dr_con Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 (edited) The Escapist Part 1: Apocryphal truths On the day my father died I had 6 hours 48 minutes of sleep dreams both warm and rich fueled by post Yule nanoseconds of light stored by our 23.5 degree tilt our axial relation to the Sun Woken abruptly by the phone And of course I knew We all do Informed by The One who has lived it all The Storyless Storyteller who speaks out of the space between broken lines through enjambments past violated syntax and lost thoughts or the sentience he showed on that last visit mumbling visions so vast words defied him memories defeated him choices defined him To me he seemed to be waiting for permission He passed on the same day As our mother 22 years removed Apocryphal truths Soon to be canonical A reminder these Tales are for the living My only certainty Is this is a bad day To quit smoking. Part 2: Memento Mori Back when I was Immortal keen on living in relation to dying I asked for my 18th And he gave: A human skull mis-cut made unsuitable for medical diagnostics Perfect for desk and shelf of a burgeoning Philosopher Writer Poet or Bohemian Lout The last His stance A response to his Disappointment my assigned and labeled wasted potential I was just standing on the back of my ancestors who were Rebels All the way up and all the way down Our Prussian Forebears jumped ship accepting the deal With the Colonialist Devil William Penn for Land and Freedom Or so I was told but it comes back to Escapes Escaping his Parent’s Puritanical Moralism by stealing the Key of a Strong Work Ethic used again and again A life well worked borrowing peace with a Promise of Tomorrow I struggled to escape that Promise A constant dance with Memento Mori seeking a crack in the Now Like the original dance Hunter and Prey I and Thou It gets complicated Part 3: Complications A God that needs your belief Is not a real God Deep down Before Memory The Divine Is but a projection of the parental Molding our perception Do triumphs over Say But say I do beyond the all too Complicated dualisms of Family and Foe Blood and Water Success and Failure Right and Wrong these stories: The Summer I was 3 a stubborn stump being removed by the application of controlled Fire and Brimstone me running to get Daddy for Dinner and then the screams echoing thru the evening sky They didn’t know what to do My nerves dead charred skin in strips driving to the hospital He never said I saw Him volunteering as an EMT For years His Silent Never Again Or At the age of 7 On the field trip Listening to his stories of Ophidiophobia his deep revulsion of snakes as we walked The swampy path The Bush and The Rattle Magically I Am transported through the air from lead to rear clutched behind him As he reaches forward with his walking stick To reveal A Message loud and Clear In the study of escapology Remembrance is the only assured Method of escaping our chains. Edited April 19, 2018 by dr_con Extended Full Version Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinker Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 Merry Christmas Juris, Thank you for sharing this poignant piece. It is heartbreaking and heart warming and everything in between. ~~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...
badger11 Posted December 26, 2017 Share Posted December 26, 2017 A very rich poem that translated the experience within those frames of intellect and emotion; the ordinary and the detailed seeking to anchor an understanding. excellent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 wonderful moving narrative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Nice work, Juris. The last verse hits hard and grounds this, makes it real for the reader. 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...
David W. Parsley Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 I keep waiting for part 2, doc. The tone of the thing, the way it moves, fills me with admiration. I feel that I am not connecting all the "apocryphal" and "escapist" dots with the mix of cosmic and mundane here, waiting for the succeeding part(s) of the poem to sharpen the perspective. Nice! - Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted April 19, 2018 Author Share Posted April 19, 2018 Thank You All, here's the extended full version I'm reading at my dad's memorial this weekend. Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoelJosol Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 Memories, remembrance, flash of life, all converged in death. I found your piece a collage of snapshots of images and thoughts that death provokes in us who are left behind. Quote "Words are not things, and yet they are not non-things either." - Ann Lauterbach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted April 24, 2018 Author Share Posted April 24, 2018 Thanks JJ! Appreciate the feedback! Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmarti1 Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 Oh, how grand: Apocryphal truths Soon to be canonical A reminder these Tales are for the living Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_con Posted April 27, 2018 Author Share Posted April 27, 2018 Thanks DC! indeed, maybe my favorite line? ? Quote thegateless.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David W. Parsley Posted April 27, 2018 Share Posted April 27, 2018 Oh, yes. Definitely worth the wait. I am totally impressed, not just with the achievement, but the ability to synthesize and order these seemingly disparate memories prior to the memorial. (I just had to compose and deliver the eulogy for my mother's life celebration about two weeks ago. Tough.) A moving and enriching piece, one of your best. Please accept my sympathy. BTW: Those are my favorite lines, too. But I will also add a nod to these: On 12/25/2017 at 6:01 AM, dr_con said: For years His Silent Never Again Thanks doc, - Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyv Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 I came back to reread this, to take in the extended version. I, myself, have been struggling to understand and come to terms with many of the things you touch upon. On 12/25/2017 at 9:01 AM, dr_con said: The last His stance A response to his Disappointment my assigned and labeled wasted potential I don't think any of us "go" until we've learned the things we need to learn, to know: till we've reached our potential. The same goes for him. And if he didn't talk much, what he really thought "at the end of the day" may have differed from what you think, or thought, in the past. Strength to you, Juris. Sveiks! 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...
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