To the Tune "Song of River City"

[thenakedcat]

Ten years--dead and living, two parted by a vast dimness

Comments

[laurabryannan]

Lovely! Perfect for the wives I believe you're referring to.

One typo:

*Your* were combing your hair....

[thenakedcat]

It's a very, very evocative description of longing--the poet wrote it specifically about his first wife, so no wonder.

D'oh! on the typo! I really shouldn't update the journal late at night.

[shalomdebbie]

Waaaaaaaa! *sniffle*

[thenakedcat]

800 years old, and that poem still resonates.

[7owti5]

Ohhhhhh you're right, it doesn't matter at all, high art or low art. The emotions behind this poem are so real. I DEFINITELY reminds me of certain late wives, but also it reminds me of the way my grandfather spoke about my grandmother, who died almost 10 years before he would.

[thenakedcat]

High or low, the longing is still the same.

The (remarried) poet wrote this after having a vivid dream of his first wife ten years after her death. He had been the one who taught her to read, and discovered that she had an excellent ear for poetry. So the wife he's speaking of is a soul-partner in many different ways.

[quakey]

Nice. Sad, but nice. <3

[thenakedcat]

The way you can tell good literature from mediocre is that the good stuff makes you feel...liberated, somehow...even when it's depressing.

[thenakedcat]

Don't have to say anything else, dear. I think that's quite eloquent enough.