Beyond These Paroxysms

[PrinceMyshkin]

Beyond these paroxysms, of grief
or envy, is the rule of love
in an unruly heart: the world in rage
beyond the house, and somewhere, past that,
a model of peace as steep as a dream.

Trees leap in place against the placid mountains,
the sky is fixed to itself, and the sea
is like the opening of one of those suites
by Bach, that tell us:


Peace is more troubled
than you know. Love
is just the prelude to loving,
and what you know best
is what you are always
just about to forget...

Everything is immersed
but unmerged: single, serial and simultaneous.
A solitary line wanders the universe,
conversing with itself,
mischievous, contemplative:

Passionately unaware of being overheard.




J. Newman Sudden Proclamations copyright 1992

[firefangled]

Beyond these paroxysms, of grief
or envy, is the rule of love
in an unruly heart: the world in rage
beyond the house, and somewhere, past that,
a model of peace as steep as a dream.

Trees leap in place against the placid mountains,
the sky is fixed to itself, and the sea
is like the opening of one of those suites
by Bach, that tell us:


Peace is more troubled
than you know. Love
is just the prelude to loving,
and what you know best
is what you are always
just about to forget...

Everything is immersed
but unmerged: single, serial and simultaneous.
A solitary line wanders the universe,
conversing with itself,
mischievous, contemplative:

Passionately unaware of being overheard.




J. Newman Sudden Proclamations copyright 1992



To me, this is one of your best poems. For all we know of the ambiguity of life, it is difficult to express how it works the way it is suppose to work. This does that well. Of course, the final line is the magnificent snake, lying in the grass, that bites us.

[symphony]

I loved how every stanza of this was a poem itself, esp. the last one- very strong.

I'm starting to feel like I should get my hand over that book of yours.

[SleepyWitch]

Prince has published a book?

I like your poems very much, Prince, but I lack the eloquence to comment on them :(
I love these lines in particular

Peace is more troubled
than you know. Love
is just the prelude to loving,
and what you know best
is what you are always
just about to forget...

what/who do the last three lines refer to? the lover with whom you have gone from love to loving? or something totally different?

[ktd222]

Prince has published a book?

Yes he does, SleepyWitch. He posted some pretty good poems from that book here on Lit-net. I would recommend "Passing the Salt."

[SleepyWitch]

oh my God. we've got a celebrity on LitNet :) can I get your autographe, Prince? I'll look for it on amazon/google

[Sweets America]

Yes, Jerry has published a poetry book called 'Sudden Proclamations'. I am ashamed to say that instead of buying it, I took his own copy of it, lol. But I will take care of it.:)
OH GOD, Jerry, I am just remembering that I wanted you to write something in the book for me!! Jerry, you have to come back here and sign the book, lol!
He has also written several other novels. Isn't he great?:thumbs_up

[SleepyWitch]

yep :thumbs_up
hey Mr Newman, what's your advice for a weird young witch who is imagery-impaired but wants to write poems anyway? (this is your cue to say something ecouraging like "practice makes perfect, you don't need a whole lot of talent")

[Virgil]

Beyond these paroxysms, of grief
or envy, is the rule of love
in an unruly heart: the world in rage
beyond the house, and somewhere, past that,
a model of peace as steep as a dream.

Trees leap in place against the placid mountains,
the sky is fixed to itself, and the sea
is like the opening of one of those suites
by Bach, that tell us:


Peace is more troubled
than you know. Love
is just the prelude to loving,
and what you know best
is what you are always
just about to forget...

Everything is immersed
but unmerged: single, serial and simultaneous.
A solitary line wanders the universe,
conversing with itself,
mischievous, contemplative:

Passionately unaware of being overheard.




J. Newman Sudden Proclamations copyright 1992


Wonderful poem, Prince. "A solitary line wonders the universe" - fabulous image! And I really love this little stanza:

Peace is more troubled
than you know. Love
is just the prelude to loving,
and what you know best
is what you are always
just about to forget...

Edit: Just looked it up. Here's his book: http://www.ronsdalepress.com/catalogue/sudden.html

Yes I want your autograph too! :) :)

[Sweets America]

It is strange how your poems sometimes seem to speak to some part of me which is located beyond me. And thus I have trouble to put into words my impressions on some of your poems!
Oh, about your book. I have always wondered what the image on the cover meant? John is quite intrigued by it too. We demand an explanation! :p

[PrinceMyshkin]

Prince has published a book?

