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As Circles Close Never-ending loops of the universe speed us on, caught in repetition for an eternity. Planets, suns, cultures, religions climb the hill of dominance to whatever height possible then slide down. Temples of Apollo, built on faults, reigned on the belief in prophesy, their advice sought by generals and kings, especially at Adelphi. Pythias, put into trances by carbon dioxide, influenced world affaires through suggestions and man’s propensity to act out self-fulfilling beliefs. But even then science exacted its price: the gas emitted by the intersection of two faults ran out, and with it a sharp decline in the role of Adelphi High Priests, and subsequently Paganism. No longer could humans be so sure these gods were on their side. Note the Cathedrals of the West slowly decline due to the masses, who might politely listen, then come to their own decisions about morals and behavior, made possible by advances in science and education. So common now: the living will and pulling the plug, evolution, stem-cell and cloning research, the ability to date relics from the past, debunking the belief in the veil of Christ’s face, God’s curse on Petra, Jordan, and the builders of pyramids at Giza, despite the sermons of clerics, and terrorist tactics. The final attempt to dictate is the pressure of clergy on politicians just as the Roman High Priests exhorted Nero to stop the spread of Christianity with agonizing force. All that rises eventually falls into turmoil. Each circle completes because a new one must begin, even though each renewal becomes lost in nature’s law of repetition. |
This Poem was Critiqued By: Marcia McCaslin On Date: 2004-05-06 09:00:45
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.94444
Hi C--(I know I'm running behind and in circles which brings me directly in front of
your poem here).
This reader feels as though she's been taken through a physics/history class in six
well-formatted stanzas. Your first verse starts with the super-large end of things
and the last seems to downsize to the tinier, immediate circle of where we/I live.
You say each circle completes because a new one must begin. This reminds me of "teeth".
Watch on the news last night that we are now able to "seed" a tooth so that a new tooth
will grow--at least in mice and we assume...laugh. So then I thought, the reason baby
teeth fall out is because the larger tooth is pushing it out---thus your circles that close
because a new one MUST begin, even though each renewal DOES become lost in nature's law of
repetition (recycling also???)
I am quite caught in how tight this is. Lots of us could say it in 3 times the verses, but
you have allowed us to "speed-read" all of these thoughts and notions in a short piece. Your
temples of Apollo built on faults speaks volumes about so much of what mankind does--and sort
of points me toward the biblical reference to build our houses on a rock, etc. etc. (Is "affaires"
a typo, or is there a different word I don't know about?--)
Without saying it per se, you have referenced a couple of times that water seeks its own level,
thus the "poetic physics" that always draws me in. Jordan's Quantum poem is an example as well.
This is short because time rushes on and I have miles to go before I sleep. Best to you,
Marcia