As MP and co pointed out myrrh and frankincense (?spelling) are odd fossils
to a contemporary audience. When was the last time you went to the
supermarket to buy a wee packet of myrhh. What is it exactly? Wouldn't mind
a bit of gold though. I suppose Frankincense and Myrrh must still mean
something to someone somewhere. Not that this detracts from the poem,as
there is detachment in the poem, a reluctance to take the cosy cliches too
seriously .

Colin


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Cooper" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 8:08 PM
Subject: Re: New sub: Perennial


> Hi Christina,
> This poems works deeply for me. I guess I'm drawn by the mystery of not
> fully grasping the signifinace of "smell myrrh and hay" yet feeling it's
> enigmatic inclusion works! I guess smells, like tastes, are well stored in
> the memory.
> One line seems so full of short syllables: "and I'm tired but I've  saved
> the left ear of the  donkey/ for last." and I'm wondering if more
> tiredness
> might be felt if the words with longer sounds could be used? As a
> suggestion: "and I'm weary, and I've saved the donkey's left ear/ till
> last." But then you'll have lots of "l" sounds in the line, maybe too
> many?
> I don't know...
> The title, too, feels almost abrupt with only one word (though it's a
> delish
> long sounding word to say!)
> Bob
>
>>From: Christina Fletcher <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: New sub:  Perennial
>>Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 03:51:44 EST
>>
>>
>>
>>Perennial
>>
>>
>>White fleece slots into  white fleece
>>but it's hard to  distinguish fur from rough  cloth
>>or pitch pricked by a  star.
>>
>>         And the paper crowns don't  fit but you stand
>>to  attention when the Queen speaks, then  unroll
>>old jokes. I  fill the empty frame,
>>
>>         link each matching part  where steel
>>pierced the  template. Splits and  cracks
>>are clues: the  box was lost long ago
>>
>>         and I'm tired but I've  saved the left ear of the  donkey
>>for last.  Let's  wait a while, smell
>>myrrh and  hay, ease the pieces apart.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>christina  fletcher