I like your poems very much, Prince, but I lack the eloquence to comment on them :(
I love these lines in particular


what/who do the last three lines refer to? the lover with whom you have gone from love to loving? or something totally different?

Many thanks for your comment. As for what I meant by those three lines, 1) they were written in that state of semi-trance in which one grasps something intuitively and trusts the truth of it but 2) insofar as I can make conscious sense of it, it may mean that what you know best is what you have taken in so deeply it is as if you no longer know it consciously, it has become part of the structure of your thinking.

[PrinceMyshkin]

It is strange how your poems sometimes seem to speak to some part of me which is located beyond me. And thus I have trouble to put into words my impressions on some of your poems!
Oh, about your book. I have always wondered what the image on the cover meant? John is quite intrigued by it too. We demand an explanation! :p

The cover was chosen by the publisher, though I quite like it. I think it is meant to represent a remote, only dimly perceived landscape, from which an unexpected something might suddenly arise.

In that sense the title poem of the book, and the title itself, is in some way my understanding of poetry: that at its best it is always a sudden proclamation that emerges from our own interior landscape, in which we cannot wander as we choose but are privileged to visit - briefly - from time to time.

[PrinceMyshkin]

yep :thumbs_up
hey Mr Newman, what's your advice for a weird young witch who is imagery-impaired but wants to write poems anyway? (this is your cue to say something ecouraging like "practice makes perfect, you don't need a whole lot of talent")

First of all, you obviously have a good sense of humour, which I take to be a healthy response to the incongruities of the world! As for practice making perfect, that might indeed be so if you are practicing with watchfulness but if you someone who practiced the same errors over and over might grow ever more IMperfect!

If you are indeed as you say "imagery impaired," try to hone your ear for the music of the language, and go on being as weird a young witch as you are comfortable and happy to be.

[Sweets America]

The cover was chosen by the publisher, though I quite like it. I think it is meant to represent a remote, only dimly perceived landscape, from which an unexpected something might suddenly arise.

In that sense the title poem of the book, and the title itself, is in some way my understanding of poetry: that at its best it is always a sudden proclamation that emerges from our own interior landscape, in which we cannot wander as we choose but are privileged to visit - briefly - from time to time.

Excellent answer, Teacher! I love it, you are wonderful. :) :)

[Virgil]

Hi Sweets. I just noticed you call yourself Jerry's Princess, and in your signature you have "Sophie Newman." Would it be presumptuous of me to guess that you are Jerry's daughter? Perhaps you may have mentioned the relationship somewhere else on lit net, but I may have missed it.

Also I noticed in your profile we share the same birthday. :thumbs_up :)

[Sweets America]

Hi Sweets. I just noticed you call yourself Jerry's Princess, and in your signature you have "Sophie Newman." Would it be presumptuous of me to guess that you are Jerry's daughter? Perhaps you may have mentioned the relationship somewhere else on lit net, but I may have missed it.

Also I noticed in your profile we share the same birthday. :thumbs_up :)

WOW Virgil! This is so strange that you think I am Jer's daughter! :lol: :lol:
I am not, I have actually been his lover, and today we are very loving friends.
I thought everyone here knew that, because of the Princess Chronicles.
Anyhow, you are not that wrong in your idea, because I have always seen some kind of father in him too. Ah, love has no boundaries. :)
Oh, that's nice about the birthdays!

[Virgil]

WOW Virgil! This is so strange that you think I am Jer's daughter! :lol: :lol:
I am not, I have actually been his lover, and today we are very loving friends.
I thought everyone here knew that, because of the Princess Chronicles.
Anyhow, you are not that wrong in your idea, because I have always seen some kind of father in him too. Ah, love has no boundaries. :)
Oh, that's nice about the birthdays!

