There are a couple of things I would like to say about this poem, Christina.
Firstly I admire the emtional integrity that you sustain without lapsing
into sentimentality. I could not do it or rather I could not trust myself to
attempt to come near to trying to do it. I do not know when the time is
right to write this sort of piece, Dylan did it with " Do not go
gladly....." , you have done it. I could not.
Secondly the poetry is so precise. the metaphor so wonderfully chosen.. I
hear " father" two ways. One as your name for him, now I am sure you have a
pet name for him, something less formal than father but you have chosen the
formal appellation, which first elevates him to his proper place but then,
and second, I hear it as " farther" and the opening line moves to a higher
plane, almost a prayer-like imploring, equivalent to " Do not go
gladly....",of course then both things are working together and this gives
the line so much depth and pathos.
" The low light" is ominous and hints at close of day, year, life, a
resolution and then 'catching', with its line-break ( this to me is the
point and proper use of line-breaks), takes on its double meaning, meaning
at once" infectious", infecting you with despondency and gloom and then "
illuminating", lighting the way forward and back, the metaphor leads us to
the unbroken thread of our humanity, the father, himself begotten, begetting
the daughter and so on, unbroken. The metaphor closes on the blades of grass
back behind each other into the dimness of our origins. See, I have taken a
hundred words to unravel what you wove in twenty and that is the power and
wonder of poetry and to be admired.
Thank you, Arthur.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Christina Fletcher" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 9:38 AM
Subject: New sub: Almost Invisible
> Amost Invisible
>
> Walk with me, father:
> the low light is catching
> miles of unbroken silk
> spun from blade to blade of grass.
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> christina fletcher
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