06 February 2015

Fragment Friday - The Found Poem Edition

I find things in the oddest places...

A Found Poem created entirely from first lines from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.


A Glimpse, Through an Interstice Caught
by Constance Brewer

A thousand perfect men and women appear,
among the men and women, the multitude.
Look down, fair moon, and bathe this scene--
World, take good notice, silver stars fading 
as they draw to a close,
 
out of the cradle endlessly rocking.
Give me the splendid silent sun
as I ponder’d in silence
sometimes with one I love, I fill myself with rage.
One hour to madness and joy!
 
As consequent from store of summer rains
out of the murk of heaviest clouds,
through the ample open door of the peaceful country barn,
that music always round me, unceasing, unbeginning,
singing my days.
 
Long I thought that knowledge alone would suffice me.
That shadow, my likeness, that goes to and fro
unfolded out of the folds of the woman, man comes unfolded.
He is wisest who has the most caution.
Over the carnage rose prophetic a voice
 
whispers of heavenly death, murmur’d I hear,
in midnight sleep, of many a face of anguish,
whoever you are, I fear you are walking the walks of dreams,
roaming in thought over the Universe--
So far, and so far, and on toward the end.


4 comments:

Kathleen Cassen Mickelson said...

Do you think Whitman planned it that way? Love how this all came together and the eagle is gorgeous.

Constance Brewer said...

No, there are over a hundred first lines. I just mined for the ones I liked or fit the flow. Interesting exercise, though.
Eagle - Just something you see by the side of the road here.

Lisa Goyne said...

Cool poem and exercise. I bet it was a lot of work. Love the eagle too. I counted 7 the other day traveling from Boise to Portland.

Constance Brewer said...

I love seeing eagles by the side of the road. Makes them easier to photograph!