Prologue
I’m wondering what on Earth I’m doing up at this hour.
It’s the middle of the night. I’m sitting in the quiet
living room in my underwear, gazing at books
I haven’t read – Italo Svevo, Zeno’s Conscience –
as the Moon progresses through the night’s black veil
and everybody sleeps along the Eastern Seaboard.
I have a table laid out like an altar
my bare feet are on, and it contains my in-tray,
with fifteen books I’ve yet to read and papers
I’m taking in to work when golden dawn
stumbles us into morning. I’ve grown used
to their spines – The Rāmāyana, A Buddhist Bible –
but that doesn’t bring me closer to having read them.
I find that I read less than before my illness –
perhaps it’s a more active social life,
perhaps I just don’t care the way I did.
I’ve hit a rut. When will I read The Golden Notebook?
Today, I have to finish The Economist,
which is what I’ll turn to after I end this.
Prologue
Engaging John. I can understand that challenge and ambition to read particular books. Almost an obligation to progress by achieving and doing to validate self. The personal circumstances, sleeplessness and recovery from illness, are lightly handled, but frame the poem. The fear of being adrift in listlessness, the timetable of work no longer an anchor. The word 'altar' is apt. A rut? Maybe. I'm not ambitious and don't worry about a life lived.
My reading habits are random and selective. I like to re-read books that I know I enjoy...my familiar friends. I like to read recommendations from friends and family, but will skim read if chapters are tedious. Sometimes I find the commitment of time given to prose reading unrewarding, especially if I've been reading poetry. One of my poetry reading habits is to alternate between chess games and reading a poem. I find that fun.
Connected with your poem. Gave me cause to reflect.
Thanks for sharing. Great title.
Phil
My reading habits are random and selective. I like to re-read books that I know I enjoy...my familiar friends. I like to read recommendations from friends and family, but will skim read if chapters are tedious. Sometimes I find the commitment of time given to prose reading unrewarding, especially if I've been reading poetry. One of my poetry reading habits is to alternate between chess games and reading a poem. I find that fun.
Connected with your poem. Gave me cause to reflect.
Thanks for sharing. Great title.
Phil
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NotQuiteSure
- Perspicacious Poster
- Posts: 3514
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:05 pm
Hi JJ,
enjoyed the read, though thought the ending was a little flat, but then I don't The Economist (is it the weekly newspaper, or something else?)
I don't think you need 'it's the middle of the night', something of a cliché, and strongly implied anyway. (Also, the combination of 'black veil' and 'golden dawn' is a bit much, for me at least.)
Few too many 'Is', perhaps an alternative to one would be 'the table's laid out like an alter'. (Do you need the comma after in-tray?
Oh, and in the following line 'my bare feet are on' ? On the end of your legs? The table? What?
Some passing thoughts on enjambments.
I’m wondering what on Earth I’m doing
up at this hour, sitting in the quiet living room
in my underwear, gazing at books
I haven’t read – Italo Svevo, Zeno’s Conscience
– the Moon's progressing through the night’s black veil
and everybody along the Eastern Seaboard's asleep.
I have a table laid out like an altar, my bare feet
are on, and it contains my in-tray, with fifteen books
I’ve yet to read and papers I’m taking in to work
when golden dawn stumbles us into morning.
I’ve grown used to their spines – The Rāmāyana,
A Buddhist Bible – but that doesn’t bring me closer
to having read them. I find that I read less than before
my illness – perhaps it’s a more active social life,
perhaps I just don’t care the way I did. I’ve hit a rut.
When will I read The Golden Notebook? Today,
I have to finish The Economist, which is what
I’ll turn to after I end this.
Regards, Not
.
enjoyed the read, though thought the ending was a little flat, but then I don't The Economist (is it the weekly newspaper, or something else?)
I don't think you need 'it's the middle of the night', something of a cliché, and strongly implied anyway. (Also, the combination of 'black veil' and 'golden dawn' is a bit much, for me at least.)
Few too many 'Is', perhaps an alternative to one would be 'the table's laid out like an alter'. (Do you need the comma after in-tray?
Oh, and in the following line 'my bare feet are on' ? On the end of your legs? The table? What?
Some passing thoughts on enjambments.
I’m wondering what on Earth I’m doing
up at this hour, sitting in the quiet living room
in my underwear, gazing at books
I haven’t read – Italo Svevo, Zeno’s Conscience
– the Moon's progressing through the night’s black veil
and everybody along the Eastern Seaboard's asleep.
I have a table laid out like an altar, my bare feet
are on, and it contains my in-tray, with fifteen books
I’ve yet to read and papers I’m taking in to work
when golden dawn stumbles us into morning.
I’ve grown used to their spines – The Rāmāyana,
A Buddhist Bible – but that doesn’t bring me closer
to having read them. I find that I read less than before
my illness – perhaps it’s a more active social life,
perhaps I just don’t care the way I did. I’ve hit a rut.
When will I read The Golden Notebook? Today,
I have to finish The Economist, which is what
I’ll turn to after I end this.
Regards, Not
.
Good morning, Phil and Not,
Phil, I am glad you found this engaging! I think the idea, if not universal, remains relatable: it’s a hot night and N is sitting at the low table thinking of the work ahead that he hasn’t done. That pile never seems to diminish! It’s good to hear that you find my touch light here, I do strive for that. I’m retired now and still put in my hours, so I hear you about anchors.
I like your idea of alternating chess and poetry. Have you ever heard of chess boxing? It’s a thing. I too like rereading and find less time for prose than I used to. Glad you like the title!
Hi Not, and thank you for your close reading! Sorry you found he ending flat – it’s meant to present reading as a duty, which is what that magazine was for me back then. No mags these days – so little time! You make a series of good points and I shall have to reflect on them. Thank you!
Cheers both,
John
Phil, I am glad you found this engaging! I think the idea, if not universal, remains relatable: it’s a hot night and N is sitting at the low table thinking of the work ahead that he hasn’t done. That pile never seems to diminish! It’s good to hear that you find my touch light here, I do strive for that. I’m retired now and still put in my hours, so I hear you about anchors.
I like your idea of alternating chess and poetry. Have you ever heard of chess boxing? It’s a thing. I too like rereading and find less time for prose than I used to. Glad you like the title!
Hi Not, and thank you for your close reading! Sorry you found he ending flat – it’s meant to present reading as a duty, which is what that magazine was for me back then. No mags these days – so little time! You make a series of good points and I shall have to reflect on them. Thank you!
Cheers both,
John
...poetry boxing
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NotQuiteSure
- Perspicacious Poster
- Posts: 3514
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 4:05 pm
Understood, though that's so specific s title, and 'reading as duty' will, inevitably, be flat, I think. Would you lose much if the ending were
Today, I have all of these to finish,
which is what I’ll turn to after I end this.
?
Regards, Not
.
Last edited by NotQuiteSure on Sun Aug 14, 2022 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I think The Economist would like not to have an ideology, but they definitely do. I did especially like their overseas sections as well, reading them with just a pinch of salt. Few mags are so global.
Not, you have a point about the ending and I shall have to give it some thought. I like the shift in required reading from books to mags, which is exactly what my state of mind then was, but I don't know.
Cheers,
John
Not, you have a point about the ending and I shall have to give it some thought. I like the shift in required reading from books to mags, which is exactly what my state of mind then was, but I don't know.
Cheers,
John