:lol: I have never ventured into the Princess Chronicles. I guess I will have to now. I thought daughter for two reasons. One, I imagined Prince as a older wise man. ;) Not sure why I did, but I did. And you are only 22, so i thought you might be his daughter. I have no idea what Jerry's age is, but he comes across as a father figure to me. Two, princess in common conversation in the New York area (perhaps nationwide too, I don't know) usually deals with a young girl (teenager, perhaps, though not necessaarily), such as the term Jewish American Princess, for a somewhat spoiled jewish girl. We have a similar for an Italian spoiled girl, an Italian Princess. :D I did not make the connection that Jerry is Prince and you would be his Princess. I'm slow on these things. ;)

[Sweets America]

:lol: I have never ventured into the Princess Chronicles. I guess I will have to now. I thought daughter for two reasons. One, I imagined Prince as a older wise man. ;) Not sure why I did, but I did. And you are only 22, so i thought you might be his daughter. I have no idea what Jerry's age is, but he comes across as a father figure to me. Two, princess in common conversation in the New York area (perhaps nationwide too, I don't know) usually deals with a young girl (teenager, perhaps, though not necessaarily), such as the term Jewish American Princess, for a somewhat spoiled jewish girl. We have a similar for an Italian spoiled girl, an Italian Princess. :D I did not make the connection that Jerry is Prince and you would be his Princess. I'm slow on these things. ;)

Ehehe. :lol: Well, you are right, Jer is an older wise man. Our age difference is quite great (you'll get an idea of it if you read the Chronicles), but he is a very sweet and loving man, it's easy to love him very much. Yes, he's a father figure too. He means a lot to me. I love him with several kinds of love, and that is very sweet, I think.
He has told me about the Jewish American Princess, yes, I didn't know that. He called me Princess in reference to his screen name.
I understand why you thought I was his daughter. ;)

[SleepyWitch]

:lol: I have never ventured into the Princess Chronicles. I guess I will have to now. I thought daughter for two reasons. One, I imagined Prince as a older wise man. ;) Not sure why I did, but I did. And you are only 22, so i thought you might be his daughter. I have no idea what Jerry's age is, but he comes across as a father figure to me. Two, princess in common conversation in the New York area (perhaps nationwide too, I don't know) usually deals with a young girl (teenager, perhaps, though not necessaarily), such as the term Jewish American Princess, for a somewhat spoiled jewish girl. We have a similar for an Italian spoiled girl, an Italian Princess. :D I did not make the connection that Jerry is Prince and you would be his Princess. I'm slow on these things. ;)

poor old Uncle Virgil. once more he gets shocked by the wicked ways of young ladies (assuming that Prince is really an old bloke.. er, I meant mature gentleman).

[Virgil]

poor old Uncle Virgil. once more he gets shocked by the wicked ways of young ladies (assuming that Prince is really an old bloke.. er, I meant mature gentleman).

:lol: Well, not shocked by it, but my mind just had traveled in a different direction.

[PrinceMyshkin]

poor old Uncle Virgil. once more he gets shocked by the wicked ways of young ladies (assuming that Prince is really an old bloke.. er, I meant mature gentleman).

"Prince" is indeed an old bloke chronologically but one who fancies himself still youngish and vigourous. He too (if I might speak on his behalf) was somewhat shocked - or at least very surprised - to find himself falling in love with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter...

I would have been suspicious of it in almost any other 72>22 year old relationship; but Sweets is a remarkably mature and intelligent person and the connection between us is honourable and very loving.

[Virgil]

"Prince" is indeed an old bloke chronologically but one who fancies himself still youngish and vigourous. He too (if I might speak on his behalf) was somewhat shocked - or at least very surprised - to find himself falling in love with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter...

I would have been suspicious of it in almost any other 72>22 year old relationship; but Sweets is a remarkably mature and intelligent person and the connection between us is honourable and very loving.

Nothing wrong with it. I hope it works out for the both of you. :)

[SleepyWitch]

"Prince" is indeed an old bloke chronologically but one who fancies himself still youngish and vigourous. He too (if I might speak on his behalf) was somewhat shocked - or at least very surprised - to find himself falling in love with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter...

I would have been suspicious of it in almost any other 72>22 year old relationship; but Sweets is a remarkably mature and intelligent person and the connection between us is honourable and very loving.

hehe, I hope you're not cross because I said "old bloke" :p I was just joking

[Virgil]

poor old Uncle Virgil. once more he gets shocked by the wicked ways of young ladies (assuming that Prince is really an old bloke.. er, I meant mature gentleman).

I know lots about young ladies. ;) Actually aren't young ladies the root of all evil? Didn't Eve give Adam the apple? :p :D