Grex Poetry Conference

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Grex Poetry Item 320: Reflecting upon the yesteryear...
Entered by rlawson on Thu Sep 12 02:42:33 UTC 2002:

This poem is most certainly not mine (too good), but has been on my mind a
lot today.  It seems appropriate to share.

Ecstasy               by Hayden Carruth

For years it was in sex and I thought
this was the most of it
            so brief
                    a moment
or two of transport out of oneself
                    or
in music which lasted longer and filled me
with the exquisite wrenching agony
of the blues
        and now it is equally
transitory and obscure as I sit in my broken
chair that the cats have shredded
by the stove on a winter night with wind and snow
howling outside and I imagine
the whole world at peace
                at peace
and everyone comfortable and warm
the great pain assuaged
                    a moment
of the most shining and singular sensual gratification.

3 responses total.

#1 of 3 by flem on Fri Sep 13 20:16:41 2002:

One thing I've never managed to understand about this kind of poetry (or about
any kind of poetry, really) is the indentation thing.  What does it mean? 
How would the poem be different if it were, say, all left justified?  If the
one- or two-word lines were folded into the preceding lines?

#2 of 3 by bumble on Sat Sep 14 07:25:24 2002:

I've always felt it gives it a bit of presentation that for whatever 
reason implies more of the meaning than the works alone... I don't 
know, I'm high so maybe im full of it

#3 of 3 by arianna on Wed Oct 2 14:34:50 2002:

what a great poem.

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