then the rest of your words finish paving the way. I may have gotten most of this one.

 

I can tell you very briefly what I am getting from it. Religion. I do not do religion, of any kind, so since I'm getting this, I could be as wrong as a reader could be.

 

I'm picking up pieces from vs1 & 2 that seem to be talking about the Jewish restrictions regarding their food, the preparation and serving of the same. And of course, you mention the (what?) Hindu (???) 'holy' cow in there. Am I running blindly down a wrong path??????

 

No matter what your intention, as always, I love the way you put words together in strings that I can read aloud and sound like I know what I'm reading, even when I do not. Your work has a distinctive 'sound' to it, for me, your own melody.

 

Tammi

Posted

Hi Dr. C,

 

Like moonqueen, I've read it a few times but still find it hard to comment, I guess it maybe due to the degree of the difficulty of the poem that requires in-depth reading and the knowledge of the background information? I like the title that reminds me of a saying "silence speaks louder than words". I also like the position of the words "below" and "above" at the end of V1 and V2. Looking forward to others' comments that I can learn something from.

 

Regards,

 

Lake

Posted

Hello DC.

It may be my mindset but I find a subtle humour in your choice of language i.e: these voices driving me out of the house where paranoia and parsimony create the optimal conditions for poetics” and, “fish are a wholly different beasty/ than a wholly cow”. I like the skipping metaphor and sinking stone which indicate (to me at least), that there are certain things in life that reach out and become difficult to ignore, be detached or distanced from. The format is interesting and the poem itself worthy of much scrutiny. Benjamin

Posted

Is it a habitual ritual, or is the ritual habitual? Is there even a distinction between the habitual and ritual? The poem touches upon some of the finer distinctions.

 

The part about the all seeing all knowing/eye seeming to be me speaks volumes. I also like where the "uneven conditions of waves" causing "a sudden drop of the stone below" and the last lines of the poem take me.

 

Tony

Here is a link to an index of my works on this site: tonyv's Member Archive topic

  • 2 weeks later...
goldenlangur
Posted

Always, DC you give the reader a range of images and contexts to savor and decode. This makes for a stimulating and challenging read, which pushes the reader to rethink on familiar issues.

 

Here I read a play on how the authoritative discourse - heterodox/orthodox (good twist in Paradox/heterodox) conditions one's way of thinking, writing and behaving. The overall effect is a lingering sense of perplexity induced by the conflicting demands or norms:

 

... hungry ghosts will not mix meat and milk

cow and curd but fish O fish are a wholly different beasty

than a wholly cow its sacredness divided into chunks

good not good never with bacon and a salad a sin

if it contains the most benign and beneficial

parasitic organisms Don’t please don’t

ever forget God hating oysters

and Gods hating meat

 

 

The totemic taboos bind and blind individuals in ways that narrow and discourage free thinking and engagement with ideas and life indeed. The so-called wisdom of such discourse far from bringing peace and silence (calm and freedom) befuddles and frustrates.

 

 

I may be well off the track but thank you for a hugely thought-provoking work.

goldenlangur

 

 

Even a single enemy is too many and a thousand friends too few - Bhutanese saying.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

My apologies to my faithful readers! Been a bit too, too busy as of late- BUT I agree with every perspective presented in your responses- Benjamin hit on the perplexity that successfully enmeshed MQ & Lake & the Author while tony hit upon the invisible circles we draw around ourselves while Golden got the gist (as did MQ)- And yes it was fun to write and it concludes the 30 poem series "Voices Pretending to be Silence" which should appear as an e-book near you sometime soon...

 

And it perplexes me too! But I do 'get it' as it were;-)

 

BTW how is every Post Earth Quake etc. ?

 

DC&J

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.