The Cartographer's Lament

[dr_con]

The Cartographer's Lament

 

He She It whatever signifier you use

Isn’t an Architect he’s a cartographer

Beneath those damn dragons is always

more water unmapped topologies we don’t

even know if they’re particles or waves

 

I fail to see why he is so agitated

But surely the map is not the territory

 

He sets his hat between us

 

Where is that?

In September when I wrote it

or maybe on green formica desk

with jars filled with mostly useless pens

in a rainbow of colors but red has leaked

occasionally getting on my hands leading

later to a momentary panic when handling

big kitchen knife chopping onions for dinner

 

But you said between

 

Which is useless because you may be in Mumbai

and I prefer Bombay sounds more romantic

but I am poisoned by youthful colonialism

Surely first locals preferred words for

‘a meeting of rivers’

to Binghamton

inexplicably

without P

 

Do you see now?

 

That’s X on the map

and who else could draw these

lines finer than dust and smaller

than dizzying molecular heights

Certainly not me we’re latitude

and longitude kind of creatures

with big plans and hotter futures

Whoever decides direction and mean

decides can be and what can’t

The seen and seamless

and he must have

origami eyes

 

That’s obscene!

 

The dogwood in the corner growing new leaves

despite handsaw bite mostly through abandoned

during a summer heat wave when lamenting

again on the humidity besides the white rose

bush whose name we still do not know

despite ample opportunities to find out

and I keep forgetting about potato

fruits because of the assumption

the plant is a vegetable

 

No architect can choose what we see

 

Ok thanks Where did you say…

O I see I’ll head over there now.

 

 

[dcmarti1]

but red has leaked
occasionally getting on my hands leading
later to a momentary panic when handling
big kitchen knife chopping onions for dinner

 

I get the humor here, Juris, but I am lost overall on this one. I can "feel" the distress in the speaker and tension in the piece, but I am lost. BUT.....you have SUCH an existential truth right here:

 

despite ample opportunities to find out

 

Marvy-poo! :)

[dr_con]

DC,

 

No worries on confusion;-) This was a highly experimental piece I wrote a few weeks ago (I secretly don't even consider it poetry). But 2 people who read it on my ego-dump list serve, contacted me several days later and said: Hey is this what the poem was about? And I said yes. Decided to post it here just to see what would happen;-)

 

Thanks for taking the time, and no worries- Glad you found something of worth! ;-)

 

Juris

[dedalus]

˙mmm - one can just fall into parts of this poem ...

 

 

but I am poisoned by youthful colonialism

Surely first locals preferred words for

‘a meeting of rivers’

to Binghamton

inexplicably

without P

 

 

and

 

 

Certainly not me we’re latitude

and longitude kind of creatures

with big plans and hotter futures

Whoever decides direction and mean

decides (what) can be and what can’t

The seen and seamless

and he must have

origami eyes

 

 

Made me consider, and I like that.

 

Cheers, Bren

[dr_con]

Thanks Bren for stopping in. Excellent some of my favorite stanzas from this. Appreciate the feedback.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Juris

[Gatekeeper]

All over the map, so to speak, but that's okay.

I like maps.

I won't excerpt favorite pieces - there are many.

Thanks for sharing your experiment.

[fdelano]

An ancient navigator still finds magic in cartography. Now, if I could firmly fix my position. The work seemed disjointed at times, but perhaps that's what you intended. I like having the choice to interpret if I can get a handle on at least the theme. Those who rely only on maps often go missing. This brought back many memories and times of camaraderie.

[David W. Parsley]

Interesting and downright brilliant in place. Rife with dualities (not just the wave-particle type), it is definitely a ride, even if by fits and starts. But this experiment does not quite "go all the way" for me, doc: the falls do not all connect but they are fun!

 

- Dave

[dr_con]

Thanks Paco & Dave, indeed I think this piece requires the reader to bring their own back-pack, compass, and supplies for a long orienteering exercise: I'm very gratified you both came prepared, and if you became lost well, that's all on me! ;-)

 

Con/Jur/D

[Benjamin]

I've enjoyed this more than once though decided to float a feather on the breeze for directions “There and back again”:-) G.

[dr_con]

I can't but help, loving a Hobbit quote for a piece of mine;-) Thanks G!