tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post5021496237664224231..comments2023-12-28T13:11:06.666+00:00Comments on Pics and Poems: The Starling PropositionDave Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-22539636356313500512012-08-02T11:19:59.214+01:002012-08-02T11:19:59.214+01:00Oh Dave this is one of your writes that make me sw...Oh Dave this is one of your writes that make me swear with the brilliance of it.<br /><br />Beautifully crafted and intensely wise.<br /><br />Anna :o]hyperCRYPTICalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11967085628384237933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-15002552666528357672012-08-01T12:15:12.443+01:002012-08-01T12:15:12.443+01:00There is something mesmerising about a church bell...There is something mesmerising about a church bell, isn't there?<br />Here, you have introduced so many layers to that singular sound; each one of them linked, yet totally individual. <br />That poor hedgehog!<br />It's no wonder the sight of it's tragic little corpse unfocussed their faith at the end!!Ygrainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00300519608303898969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-7109201596424972232012-07-31T16:01:17.811+01:002012-07-31T16:01:17.811+01:00Eerie, gave me chills... well written, Dave.Eerie, gave me chills... well written, Dave.Laurie Kolphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07494759781947881343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-28474678910588086802012-07-31T10:43:05.561+01:002012-07-31T10:43:05.561+01:00The constrained pace of the first eight verses rea...The constrained pace of the first eight verses really helped introduce the ninth on.<br /><br />Great word and sound choices! Assonance and alliteration were on point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-1845681276513255522012-07-31T09:12:38.324+01:002012-07-31T09:12:38.324+01:00Tommaso
Hi,
Thanks for your contribtions - both r...<b>Tommaso </b><br />Hi,<br />Thanks for your contribtions - both received.<br />It was good to recieive your kind and valuable comments on the poem.<br /><br />As to the moderation, rest assured your comments are reaching me, but life is such at the moment that I cannot always clear them for posting as quickly as I would like. Infact, the moderation itself was entered into with great reluctance only after word recognition failed to deter the sadly sick person who was bombarding the the blog with streams of abusive rubbish. So myapologies for having to introduce it.<br /><br />Thanks again.<br /><br /><b>Eileen </b><br />Thank you for your most valued critique. It is so good to hear that a reader has derived from a piece exactly what was intended - not that I have a problem with readers seeing there aspects or possibilities that I had not thought about. That, too, can be good! Much thanks.<br /><br /><b>David</b><br />Thanks.Dave Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-81020808837712425592012-07-31T00:26:41.987+01:002012-07-31T00:26:41.987+01:00I agree with Brian: evocative.I agree with Brian: evocative.David Cranmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04749857752139212888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-40287645888733413582012-07-30T22:13:49.785+01:002012-07-30T22:13:49.785+01:00Dave,
I was immediately there walking through the...Dave,<br /><br />I was immediately there walking through the grassy paths leading to the church. Very evocative of many country churches with the interesting headstones which all tell a story. Untended but there in the present and in the presence of the living still.<br />An excellent piece which I enjoyed reading Dave.<br /><br />EileenEileen T O'Neill .....https://www.blogger.com/profile/03325632298717325699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-82671738062869700752012-07-30T19:57:12.684+01:002012-07-30T19:57:12.684+01:00Powerful poem with a penetrating force, the unfocu...Powerful poem with a penetrating force, the unfocusing faith at the end, just for its strong admission, reinforces it.<br /><br />Dear David, you have a "comment moderation" due to which I am not sure my comments reach you!Tommaso Gervasuttinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-4278536181335329792012-07-30T19:46:32.156+01:002012-07-30T19:46:32.156+01:00Solemn and penetrating, sharp, reneforced also by ...Solemn and penetrating, sharp, reneforced also by great alliterations. <br /><br />And at the end the ineluctable fact that "faith is less focused than before" supremely and paradoxically reinforces faith.Tommaso Gervasuttihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17137499390434949734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-51882895221174701052012-07-30T14:42:15.387+01:002012-07-30T14:42:15.387+01:00Brian
very pleased that you picked up on the natur...<b> Brian</b><br />very pleased that you picked up on the nature teeming with crude solutions idea. I was anxious to know how that would be received. Many thanks for your other encouraging comments.<br /><br /><b>A Cuban in London </b><br />The poem is about a church, but could as easily have been about a mosque - except that I began with the bell and the bell determined s lot of what followed. We have had several visits to North Africa and I understand completely the point you are making about the call to prayer.<br /><br />So good to hear that you like the final stanza. Thanks for your comments.<br /><br /><b>Daydreamertoo </b><br />The intimate descriptions , as you so kindly call them, are for me the heart of the poem. The hedgehog, too, is central to the argument of course.<br />Thank you so much for your valuable observations.<br /><br /><b>manicddaily </b><br />Thank you for another heartening critique. Your thoughts are ever helpful and very much appreciated. It's always good to know that others appreciate the lines that have pleased me - as here with the bell calling the dead by name.Dave Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-37703583882279521602012-07-30T13:24:11.208+01:002012-07-30T13:24:11.208+01:00This is one of my favorites of yours, Dave. Just ...This is one of my favorites of yours, Dave. Just beautiful - the tolling of the bells calling the dead by name was probably enough for me, but then you go on with the church of Nature, and the hedgehog--it really is just a terrific poem, thoughtful, beautiful. k.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-56560758373528588352012-07-30T12:27:00.688+01:002012-07-30T12:27:00.688+01:00I loved the intimate descriptions of all the thing...I loved the intimate descriptions of all the things growing, the corn, the wild poppy, and rape seed.<br />The imagery of the ghosts answering the call of the bell is stunning.<br />Poor little hedgehog laid out on its back, disemboweled by the Starling was so vivid, I could see it in my minds eye. <br />Such a fabulous word painting Dave.<br />Loved all of it.Daydreamertoohttp://daydreamertoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-29977428914277707032012-07-30T12:16:20.105+01:002012-07-30T12:16:20.105+01:00I know that the poem is about a church and yet the...I know that the poem is about a church and yet the first line reminded me of Kuala Lumpur. The first time I went in 2008 we were coming into the centre of the city and suddenly there was a call to prayer from a nearby mosque. It was such a beautiful sound, made even more beautiful by the suddenness of it.<br /><br />I loved the last stanza:<br /><br />"Within the yellow-lighted church <br />among the flickering candles, <br />perhaps where incense burns <br />debate is stilled <br />and faith less focussed than before. "<br /><br />Faith less focused than before. Indeed. :-)<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2508563923634392703.post-29538417842306784202012-07-30T11:51:41.348+01:002012-07-30T11:51:41.348+01:00very evocative piece man....the bells...the callin...very evocative piece man....the bells...the calling of the faithful...the epitaphs...it is a familiar feel and atmosphere and puts me right in it....<br /><br />love that line on nature teems with crude solutions as well...it jumped out at me...Brian Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722940075884718007noreply@blogger.com