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Me too, Judy! I don't where that pesky muse has gone... On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 12:09 PM, Judy Prince <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Just a quick comment on Murray's poem, Caleb. Two bits especially struck > me: 'zinc-grey' and 'shining money'. I'd been trying to describe [to > myself] the look of this afternoon's ominous pre-snow/rain sky and its > reflection in the river---and that's it: zinc-grey. I also love the > simple > yet effective 'shining' for money. > Keep posting, Caleb, I always enjoy what you have to say. Hope to see some > of your poems, as well. > > Judy > > 2009/2/22 Caleb Cluff <[log in to unmask]> > > > You don't think that's subtle poem, Andrew? For me (I stress) there's a > > tension there, poised between regret and maybe malice? > > > > I'll posit an obvious example, one of Les Murray's early (and well-known) > > poems. > > > > In my secret garden > > I kept three starlings. > > In my secret locket > > Three copper farthings. > > > > One zinc-grey evening > > The birds escaped me > > And a crippled man stole > > My shining money. > > > > The starlings wandered > > Till three hawks took them, > > And now my agents > > Have caught the cripple. > > > > There's a menace and an 'otherness' that intrigues me in works like > these. > > It may well be that nothing is hidden with the poem, but the suggestion > is > > enough. The word 'agents' is so well placed. The poem is wry, delicate > and > > chilling. > > > > And now I'll stop banging on like Clive James. > > > > Caleb > > > > On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 11:08 AM, andrew burke <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > Caleb states ' Brevity and directness' are his current interests. > > 'Brevity' > > > is always a good thing in poetry, yes, I agree there - but directness > > needs > > > to be for a reason, most rewardingly a subtle reason. > > > > > > just my thoughts ... > > > > > > andrew > > > > > > 2009/2/23 Caleb Cluff <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > > And isn't that the beauty of poetry? Something that might transport > me > > is > > > > an > > > > ill-sorted mess to someone else. > > > > > > > > I'm sticking with it. Brevity and directness are two interests of > mine > > in > > > > poetry right now. > > > > > > > > Caleb > > > > > > > > On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 10:33 AM, Martin Walker <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > I'm sorry to say that it does almost nothing for me. I dislike that > > > > fistful > > > > > of consonants in "love with Sarah's", the repetition of "its" in > two > > > > lines. > > > > > It has been shown, I believe, that chimpanzees can use their > tongues > > > and > > > > > mouths to vocalise; they are not tongue-tied but lack certain genes > > and > > > > see > > > > > no point in learning to talk, I guess, and apes are not ugly to > each > > > > other. > > > > > Scholars do not fall in love with the object of their attention, > > though > > > > they > > > > > may be obsessed with it. The useless repetition in this pair of > > > quatrains > > > > > suggests that the latter is the case rather than love here. > > > > > cheers > > > > > Martin > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Gimme eastern trimmin' where women are women > > > > > In high silk hose and peekaboo clothes > > > > > And French perfume that rocks the room > > > > > And I'm all yours in buttons and bows. > > > > > Livingston/Evans 1947 > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caleb Cluff" < > [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > To: <[log in to unmask]> > > > > > Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2009 11:27 PM > > > > > Subject: DM Thomas interview > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In Saturday's *Age > > > > >> *newspaper< > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/books/hotel-of-broken-dreams/2009/02/20/1234633035833.html > > > > >> >, > > > > >> but moreso striking for this elegant piece, that does everything > I > > > > >> expect > > > > >> and desire in a poem, in eight lines. > > > > >> > > > > >> I fell in love with Sarah's nape > > > > >> Between her short black hair and collar > > > > >> Ugly and tongue-tied as an ape > > > > >> I fell in love with Sarah's nape > > > > >> > > > > >> Its coolness, whiteness, slender shape > > > > >> She never knew I was its scholar > > > > >> I fell in love with Sarah's nape > > > > >> Between her short black hair and collar. > > > > >> > > > > >> He is online here <http://www.dmthomasonline.com/> > > > > >> > > > > >> Caleb > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Andrew > > > http://hispirits.blogspot.com/ > > > > > >