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Poetry


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Museum

By gutterkitty

20 February 2007

I've visited many museums throughout my (albeit short) lifetime, but my recent trip to a museum in Italy was unusual in that I felt a sharp sense of loss, along with the usual feeling of the past being preserved.

Here, history is kept in glass cases,
coffins, to keep away the dust
that so easily obscures the exotic.
The past gleams like a jewel from velvet pillows,
to be caressed eagerly by the eye
as it reaches through the glass
to snatch at a different time.

Breath clouds the partition
between visitor and Roman matron,
lost samurai. The mind fumbles
to place a gold torque around a saxon’s neck.
But the imagination fails, so busy groping
for a complete image. Items drop
to the floor of the mind. A sigh,

And then it is time to move on
to another case, another find,
to inspire that sense of retainment,
of gain as solid as stone tablets, polished marble.
But the rings are empty. The person who once sat
to be painted, sculpted,
has left their stool. There is loss.

Who was left behind- the objects by the people,
or the people by the objects?
Perhaps this is only a kind
of lost property, after all;
the artefacts have the air of waiting.

Reviews

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 20th February 2007

Dunno about this one GK - it didn't come across as arrogant to me but I struggled with it a bit.

Felt a bit like I was looking at a museum artefact in a glass case - I wanted to reach out and touch it but couldn't (how's that for a crappy pretentious metaphor from me!).

Some nice imagery and use of language and I did like the 'lost property' idea at the end.

I was going to be a coward and wait to see what others thought but I decided I'd leave a comment and then come back tomorrow and see if I've changed my mind (not unknown

)

Cheers,

Elli

Written by Phil (6730 comments posted) 20th February 2007

I'm so glad I've read this. All I can ever think of in a museum or gallery is the echoes of all those who have gone before: sat for the picture, used the tool etc. For this reason the last verse had resonance aplenty for me. Love the idea of the museum being a little like a lost property office.

Thanks.

Phil.

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 27th February 2007

Another day, another point of view - I liked this much better today. Still don't think it's your strongest piece in terms of raw emotional content but definitely got more out of it today.

Only thing that really jarred for me this time was the first line of the last stanza - not sure you need that in there at all.

Elli

Written by Kathy (220 comments posted) 27th February 2007

I really liked the thoughts that you were revealing in this poem.

I liked the images and the use of language, I almost wondered whether it would have made an eloquent piece of prose writing? Don't know whether I am wide of the mark there.

I did like the ending and the idea within it.

Kathy

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