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Photographs
Documents of truth to the eyes
To a worship of the past-
The superior reality of photographs
Where once we were alive
In a place of frozen dimension-
Every shifting cloud, every leaf
Is accounted for, a redemption
From the cruelty of time’s belief
In nothing but the passing breaths
From we who bear witness.
Last few words:
The poem is based on the line "the superior reality of photographs", from the poem Preambles by Alvin Feinman, and my poem is dedicated to him.
Editing stage:
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Comments
weirdelf
Tue, 2019-01-08 12:34
Like digital time
where the number constantly increases, dragging us inexorably to our deaths.
Analogue time is part of the cycle day/night, seasons, years the motion of the galaxy itself.
The very best photograph can express this.
Fucking fine poem, my friend.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
T. Harmonee
Tue, 2019-01-08 07:36
Nice!
I love this! It flows very well and it really makes you think, especially about why your grandparents and past generations always were taking pictures and collecting them in bunches of albums or boxes full.
"Poetry is music for the human voice. Until you actually speak it or someone speaks it, it has not come into it's own."
- Maya Angelou
lovedly
Tue, 2019-01-08 07:57
today I see
young gals and guys taking selfies together or alone coz who knows who will be the new pair and so another selfie with a fresher one will take care digitize all snaps and time we have to be slaves all our time now of selfies o man
zebra
Tue, 2019-01-08 11:17
Wrenching, beautifully stated
Wrenching, beautifully stated, I like very much how you let the reader know how the image in a photograph suspends time and how in that very suspension we also find the imminence of our own aging and mortality
At 71 I keep on my desk a picture if my wife at 35 and myself at 39 both happy in love and suntanned
Damn.... A universal message and eloquent!!!!!
Best Z
Eumolpus
Tue, 2019-01-08 12:45
much thanks to my friends
Thank you for your kind words for my efforts.
Our dialogues are very deeply appreciated!
Mark
Eumolpus
I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance
ee cummings
weirdelf
Sun, 2019-01-13 08:37
By the way, have you read "On Photography" by Susan Sonntag?
Excellent, thoughtful and very insightful book but don't read it or you may never take another photograph. [grins]
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry