Maybe it means She's sneaking round the back way, to illuminate (as if by back-lighting, as in chiaroscuro) the reverent fidelity of your dejection, while you remain (as yet) unawares... tomorrow's two-steps-forward poem lit up from within by tonight's feeling of three-steps-back... she recognizes Modesty as among the honest poet's finest virtues.
Yes, yes what a fool I've been, dancing my life away with not a word of thanks left for the muse at the bitter end.
(Though I have one now for you--thanks!
Tom,
You're right about Modesty being among the honest poet's finest virtues--case in point; a friend of mine was a student under James Dickey and she remembers him telling her he'd just finished reading some of the finest poems he'd ever read--his own! Isn't that aMusing?
Dickey was a veritable Good Will Ambassador of the Muse.
When he was poet laureate of them thar you nighted states he found himself besieged with poems from those who thought, for some reason, that the poet laureate would be interested in reading them.
He drafted this charming personalized all-purpose declension note.
"I do not criticize unsolicited manuscripts, because I believe that often an external evaluation of a poet’s work distracts him from his necessary spontaneity, and from the pleasure which he may derive from the creation of his work."
Beautiful poem Vassilis.
ReplyDeleteMuse/What the tailor told me
While getting
measured
for a new stitch
she'll always say
an inch tighter
Aditya,
ReplyDeleteAnother fitting tribute to the muse--thanks for reminding us to watch our waste lines!
She's trying to get you to dance, fool! And here you are—dancing in words. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it means She's sneaking round the back way, to illuminate (as if by back-lighting, as in chiaroscuro) the reverent fidelity of your dejection, while you remain (as yet) unawares... tomorrow's two-steps-forward poem lit up from within by tonight's feeling of three-steps-back... she recognizes Modesty as among the honest poet's finest virtues.
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteYes, yes what a fool I've been, dancing
my life away with not a word
of thanks left for the muse
at the bitter end.
(Though I have one now for you--thanks!
Tom,
You're right about Modesty being among the honest poet's finest virtues--case in point; a friend of mine was a student under James Dickey and she remembers him telling her he'd just finished reading some of the finest poems he'd ever read--his own! Isn't that aMusing?
Dickey was a veritable Good Will Ambassador of the Muse.
ReplyDeleteWhen he was poet laureate of them thar you nighted states he found himself besieged with poems from those who thought, for some reason, that the poet laureate would be interested in reading them.
He drafted this charming personalized all-purpose declension note.
"I do not criticize unsolicited manuscripts, because I believe that often an external evaluation of a poet’s work distracts him from his necessary spontaneity, and from the pleasure which he may derive from the creation of his work."
Lassoing two poets with one lariat?
ReplyDelete