a solitary heron
stands in the reeds
and addresses the brown
depths of the pond
with a silent question
which he must answer
himself
if he strikes
and catches the fish
the answer is
yes
a bespectacled man
stands on the bridge
and addresses the brown
depths of the pond
with a silent question
which he must answer
himself
if he strikes
and catches the flame
the answer is
no
______
gw2010
Loved this, Gwilym...the first so material, the second so elusive...and you so true :)
ReplyDeletesome reason it reminds me of the Plutarch quote -
'The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled'
wishes,
devika
Thanks Devika, and I completely agree with your Plutarch quotation.
ReplyDeleteYou might also enjoy 'Francesco Petrarch's House in Arqua' on this blog (via the blog searchbox).
I liked this. I know it can't work the way your site is laid out but I think it might be an idea to present these two images side by side - the poetic equivalent of a diptych. I've wanted to do one for a while but no ideas yet.
ReplyDeleteWhat you could so is save the page as a graphic and embed it. Just a thought.
Did Gwilym..i am really glad i didn't miss this blog :)
ReplyDeletewishes,
devika
Jim, I can almost see the diptych in my mind's eye but that's probably where it'll have to stay. It takes me nearly all my time to do the basic computer tasks. Computer-wise I'm all thumds :) and not only that but my laptop is set-up in Deutsch :(
ReplyDeleteDevika, I just knew you'd like that page!
I know the answers but what are the questions? I too like the idea of the diptych but am heartened to read that your computer skills are not up to it - I thought it was only me who had not yet got out of the elementary stage of computing.
ReplyDeleteTake heart indeed , simple elements on the pc stage aren't we, Pat?
ReplyDeleteThis should help then. Click on the link, right click on the graphic and save to desktop.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim, that appears tohave done the trick. It saved to my photos but that's OK. Maybe that's what it's supposed todo. Any way, it's as good a place as anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI imagine, for the time being, a man on a wooden bridge semi-hidden in the mist and a heron fishing nearby, done in an ancient Chinese style. Might make a suitable book jacket one day. Anyway, I'll go on with this series of Merwin inspired poems until I run out of steam and then think of the possibilities. Maybe some foolhardy publisher will rush forward for a book called 'a solitary heron'? Unlikely in the present economic climate you might say. But maybe as now, when the times get hard, poetry comes to the fore. People look for answers.
Hello Jim,
ReplyDeleteI've now put your diptych up. It looks pretty impressive under a suitable photo from Shakespeare's birthplace. Thanks again,
gwilym