Under the Lazarus Tree

[PrinceMyshkin]

In the shade of the Lazarus tree
we laid the bodies side by side
and waited for them to rise:
refreshed, replenished, free.

But they did not rise.

The weather was rough; the weather was mild.
The wind spread the seeds of renewal all over the earth.
But the dead did not rise.

They had risen once from their mothers’ wombs.

Why wouldn’t they rise again?

[hillwalker]

Another poem that needs more than a single read to make its message felt.

Personally felt line 6 a little vague - 'rough' and 'mild' rather insipid adjectives to describe the elements (unless that was the point, which in that case I missed as usual).

And that final line - again, I felt it would be a much more thought-provoking question to ask

Why would they rise again?

H

[munkinhead]

And Lazarus, where is he now? Twice risen, for naught.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Personally felt line 6 a little vague - 'rough' and 'mild' rather insipid adjectives to describe the elements (unless that was the point, which in that case I missed as usual).

Yes, I think you did miss the point here, which is implicitly that no matter what the weather would have been like, rough or mild, the dead would not have risen.


And that final line - again, I felt it would be a much more thought-provoking question to ask

Why would they rise again?

H

That would fit perfectly an earlier poem of mine:



Tell Me, Jesus

Tell me, Jesus, which hurt more?
When you saw the rich oppress the poor?
Or the saints who barred the sinners at the temple door?

Tell me, Jesus, which hurt more?
When they offered the rabble in the yard
the root or the corrupted leaf
and they cried out: “Give us the thief!”

Tell me, Jesus, was death the sharper pain,
or having to rise, to rise again?


but in the Lazarus poem, the persona speaks on behalf of those who are in absolute denial: i.e., if they accept that the dead in question will not rise again, they'd have to accept that death would be the absolute end for them as well. Hence the change from the earlier, repeated "did not rise" to the final "would not rise."

[breathtest]

The Lazarus poem is incredibly sad. 'Why wouldn't they rise again?' almost a childish plea, which captures the denial part of the grieving process quite well. I particularly like the line 'They had risen once from their mother's womb'.

[Hawkman]

Hi Prince,

Sorry to come late to the party but I thought I'd already responded to this one but it appears that I forgot to do so (my excuse is that I've been busy in the short story strand)

I really like it, the imagery is profound and it reads very well. I concur with breathest's response.

Best, H

[downing]

I love the imagery, I can see the dead bodies under the Lazarus tree (great idea, by the way) and its plain opposition to the renewal that surrounded the tree:


The wind spread the seeds of renewal all over the earth.

:cheers2: Love it!

[lallison]

Dark one, PM, I prefer your soft, whimsical voice, but this one is thought provoking and contains some strong imagery none the less. It seems like I've heard Lazarous used often in literature alluding to rising from the dead. The neon sign that flashes in my mind is "The Lazarus Effect" by Frank Herbert, the author of Dune. That's a book I've been meaning to read, but haven't yet. How much you want to bet it's got something about returning from the dead in it. Do you know of any other literature that uses Lazarus as an allusion? I'm asking because "The Lazarus Tree" could not only refer to growing back to life, but the growing club of literature that uses Lazarus, of which you have now become a member, benefits include a free laying on of hands provided you find a competent messiah when needed.

PS: Hawk, being late to the party is fashionable. It just means you're cool enough to have other things to do before you get there.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Thanks Munkinhead, Hawkman, Downing, and Lallison:


Do you know of any other literature that uses Lazarus as an allusion? I'm asking because "The Lazarus Tree" could not only refer to growing back to life, but the growing club of literature that uses Lazarus, of which you have now become a member, benefits include a free laying on of hands provided you find a competent messiah when needed

No, off-hand I'm not aware of any particular others but as you suggest surely the NT episode has been referred to directly or implicitly many many times. In my own case, I thought of a "Lazarus Tree" - with certain immediate assumptions about it - and was later chagrinned to Google the discovery that there actuallyis a so-named tree.


The Lazarus poem is incredibly sad. 'Why wouldn't they rise again?' almost a childish plea, which captures the denial part of the grieving process quite well. I particularly like the line 'They had risen once from their mother's womb'.

Although any number of people got pretty much what I intended in this, I rejoice that you got precisely what I mean by 'Why wouldn't they rise again?'

As I mentioned elsewhere, I hoped that the change from "They did not" to "wouldn't" would suggest exactly what you inferred. Thank you.

[blank|verse]

Great poem, Prince. I thought you handled the use of religious symbolism very well - integral to the poem and used in an original way.

I was disappointed the rhythm established in the first stanza wasn't followed through in the rest of the poem, or the refrain wasn't used with more regularity, which might give the piece a more chant-like, incantatory feel befitting the 'believers' laying the bodies under the tree.

But it's a strong piece as it stands, and good to read.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Great poem, Prince. I thought you handled the use of religious symbolism very well - integral to the poem and used in an original way.

I was disappointed the rhythm established in the first stanza wasn't followed through in the rest of the poem, or the refrain wasn't used with more regularity, which might give the piece a more chant-like, incantatory feel befitting the 'believers' laying the bodies under the tree.

But it's a strong piece as it stands, and good to read.

Thanks B|V, sorry about the errant rhythm.

[tailor STATELY]

Interesting poem. Thought provoking, yes.

'Bodies' seemed to imply what was not written as preamble irrelevant. After reading it a few times I wanted to substitute "lovers" for "bodies" to see how that changed the dynamics of your fine poem; then 'couple', and 'children' and so on.
I guess 'bodies' just left me cold, LOL, but I wanted to see beyond what you had written, if that makes sense.

"Why wouldn’t they rise again?" - I'm not a fan of contractions, though guilty quite often, but I see where the stressing as you have written does eliminate the dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum which proves tedious to listen to in this instance; and it does seem to convey a difference in meaning dependent on where one adds the stress... interesting. (smacking hand yet one more time).

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[PrinceMyshkin]

Interesting poem. Thought provoking, yes.

'Bodies' seemed to imply what was not written as preamble irrelevant. After reading it a few times I wanted to substitute "lovers" for "bodies" to see how that changed the dynamics of your fine poem; then 'couple', and 'children' and so on.
I guess 'bodies' just left me cold, LOL, but I wanted to see beyond what you had written, if that makes sense.

"Why wouldn’t they rise again?" - I'm not a fan of contractions, though guilty quite often, but I see where the stressing as you have written does eliminate the dum-de-dum-de-dum-de-dum which proves tedious to listen to in this instance; and it does seem to convey a difference in meaning dependent on where one adds the stress... interesting. (smacking hand yet one more time).

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

Thanks, Stately: specifying "loved ones" &c might have seemed to limit it too much; the persona and those for whom he spoke wanted to deny death in general.

[ampoule]

your poem has called me back from the dead ;) ;) hi prince!

[PrinceMyshkin]

your poem has called me back from the dead ;) ;) hi prince!

In which case it was worth it to me to write it. Welcome back.