He Who is Dry Cork

[eglantine_br]

Title: He Who is Dry Cork

Author Eglantine_br

Rating G

Word Count 461

He Who is Dry Cork

He had no fear of blows, or worse, coming out of the dark. He could strip his clothing to wash, without fear or shame. His body was his own, and Horatio loved it. No one beat him now, no one mocked him now. His value was known. There were no chains here.

Comments

[shezzawatto]

Excellent as usual. Great description of how some symptoms of PTSD can get at you.
But the title???

[eglantine_br]

It is from a song Anteros sent me. It is the Donne poem,'The Indifferent.' In the song, all the female pronouns are changed, so it is about a man. The first part has always reminded me of Archie and Horatio although the whole poem is not applicable.

I CAN love both fair and brown ;
Her whom abundance melts, and her whom want betrays ;
Her who loves loneness best, and her who masks and plays ;
Her whom the country form'd, and whom the town ;
Her who believes, and her who tries ;
Her who still weeps with spongy eyes,
And her who is dry cork, and never cries.

I guess Archie did cry, when Horatio found him in El Ferrol,(but he had to be half dead to be able to do it. I kind of see that part of him as closed off and inaccessible.

PTSD, absolutely.

[anteros_lmc]

I've been itching to read this all day ever since I saw the title :) This is perfect and perfectly heartbreaking. It seems to be almost canon that Archie does not cry. And that's certainly how I see him. Everything is locked down, locked away, closed and inaccessible like you said.

Some nights, still, he came up gasping like a gaffed fish
That's a really powerful image. (If you've ever gaffed a fish.)

Here in the dark, Archie knew what the small and harmless know. If he held still enough, if he trembled in the most careful silence, he would be safe.
That's really frightening. It brings the suffocating terror so much closer than graphic depictions of violence ever do.

This is a really powerful piece of writing, and strangely enough, it's perfectly in keeping with venusinfurs90's In the Lamb Inn.

[eglantine_br]

hey. I wrote this with you and your Archie in mind. I know that after the first verse Donne wanders off, but the first verse really does remind me of them.

And the Lamb Inn does fit perfectly, (how good to see her name again.)

I have gaffed a fish, sounds as if you have too. I kind of assumed Archie has as well. (Maybe when he still lived at home.)
Does that sound right. in Scotland, I'm thinking, not London.

I think animal imagery is a way to understand the past. When he was curled up, I was imagining him as a little being, like a vole or mouse.

[anteros_lmc]

I wrote this with you and your Archie in mind.
I'm touched :) Though I think "your" Archie and "my" Archie are pretty much one and the same character almost. You're so right about The Indifferent, and so many other songs / poem on that recording. I have had that for years but now I can't listen to it without thinking of the boys.

And the Lamb Inn does fit perfectly
Doesn't it? It's quite uncanny.

I have gaffed a fish, sounds as if you have too. I kind of assumed Archie has as well.
I would think so. He must have fished as a boy. We used to call the gaff "the priest" because it delivered the last rites!

I think animal imagery is a way to understand the past. When he was curled up, I was imagining him as a little being, like a vole or mouse.
Reminds me of Burns too with his sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beasties. It's a powerful metaphor. (Wonder if Archie knew Burns? They came from the same part of the world...)

[eglantine_br]

I like Burns. he seems to me to have looked at the world with real sympathy. And he described the little mouse and its tiny thoughts so well.

I was in that space last night, sitting here feeling sorry for fish! Mice are more appealing somehow. Its the fur, I think.
And Archie was reverting, at that moment, to furry small mammal thoughts. I would not normally describe him as 'timorous' though.

[anteros_lmc]

(Sorry it's taken me so long to reply to this.)

I like Burns. he seems to me to have looked at the world with real sympathy.
You're absolutely right. There is a real humanity to Burns writing. Sadly he has become a bit of a cliche here in Scotland and it's easy to overlook the power of his work. I'm confess I'm rather guilty of that myself, I am much less familiar with Burns poems than I should be.

I would not normally describe him as 'timorous' though.
No indeed! Though he has his moments of panic :/

[eglantine_br]

You and Burns, me and Frost. If I hear about that snowy evening one more damn time...

"he gives his harness bells a shake, to ask if there is some mistake..."

But they both have something to say if you come at them new. 'The death of the hired man' is actually quite good. I like Burns better, but he is more fresh to me.

[anteros_lmc]

I'm ashamed to say I have never even heard of Frost. My knowledge of American literature is woeful, just woeful :/

I like Burns better, but he is more fresh to me.
When I do re-read Burns I am always amazed by the honesty and humanity of his writing. And I must admit I have a real soft spot for some of his song settings. Particularly "Now Westlin' Winds" by Dick Gaughan. It's just beautiful. Performance here and lyrics here. Enjoy :)

[eglantine_br]

Robert Frost. Supposedly the example of the New England poets. Crammed down our throats at school. Some of his stuff is good. And he might please someone he was not forced onto.

Here is Fire and Ice:

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

He is also the one who said "Home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in."

I don't know. I think I like Burns better.