I have seen the little foxes

[PrinceMyshkin]

I have seen the little foxes'
eyes
gleam beside the path, signals
of a world collapsed on ours,
and I know I've taken that path
too far, when terror,
like a fist, thuds against my heart. Behind
is a wall as near as in front.

The night pours down, sudden
as a bath in a world
overturned, where gravity
holds nothing in its place.
Lovers, and jagged rocks,
and the familiar smell of the world,
all tumble together.

I whisper into unknown ears, "Love me!
I've kept everything for you--"
--and draw back
to see fang-distended lips, eyes
filled with eager incomprehension.

Love waits in the dark.
The world that has collapsed
upon ours, its lung-walls
sighing hoarsely across each other,
random eye-gleams in the night, these
are suddenly all.

The stars doubt everything
you and I have begun.

[Sweets America]

I have seen the little foxes'
eyes
gleam beside the path, signals
of a world collapsed on ours,
and I know I've taken that path
too far, when terror,
like a fist, thuds against my heart. Behind
is a wall as near as in front.

The night pours down, sudden
as a bath in a world
overturned, where gravity
holds nothing in its place.
Lovers, and jagged rocks,
and the familiar smell of the world,
all tumble together.

I whisper into unknown ears, "Love me!
I've kept everything for you--"
--and draw back
to see fang-distended lips, eyes
filled with eager incomprehension.

Love waits in the dark.
The world that has collapsed
upon ours, its lung-walls
sighing hoarsely across each other,
random eye-gleams in the night, these
are suddenly all.

The stars doubt everything
you and I have begun.



Ah Jer, I'm so glad you've posted this! This is one of my favorite of yours! I love it all!

[PrinceMyshkin]

This is from the deep, dark past; I was hoping it might merit more comments.

[Hawkman]

I too regard this as my favourite poem of yours Prince. it's got everything, strong narrative, powerful imagery it's just good, plain and simple. I can't understand why it seems to have so little response, despite having clocked up a few viewings.

Best, h

[hillwalker]

Wow. I can't believe this is the same Prince - this poem seems so different to what you have been posting more recently (certainly since when I started visiting this site).

The depth of thought is similar but the imagery is certainly darker, almost feral. And there seems to be an undercurrent of hopelessness (whereas more recent writings show at least a glimmer of opstimism).

That phrase 'random eye-gleams in the night' taps directly into our primitive fears of the dark and what the stars might actually be.

H

[PrinceMyshkin]

Hawkman:


I too regard this as my favourite poem of yours Prince. it's got everything, strong narrative, powerful imagery it's just good, plain and simple. I can't understand why it seems to have so little response, despite having clocked up a few viewings.

Best, h

I don't know that I would say this is my favourite of my poems. That distinction likely belongs to the next one Deo volente I'll write or the one after that, but I thought I had originally posted it a few years BH so I had the effrontery to bring it back


Wow. I can't believe this is the same Prince - this poem seems so different to what you have been posting more recently (certainly since when I started visiting this site).

The depth of thought is similar but the imagery is certainly darker, almost feral. And there seems to be an undercurrent of hopelessness (whereas more recent writings show at least a glimmer of opstimism).

That phrase 'random eye-gleams in the night' taps directly into our primitive fears of the dark and what the stars might actually be.

H

And I can hardly believe that you're so insightful! If, as I once read, our cells are completely replaced every seven years, this poem is from an iteration of mine 3 before the present one.

Thanks to both you and Hawkman.

[qimissung]

Love it, love it, love it, especially the third stanza! This speaks so directly to the heart of darkness that lives within us all.

[Bar22do]

When a long time ago you shared this one with me, I exclaimed, "this is great poetry!"
I read it again now and could only reiterate: "great poetry!" indeed. Inspired, deep and didacticism free, your soul speaking.
Thanks for unburying this wonderful poem to share it again.
Best regards - Bar

[PrinceMyshkin]

Thanks, Qimissung and Bar

[hack]

My Prince,
I, too, remember reading this when I first came to this site.
It was one of the poems, among many others, that kept me here.
It is a little dark for your, current self, it seems. Perhaps it is
to do with mellowing over time...peace...

[PrinceMyshkin]

My Prince,
I, too, remember reading this when I first came to this site.
It was one of the poems, among many others, that kept me here.
It is a little dark for your, current self, it seems. Perhaps it is
to do with mellowing over time...peace...

Of course I must have meant something dark by those final lines, although in retrospect I might say Let the stars doubt. You and I know what we know...

Although I didn't have "I have seen the little foxes" in mind when I wrote "The Butcher doesn't know" it seems to me now that the 2nd, final verse of the latter



And you and I are twined
yet as separate
as the furthest stars
that did once and still
operate on each other.


might be an echo of and response to "The stars doubt..."