Tuesday, February 04, 2014

TUESDAY POEM | The Soldier & The Poet by CB and Elizabeth Brooke-Carr


High on the peninsula hills directly opposite my house stands a lone soldier. A welcome part of my everyday landscape, I have wondered often about him and his - as far as I know - untold story. In early 2009, a poem arrived, landing on the page as if the soldier had called it forth, as if he had turned his face to my window and was listening. 

A month or two ago, my friend Elizabeth sent me a letter. "I'm not sure how to tell you this," she said, "but the soldier has written a reply to his poet. . . "



"Every love poem is also a peace poem."
Kevin Clements | National Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, University of Otago  




This week's editor on the Tuesday Poem hub - with our second post of the new year - is Jennifer Compton. 
Jen has chosen Bogong Moth by Joe Dolce. The second stanza of this heart-stopping poem reads. . . 

                                                            I look up from my book
                                                            accepting the immortal,
                                                            fatal dance
                                                            of life and light,
                                                            like Icarus’s father
                                                            resigned to watch
                                                            his flying boy
                                                            hurl against brilliance.


To read Joe's poem and Jen's zippy commentary, please click on the quill.

A belated HAPPY NEW YEAR to us all. 

(I've been a distracted blog writer and reader this past month and more; immersed in various projects prompting the building and rebuilding of a website or two - exciting things are in the wings, the details of which will follow. . . ) 





4 comments:

  1. I love this Claire - beautiful. The video and the music complement the words perfectly without taking anything away. Fantastic!

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  2. What a wonderful collaboration. And so good to see Elizabeth on Tuesday Poem. Loved the presentation...the photos, paintings music and the responses of the soldier poet (Elizabeth) to your words Claire. Than You both.

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    1. Thank you, Helen - I love the way collaborative processes seem always to bring in something unexpected, taking on a life of their own. I, too, love Elizabeth's soldier and his heartfelt response to the poet.

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