Grex Poetry Conference

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Grex Poetry Item 195: The Mulberry Tree
Entered by remmers on Fri May 26 16:44:59 UTC 2000:

(Last one for now.  From 1989...)


        Egad!  A Spirit, born once more,
        Knocked upon Alcestis' door,
        The portal creaked, then opened wide -
        Thisbe's ghost appeared inside.

        The Spirit blanched and turned to flee,
        Fearing what he'd come to see,
        Then Thisbe spoke, in cadence bright:
        "Orion, hunter of the night,

        "Come stay a while, be not afraid,
        Come tarry with this lonely shade,
        My friends of old have turned to dust,
        You're one of few that I still trust."

        The Spirit kneeled, bowed his head,
        Then summoned courage, rose, and said:
        "You know that I have traveled long,
        In lands deaf to Orion's song.

        "Where'er I go, I see the lack
        Of those inclined toward looking back.
        Fair ghostly presence, few remain
        That know of Thisbe's crimson stain."

        She spoke:  "Oh yes, the world moves on,
        And with each rosy-fingered dawn
        Time's marker ticks another notch,
        Alas, its march we can but watch,

        "And with its march, times past do fade,
        Past's lover is tomorrow's shade,
        Time's boot doth trample memory,
        Thus few now know the bloody tree.

        "The tree of life, the tree of death!"
        She spake them both in single breath.
        "My lover's blood with mine flowed free
        To feed the root of mulb'ry tree.

        "And as we joined the realms of dead
        The tree's fruit turned a somber red,
        Emblem of our tragic doom,
        Sweet-sad child of legend's womb.

        "Our lives were o'er, yet we lived on --
        Paradox quite finely drawn,
        Sages' logic to confute
        With tree's attesting crimson fruit."

        Orion spoke:  "Your song, and mine,
        Doth light against the dark align,
        Though few may hear, yet fewer see,
        We must needs sing of mulb'ry tree,

        "Odysseus' journey, Priam's plight,
        The spirits that illume the night --
        Repair time's ravage, mend the breach,
        With muse-inspired metered speech."

        The Spirit bowed and took his leave,
        Pausing not his plight to grieve,
        Instead, he vowed to journey long,
        Singing out Orion's song.

        Songs immortal, crystal-cast,
        Melodic bridges to the past.
        Though few may hear, yet fewer see,
        We must needs sing of mulb'ry tree.

5 responses total.

#1 of 5 by lumen on Fri May 26 22:58:31 2000:

Wow, you've just got a lot of jewels hidden away, don'tcha?

#2 of 5 by jazz on Sat May 27 13:39:28 2000:

        Perfect tempo throughout, very impressive overall.

#3 of 5 by flem on Mon Jun 26 19:07:44 2000:

I think I would kind of have liked to seen "mulberry" instead of 
"mulb'ry".  Even Shakespeare varied his rhythm from time to time.

Hmm... this reminds me of something I've been kicking around for a few 
years, both in style and substance.  I'll see if I can find it...

#4 of 5 by freedom on Sun Jul 2 23:20:36 2000:

I think this is really excellent, really..like something I would have had to
study in school!! It's very good, with a nice little story going on between
the two talking...or conversing, whatever!..this has an excellent flow..

#5 of 5 by remmers on Mon Jul 3 13:14:42 2000:

Thanks.

<remmers bows>

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