Essays & Poetry (mine or others) pertaining to historical and current events and burning social issues.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

These two poems are inspired by artifact pillows depicted in the latest issue of Archeology Magazine.



“To be born in the next life in the western world”

These words woven into a damask pillow
with silk thread, found in
a man’s coffin-
from a Ming Dynasty tomb


One can only wonder why
someone who was buried with
such a treasure, would want to
wake up somewhere else!

Perhaps a good conversation
starter at a poetry salon or
among historians drinking wine

Do the words we leave behind
really tell our story?
Or are they merely a small tile
in a much craftier mosaic

Are words indicative of only
a point of view caught in time-
Or are they emblematic of
a life theme?

How can we know
another soul’s heart?
We cannot- however,
mentioning the desire
to be across the planet
next time around
speaks volumes about
how he felt about his life-
Does it not?




“Early fly to heaven”

The companion damask pillow case
embroidered with an even more
intriguing quote- Did the man take
his own life?

Was he a distraught fellow
who wanted to get to the
western world as soon as
possible?

Too little can be known about
a motive from mere words-
A skilled semanticist would
disagree

Indeed, a skilled semanticist and
his linguist friend
would say that: Words
say everything!

My simple poet soul
simply wishes that
that sad man was
reincarnated in the
west-Godspeed!

raintreepoet 

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