Grex Poetry Conference

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Grex Poetry Item 27: Cairns [linked]
Entered by brighn on Mon Feb 8 16:07:03 UTC 1999:

A blinding flash, and then nothing...

Take me to the cairns
and introduce my soul
to the ones who have come before

Under the denim sky,
take my hand
take my heart
for I have grown weary of the walk

I want to find the quiet again
I know it's there,
somewhere,
within the cairns

So let our paths wind together,
and teach me the ways
of the ones who have come before

Under the cotton sky,
hold my hand
hold my heart
which has darkened from the grime

I want to be cleansed again
I know the water is fresh
Let me swim my dirt away
between the cairns

These are for the ones who have come before,
for when the pain is gone,
when the words have burned,
all that is left is memory

So take me to the cairns
And let me build my own

13 responses total.

#1 of 13 by zoe on Mon Feb 8 16:47:53 1999:

for some reason... 
   So let our paths wind together,
   and teach me the ways
   of the ones who have come before
                   made me want to cry..

#2 of 13 by allida on Mon Feb 8 19:35:51 1999:

"let me build my own"
YES!!!!
 :)

#3 of 13 by bookworm on Mon Feb 8 19:45:08 1999:

For some reason, every time I read something of yours, Paul, I want to 
read it again.

:)

#4 of 13 by orinoco on Mon Feb 8 20:22:54 1999:

"denim sky" - I like it!

#5 of 13 by lumen on Mon Feb 8 22:40:51 1999:

This could be excellent material for a folk song-- it has that rustic 
air about it and enough repetition for song hooks.

#6 of 13 by brighn on Tue Feb 9 15:34:43 1999:

I must admit that "denim sky" was borrowed from Stephen King (The Regulators),
though his reference sounds like he took it from elsewhere... the persistence
of metaphors and memes =}

The cairns, meanwhile, were inspired by the movie "Still Breathing," which
I saw a few days ago and which I recommend (although not highly).

#7 of 13 by orinoco on Wed Feb 10 02:17:20 1999:

Damn those pesky memes.

#8 of 13 by bookworm on Wed Feb 10 05:51:37 1999:

A wise poet once said:

"Good poets borrow from other works.
Great poets steal."

#9 of 13 by logansan on Wed Feb 10 18:25:37 1999:

        I appriciate the mood that you have created here ... I like this much.

#10 of 13 by lumen on Thu Feb 11 06:37:41 1999:

resp:8 I don't know if I'd agree with that.

#11 of 13 by brighn on Thu Feb 11 22:39:32 1999:

How about this one:
A plagiarist steals from another.
A scholar steals from everyone.

#12 of 13 by lumen on Fri Feb 12 19:46:13 1999:

Well, I still don't agree with the principle: if it be a scholar, then 
it be a very poor one.  Good scholars *paraphrase* and if they take 
others work, they document it or at least try to make it their own.

#13 of 13 by toking on Wed Feb 17 18:59:33 1999:

(linked to the new poetry conf)

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