Sunday 21 April 2013

in the naked glory, I forget myself

Monhegan's Schoolteacher, 2004 by Jamie Wyeth 
a lifetime spent in the books
sometimes I forget myself
the shock you feel looking at me reading, 
on that bed, naked, while I dry my hair--
only increases my resilience

I thrive in the words of that book
which has taken me to a world filled with infidels 
who bomb the city at their whim. 
I struggle to understand their promise 
to something beyond humanity. 

a land which is not ours any more 
yet a shelter for a shortwhile
until I harden myself and go out 
to be shipped to an unknown place
where I will lie down spent bereft of my books

"wake up, all of you, before twilight strikes
and we all disappear into the night of ignorance"


31 comments:

  1. Beautiful poem ,,,, lost in books is a great place to hide.

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  2. I share your love of escaping into books, the better to understand life. Very poignant "a land that is not ours any more". I think we are feeling that about our entire planet these days.

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  3. To escape into books certainly does give us a bit of reprieve from life in this "land that is not ours anymore". Lovely write!

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  4. What a stunning poem to accompany this work of art. One can become enraptured in a beautiful book.

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  5. Beautiful beautiful poem :)
    Sorry both about the spam and the dreaded word verification :)

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  6. Stunning and the message at the end speaks loud and clear!!
    Ignorance can be taught, the crazy can be medicated but what about stupidity??

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  7. I like the idea of her nakedness indicating the innocence that we are losing in the world at this time, but eventually it will our our freedom that will be gone.

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  8. I hate suddenly realizing I am being watched, when I thought I had some privacy!

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  9. Indeed book are a way to forget the harsh realities of this world.............

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  10. The symbolism of your nakedness
    The vulnerability of your nakedness
    The defiance of your nakedness
    the pleasure of your nakedness
    The belief that you could actually hide and just read about it.
    All a metaphor for the reaction of society to repeated waves of terrorism.

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  11. I always admire your postscripts..it's like naked truth..very few are brave enough to write the truth..or indeed read it..

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  12. timely write- what a world we live in today.

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  13. No better escape, or source of knowledge. Enjoyed that.

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  14. Obscure but relevant at the same time...beautuful piece , which I can revere.

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  15. a beautiful, powerful piece...x

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  16. Beautiful! I couldn't live without my books...

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  17. Books and reading galore- oh yes, give thanks for that! A lovely poem of wit and wisdom.

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  18. 2302Fair warning! "Bereft of my books"...what a fate.

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  19. Love it! Now only if the book could actually take us to another place.

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  20. A lot to think about here, a good sign. But I wonder if infidels know they are infidels.

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  21. A thought provoking poem which is really current. Excellent!

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  22. Sooooo gorgeous, and thought provoking. Beautiful.

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  23. Fabulous - you describe me to a T - though I don't look anything like the lovely lady in the picture!

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  24. Beautiful poem. I am frequently lost in books. You're in good company.

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  25. the world of words is seductive.
    the siren of thoughts exposes
    hidden desires and there is that
    certain type of reader who cannot
    resist this feeling.

    excellent.

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  26. there is more going here that just reading a book. Your words and thoughts go much deeper that just being lost in a book. I to recoil at what is going on the world.

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