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Tribes

General Poetry - post, comment, review, critique
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Colm Roe
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Tribes

Post by Colm Roe » Wed May 06, 2020 7:55 pm

Some dishes are better served cold,
vintage revenge tastes sweeter
when memories root too deep and wide,
spread so far they forget how small the seed was
and turn soil to grave.

Some dishes are served to strangers,
from starved to starving
humbled to humbled,
brothers sensed
across a world, so big then
we couldn't begin to imagine.

With almost nothing
that tribe found something,
they gave alms and hope;
someone cared
173 years ago...how is that possible.

It's coming home.

Some seeds lie dormant,
and vintage slowly
produce abundant fruit
and
sweet surprises.


https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/worl ... ribes.html

indar
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Re: Tribes

Post by indar » Wed May 06, 2020 8:43 pm

My daughter just sent me a link to an article about this. Who knew? It kind of choked me up. Not a word in US news about this either.

Your poem so captures the sweetnes of these acts of mutuality. No matter the religious beliefs it is a case of doing for the least of these. In the middle of tragedy there can be some beautiful surprises.

May I send your poem and the link to my daughter?

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Colm Roe
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Re: Tribes

Post by Colm Roe » Wed May 06, 2020 8:53 pm

Please do.
I have to admit I actually cried writing the poem. They went through so much, yet still managed to be touched by a country of 'white' men they knew nothing about! I just donated...repaid :)
It's just the most heartwarming gestures. They had nothing, and yet....

ajduclos
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Re: Tribes

Post by ajduclos » Thu May 07, 2020 6:10 am

Colm - what a beautiful and gripping write... and what a touching tale of selflessness.  Thanks for the link - I had no idea.  Honor goes to the Irish people for not forgetting, living the admonition "Never Forget."  And I understand the shedding of a tear or two................
Aj

Matty11
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Re: Tribes

Post by Matty11 » Fri May 08, 2020 12:15 am

from starved to starving
humbled to humbled,

Thank you for sharing this Colm.Your poem is an uplifting reminder of the humanity that does exist and will always exist. History threaded with outcomes that feed the good in people from generation to generation.

best

Phil

Dave
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Re: Tribes

Post by Dave » Fri May 08, 2020 8:35 am

Hi Colm
While I love the story, I am going to be a dissenting voice about the poem. Without the accompanying story, I would not have had any idea about the poem itself. In fact I was quite confused about some aspects of the story it tells.
The first stanza seemed to come from a more standard Colm poem - all revenge and coldness. And then arriving without context, I am still at a loss to really relate to what it says. It also contains clichés - revenge is sweet - a phrase that I have never thought contained much truth or validity - vengeance being the result of simple and lazy minds.
the second stanza hints at a different story - reveal in the newspaper article - but for me it so different I can't put them together. The first stanza seems to me a bit of red herring. 
Stanza 3 lacks your usual elegance and turn of phrase and any concrete images. The had nothing and found something lack sensual imagery or language.

I am sounding so harsh but in truth I am just puzzled. The story made you cry you say but I don#t find that emotionality in the poem.
Sorry. I am not good at expressing my impression without seeming harsh. Sorry. It's such a heartwarming tale

poet-e
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Re: Tribes

Post by poet-e » Fri May 08, 2020 11:50 am

Love "vintage revenge."

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Colm Roe
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Re: Tribes

Post by Colm Roe » Fri May 08, 2020 8:14 pm

Hi Dave,
The link was intended to give context...to give you an 'idea about the poem'
It's not unusual for a writer to give a 'heads up' in print or on stage. It allows poems to be absorbed easier and with more clarity. I'm surprised that you'd even question its use?
'Revenge is sweet'. I'm also surprised you don't understand the meaning here. You could take your revenge immediately (if you were the vengeful type), but waiting, and biding your time...you get to savour it. You're not stupid Dave...you know this. So you don't understand it on personal level. That's OK. I don't have a vengeful bone in my body (apols for the cliché) but I understand that some people do. As for vengeful people possessing simple and lazy minds...that's another debate.
I knew before you posted (if you decide to post) that you'd mention a disconnect, that the first stanza didn't fit with the rest.
I'm (again) surprised you can't see the connection. S1 is related...not a 'red herring' at all.
The poem starts with the poisonous nature of events, how they fester.
The rest shows how, on the other hand, some events flower into more pleasant things.
I'm not being precious about this poem. Just curious how, after reading the link you're still puzzled.
NaPo is over Dave...the gloves are off :lol:

Dave
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Re: Tribes

Post by Dave » Sat May 09, 2020 12:00 pm

Hi Colm
It is all no big deal. However, let me clarify. I had nothing against posting the link. In fact without it I would not have got the poem. Secondly, and sadly what I meant was is that I found the story better than the poem. Thirdly, I understood what you were probably doing with the first stanza but still think it does not deepen the rest but takes away from it. Frankly, the story is wonderfully uplifting and a treatise on revenge just distracts IMO. Finally I am still intrigued by the lack of poetic devices such as sensual language, images, metaphors or any of the emotion that inspired you. Anywho' it is always fun to chew the cud on these things.
Dave :lol: :lol:
 

indar
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Re: Tribes

Post by indar » Sat May 09, 2020 2:08 pm

OK I said I wasn't going to get into the middle of this but----who was I trying to kid? When I first became aware of music by synthesizer it was that stuff by Tomita who used the instrument to imitate traditional orchestral instruments and even human voices. I gradually became aware of the vast capabilities to synthesize never-before-heard sounds. I asked myself why not use this amazing invention to its full capabilities and make music beyond what traditional instruments can---why limit it? I feel that way about the internet. I'm not saying I've used it all that well but if we can post poetry with visuals and links and sounds or whatever if technically capable---why not. I'm always glad for the expansion of a piece of writing to read about its source. Is it lazy dependency--I have no doubt it could be. Is it part of the creative process?---ditto. I understand some of Dave's remarks about the first stanza perhaps not transitioning to the reast of the poem in a way the drives the narrative forward. I am enjoying the debate--stuff I thrive on :D :D :D

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