Just got to listen there. Great read David, of a beautiful poem, could be from days and days gone by. Has a classic feel to it. I can feel the words. How they are meant, in the read, it lends meaning... .
Great read from beginning to end. Gripping with the descriptions and the phrasing makes it stronger. My absolute favorite line that made me re-read it over and over because of how much I liked it was:
"Aglow in golden sacrifice,
To the gods of solitude."
Mystical and beautifully poetic. The G sounds weren't something I noticed on the first read along with the S words. Very clever form that made me go over the whole poem with a different set of eyes from my first read. Amazing.
Definitely one in which I was trying to find some weave between vowels and consonants! Delighted it has come across well for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and react I really appreciate it.
For me, this poem was enigmatic. Although my vocabulary includes many technical and medical terms, I confess that I needed a dictionary to define “afflatus,” and to assure myself that you were not referring to some form of gastrointestinal distress I’ve not heard of. Forgive my ignorance! I think I still need this poem explained to me, if you have an explanation. In the meantime , I’m going to read it a few times and then listen to you reading it.😊
Yes that has certainly been a key word for many in this poem and it certainly sounds a bit flatulent alright 😅. I don't typically include too much added context on each poem as I'd like it to speak mostly for itself and try to draw the reader in figure their own conclusions out...
...but at a very high level this concerns the conflict within someone who is caught between the deep rooted urge to create/write and a desire to be there for ones family and loved ones. To be creative it can require stepping away and dedicating time, but this can feel like abandoning ones responsibilities which is not the intention. The subject is aware of the inspiration that comes to them in their day to day life as they care/tend to family and feels the frustration as it escapes them - this is the afflatus (the breath of inspiration from the aether/gods) that appears to the subject in idle thought rising out of the fire in the home and disappearing agonisingly like an ember.
I sort of thought that—I sensed the conflicting feelings and I identify with them, although my conflict is more with work, where all creativity is extinguished. Thanks for responding, and I hope the afflatus will continue to flow, and I look forward to more poems from you! Thanks for the Néw vocabulary word, as well.
Listening to your poem made it all the more enjoyable, david! Had my attention from start to finish! How do you even come up with such beautiful poems!
Wow thank you so much for those kind words. Sometimes the poem feels like a problem im trying to work out in my head and the solution is some sort of musical lyric or a form that is either pleasing or sense making... I usually don't end up when I thought I was going but I think thats the point.. its a problem in my head because I don't know the solution yet, only that I want to solve it.
So basically you're writing to figure out what you're thinking, sort of pulling it out of your head and on to paper/your screen so you can see it in front of you and go, "oh so that's what I'm thinking about!" That's so cool
I love finding new words, especially in a context that intrigues me. And I agree that part of the joy of reading is in the searching for the definition. I like being drawn into another's writing in this way.
This feels like illumination. I must admit, I had to look up the word "afflatus," and upon seeing the definition, confirmed the original impression I'd received. Really beautiful lines.
Thank you so much. Yes I've not often delved so deep into more obscure words and I am wondering now if I should have footnoted the definition. I'll keep at it for the moment, part of it is about the joy of looking it up if curious enough. 🤷♂️
Thanks so much for the comment. I really appreciate it!
Just got to listen there. Great read David, of a beautiful poem, could be from days and days gone by. Has a classic feel to it. I can feel the words. How they are meant, in the read, it lends meaning... .
Awesome thanks for your comments.. yep i am feeling the added value of the readings. I think this is a good addition.
Thanks again!
Great read from beginning to end. Gripping with the descriptions and the phrasing makes it stronger. My absolute favorite line that made me re-read it over and over because of how much I liked it was:
"Aglow in golden sacrifice,
To the gods of solitude."
Mystical and beautifully poetic. The G sounds weren't something I noticed on the first read along with the S words. Very clever form that made me go over the whole poem with a different set of eyes from my first read. Amazing.
Definitely one in which I was trying to find some weave between vowels and consonants! Delighted it has come across well for you. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and react I really appreciate it.
Beautiful poem and lovely reading…
Thank you so much Brian!
Beautiful to read, and Listen to, David
Thanks, mum! X
I hear echos of some of the great Irish poets here.
Ah thanks LeeAnn thats really nice of you to say but surely I've a long way to go before I've barely a whisper on their work!
For me, this poem was enigmatic. Although my vocabulary includes many technical and medical terms, I confess that I needed a dictionary to define “afflatus,” and to assure myself that you were not referring to some form of gastrointestinal distress I’ve not heard of. Forgive my ignorance! I think I still need this poem explained to me, if you have an explanation. In the meantime , I’m going to read it a few times and then listen to you reading it.😊
Yes that has certainly been a key word for many in this poem and it certainly sounds a bit flatulent alright 😅. I don't typically include too much added context on each poem as I'd like it to speak mostly for itself and try to draw the reader in figure their own conclusions out...
...but at a very high level this concerns the conflict within someone who is caught between the deep rooted urge to create/write and a desire to be there for ones family and loved ones. To be creative it can require stepping away and dedicating time, but this can feel like abandoning ones responsibilities which is not the intention. The subject is aware of the inspiration that comes to them in their day to day life as they care/tend to family and feels the frustration as it escapes them - this is the afflatus (the breath of inspiration from the aether/gods) that appears to the subject in idle thought rising out of the fire in the home and disappearing agonisingly like an ember.
There is more obviously but thats the crux of it.
I sort of thought that—I sensed the conflicting feelings and I identify with them, although my conflict is more with work, where all creativity is extinguished. Thanks for responding, and I hope the afflatus will continue to flow, and I look forward to more poems from you! Thanks for the Néw vocabulary word, as well.
So beautiful. Wow.
Thanks for taking the time to read!
Listening to your poem made it all the more enjoyable, david! Had my attention from start to finish! How do you even come up with such beautiful poems!
Wow thank you so much for those kind words. Sometimes the poem feels like a problem im trying to work out in my head and the solution is some sort of musical lyric or a form that is either pleasing or sense making... I usually don't end up when I thought I was going but I think thats the point.. its a problem in my head because I don't know the solution yet, only that I want to solve it.
So basically you're writing to figure out what you're thinking, sort of pulling it out of your head and on to paper/your screen so you can see it in front of you and go, "oh so that's what I'm thinking about!" That's so cool
I love finding new words, especially in a context that intrigues me. And I agree that part of the joy of reading is in the searching for the definition. I like being drawn into another's writing in this way.
"Whose embers of afflatus,
Float and quench in our corona,
And descend to rest as ash upon the stone;"
This feels like illumination. I must admit, I had to look up the word "afflatus," and upon seeing the definition, confirmed the original impression I'd received. Really beautiful lines.
Thank you so much. Yes I've not often delved so deep into more obscure words and I am wondering now if I should have footnoted the definition. I'll keep at it for the moment, part of it is about the joy of looking it up if curious enough. 🤷♂️
Thanks so much for the comment. I really appreciate it!
I agree with The Sea. This poem has a very classic feel to it. Very well done!
Thanks so much Mike. I did feel i was tapping into something a bit more traditional here, maybe academic... Felt right anyway.
Sorta Hopkins vibe maybe...