This Poem was Submitted By: Mark Andrew Hislop On Date: 2005-11-20 23:42:13 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

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The Book of Dirt

is the Book of Books into which nothing may be inscribed is the Page of Pages into which all things may be read is to the cloud as the cornerstone is to the church is to the ant as the ant is to the stars is as rich as the heart of the raven is as miserly as the north-east monsoon is as dry as a needle is as wet as a lecture is as flat as yesterday is as round as tomorrow is as blind as the cut of water is as insensible as the idea of ‘mine’ is as pointless as a steeplechase is as vague as the sun is as quick as marmalade is as tidy as encephalitis is as quiet as a martyr is as voluble as a ghost is as complex as the centre of the sphere is as simple as the sphere is as vast as the container containing the container of the constellations is as small as the soles of my daughter’s shoes.

Copyright © November 2005 Mark Andrew Hislop


This Poem was Critiqued By: arnie s WACHMAN On Date: 2005-11-30 15:50:40
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.71429
Is you is or is you ain't? Well, what's the point of all this rambling? Too much, too much...it is as adrift as the sea see? I also don't get your title...oh well. C'est la vie. A tu les chamignons? or, have you been having tea with the jolly swagman?


This Poem was Critiqued By: Thomas Edward Wright On Date: 2005-11-24 21:30:53
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.25000
One of your better ventures. I'd search for a publicist on this chance. Which is as small as my - checking acct balance. 14-luv.
This Poem was Critiqued By: Dellena Rovito On Date: 2005-11-23 19:34:08
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.66667
Mark, It sounds like the book that contains all things even with nothing written down. The book of every thought and deed. It seems to be the book of accountability. which noone wishes to see or think of. and it may or may not exist... but still does in the recording of all things! good thought-full poetry.. Dellena
This Poem was Critiqued By: marilyn terwilleger On Date: 2005-11-21 15:22:22
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.81250
Hi Mark, I have read this over and over trying to pick out my most favorite line...but alas you make that so hard for me. They are all well written and profound and so full of truths that it is painful. is as rich as the heart of the raven is as miserly as the north-east monsoon is as dry as a needle is as wet as a lecture is as flat as yesterday is as round as tomorrow is as blind as the cut of water The above lines make so much sense to me and are so well conceived that I will memorize them (an easy task for me) I just know I can work them into a conversation somehow, somewhere, and then I will tell them a famous author taught them to me! Could there possibly be anything more dry than a needle? Even if you put it under the water tap it doesn't stay wet. And what could be more flat than yesterday? It has been lived, taken apart, cried over, laughed over, skipped over, and is totally done and as flat as a cola left to sit without it's cap. As blind as the cut of water is brilliant...even if you watch your hand sink the cut or mark you make is almost invisible and if you pull your hand out quickly it leaves behind no hole. All the others I did not mention are equally wonderful...and your last line...is as small as the sole of my daughter's shoes...is a tear jerker if I ever read one. Of course I love everything you write but this one will stay with me for a very long time. I hope all who read this will appreciate it as much as I do! I promise it will stay at the top of my list! Love ya...Mazza
This Poem was Critiqued By: Mark Steven Scheffer On Date: 2005-11-21 10:46:37
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 8.69565
MAH, For some reason, I can only look at this poem from the outside. I can't enter into this one at the moment. Which is probably a good thing. :) As always, your poem exhibits some type of organization that makes it worth noticing, in this instance the parallelism in the structure. You never cobble a bad poem. What that says about your daughter's "sole[]" and her "shoes" is beyond my ken. MSS
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