27.4.07

five poems / five days #5

Lucille Clifton

here yet be dragons


so many languages have fallen
off the edge of the world
into the dragon’s mouth. some

where there be monsters whose teeth
are sharp and sparkle with lost

people. lost poems. who
among us can imagine ourselves
unimagined? who

among us can speak with so fragile
tongue can remain proud?

*

A piece that, for me, shows the grand necessity of facing one’s dragon. Those things that cannot be easily said with words get away form us. Lost people, lost poems. The brilliant notion – “who / among us can imagine ourselves / unimagined” – delivers the scope of Clifton’s intentions. We are somewhere “off the edge of the world”. Lost possibilities, lost stories. And a fragile tongue.

6 comments:

Liz said...

Hi Sam,

I'm new to your blog - really like this poem - thanks for sharing - am enjoying all these 'must-reads' a lot...great idea.

ciao,
Liz

sam of the ten thousand things said...

I appreciate the read, Liz. Thanks for the comment.

Unknown said...

Liked this too, and also your interpretation.

sam of the ten thousand things said...

Thanks for the read, Jenni.

Clockwise Cat said...

That's an amazing poem. Thanks so much for posting it. Words escape me - perhaps they've fallen into the dragon's mouth?

sam of the ten thousand things said...

Thanks for the comment, Clockwise Cat. There are dragons out there -