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Ghost Stories


dr_con

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Ghost Stories

 

I am ill equipped

to deal with Ghosts

 

The Ancestors who

are moving tables

 

upstairs in this lonely

house are not the problem,

 

they are simply pointing

to actions which will please the dead

 

I Have dealt with the Circle of Spirits

their attention captured by our

 

fumbling into their land, naked &

surprised, we make peace or find

 

ourselves eaten, often

with the same results

 

And the Hungry we have inherited

offer many challenges, gnawing

 

at the walls of the 4 Divine Abodes

celebrating the Poisons

 

and their

needs always wanting more & more

 

Outside of this campfire moment

beyond the glow of home

 

the world

is muttering

 

the elusive chains of freedom

are rattling

 

there is the Great Wailing

"Loss of Livelihood, Shattered Safeties"

 

With the inability to pay for the past

the lies of power crumble

across the globe

forms dissolve

Truth naught but a Shade

reaching for unprepared Hearts.

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Dr. Con,

 

So am I ill equipped to read this Ghost Stories. I feel there are lots of references in this that need to be checked up for a better understanding and those upper case words which I'm sure carry some underlying meanings. All in all, it does have a ghost, mysterious feel, and a feel of uneasiness.

 

Thanks for this profound reading.

 

Lake

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I find these parts to be especially striking --

I am ill equipped

to deal with Ghosts

 

The Ancestors who

are moving tables

 

upstairs in this empty

house are not the problem ...

 

Outside of this campfire moment

beyond the glow of home

 

the world

is muttering

 

the elusive chains of freedom

are rattling ...

The only small objection I have is to the word empty; I would probably omit that. If the house is empty, there would be no table. (I'm sure you mean empty of other people, but even taken in that context, the word makes me stumble.) Perhaps another word or phrase or omitting it altogether (and leaving just this house) would work better.

 

In the end it becomes clear that the narrator's personal misgivings are part of a macrocosm. This is a great metaphor for the collapse -- "interdependence" at its worst.

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

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Lake & Tony,

 

Many Thanks for your input. Tony, I have edited- finding a more suitable image perhaps...

 

Lake,

 

I really feel, that your self doubt is unjustified, (In my opinion and in my reading of your comments, which could be as wildly incorrect, as ANY interpretation of a poem, including my own view icon_eek.gif ) You have a keen eye, my Capitalization is a technique, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't... When I first started writing critical essays, they were filled with random capitals, my grammarian friends would go mad, but those who would allow the writing to just flow would occasionally compliment me on their use. We capitalize proper names, saying they are more than just common nouns/objects, but all objects in a postmodern sense, are more than simply objects, and it changes the dynamic of the piece to emphasize something like the Moon or a Spoon, instead of the moon or just another spoon... @ least that's my sensibility icon_cool.gif

 

The hints @ depth, are just that- I just found the 4 Divine Abodes in a friends article on Buddhism... They are self evident: Love, Joy, Compassion and equanimity--- But, divine abodes is so much more resonant and well frankly, deeper... So, the reaction is why those word choices, the feeling that their is something more, and isn't there always/ ;-)

 

Many Thanks and much Gratitude for your comments!

 

Dr. Con

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I am ill equipped

to deal with Ghosts

 

The Ancestors who

are moving tables

 

upstairs in this lonely

house are not the problem,...

 

Outside of this campfire moment

beyond the glow of home

 

the world

is muttering

 

the elusive chains of freedom

are rattling

 

there is the Great Wailing

"Loss of Livelihood, Shattered Safeties"

 

Somehow this reminds me of Yeats:

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

 

And the associations on the the personal and the universal level....

 

Really enjoying your work. And lonely is better word choice indeed.

 

Also I didn't know bout the reference to the Divine Abodes.Thanks for helping me out there or else I would have googled it...or perhaps I would..to know more about it. icon_cyclops.gif

 

Many thanks.

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Aleksandra

Wonderful, and very quality poem. The unique sense of your poems captures Dr.Con. I loved this one. I love the usage of the positive mind states. And yours Capitalization technique works a lot.

 

Thank you for sharing.

Aleksandra

The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth - Jean Cocteau

History of Macedonia

 

 

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Con - sharp and bold as ever. I'm seeing in this poem parallels, if not the outright story of the current events happening in this country right now. Seems descriptive of economic woes and bailout mess.

 

--til

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til, Aleks and Summ- Many, Many Thanks for your thoughtful responses- Soemtimes, I don't always respond right away, because I don't want to hog the top of the page, but know that every comment is felt and savored!

 

icon_biggrin.png

 

Much Appreciation,

 

DC

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