Poem: "Palimpsest"
This poem came from the March 2009 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from arielstarshadow and selected for publication in the generally sponsored poetry poll. This month's sponsors are: ellenmillion, dakiwiboid, dulcinbradbury, minor_architect, ladyqkat, and janetmiles.
Historically, a palimpsest is a piece of parchment or papyrus that has been treated to remove earlier writing, then reused. It sometimes refers to a city or building established atop prior ruins. This latter informal usage may have inspired the novel Palimpsest, which was the source of the prompt.
Palimpsest
Once there was a city
that grew as a pearl grows,
from a small grain to a great orb
pale and whole as the moon, coat
laid over shining, shimmering coats.
Once there was a city
that knew itself as a book knows,
each page perfect and pressed between
other pages, all wisdom hidden until opened.
Once there was a city
that was peeled like an onion,
dry skin revealing sharp white flesh,
until at last, in the very center, a green shoot
thrust forth to sprout through the heart of the explorer.
Historically, a palimpsest is a piece of parchment or papyrus that has been treated to remove earlier writing, then reused. It sometimes refers to a city or building established atop prior ruins. This latter informal usage may have inspired the novel Palimpsest, which was the source of the prompt.
Palimpsest
Once there was a city
that grew as a pearl grows,
from a small grain to a great orb
pale and whole as the moon, coat
laid over shining, shimmering coats.
Once there was a city
that knew itself as a book knows,
each page perfect and pressed between
other pages, all wisdom hidden until opened.
Once there was a city
that was peeled like an onion,
dry skin revealing sharp white flesh,
until at last, in the very center, a green shoot
thrust forth to sprout through the heart of the explorer.