reverie Posted January 18, 2008 Report Posted January 18, 2008 1/16/2008 Sacred Space Recently, a friend told me about a nuclear waste site buried deep within a range of mountains some considered sacred. I wonder if millennia from now when people study my nation like I studied the Romans, will they consider this range still sacred? Either for the secrets of the lost civilization buried deep within or for it’s mysterious power to sicken and kill those that linger too long on its crags and steeps. Perhaps, they will think it a god.
Wyvern Posted January 18, 2008 Report Posted January 18, 2008 Nice poem, reverie. :-) The subject matter and approach are original and intriguing, and the whole theme of cultural generation gaps and their effects on perceptions makes for a very interesting read. The undertone of religion in the way that the nuclear dump might be interpreted in the future was nicely done as well, and provided some food for thought. I guess my only recommendation would be that the poem could probably be condensed even further to strengthen it... the second stanza in particular might be trimmed (somehow, my thoughts condense that stanza to "millenia from now/ will they still consider it sacred?") and the "Recently, a friend told me about" in the first stanza could be dropped as it doesn't seem to add anything. The third stanza is the strongest in my opinion, as its been cut down to its essentials and delivers its imagery very well. Good stuff reverie, thanks for posting it. It's nice to see you back again, has your volunteer work on the gulf coast ended? Please keep us updated in your "Life Decisions" thread anyway! Hope all's going well.
reverie Posted January 20, 2008 Author Report Posted January 20, 2008 Oh yeah, been back from Gulf Coast for a while, just been taking break and doing up my grad school applications (finally finished!, just need to fill out those pesky financial aid forms) Eh, it was an idea, I got while talking to friends on the New Orleans Relief trip. Might develop it more with different sections for different time lines and speakers for each or not. Have considered switching Rome for Egypt and then using the Nuclear Warning in several languages and picture grams as a sort of Rossetta Stone for figuring out all kinds of things, but that's a little ambitious and I've come pretty near to burning myself out writing wise. Need to take a year off honestly--too many workshops back to back--might try writing so prose. Who knows? Probably will keep the "friend" line. I'm still hammering out the structure of my thesis and am thinking of putting a philosophical /inspiration friends section. I've already have another fully fleshed out poem going in that general direction, so might as well run with it. My current prof will probably hate it. He thinks my work has been philosophically even theologically abstract lately, but I really don't care what he thinks anymore. rev...
reverie Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Posted January 25, 2008 Out West A friend once told me about a nuclear waste site buried deep within a mountain range some would consider sacred. I wonder if millennia from now when people study my nation like I study the Egyptians, will this range once again become sacred? Either for the knowledge of the civilization lost beneath its warning signs, or for its mysterious power to sicken those who linger too long on its crags and steeps. Perhaps, the latter would think it a god.
reverie Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Posted January 29, 2008 (edited) * few tweaks, went back to the old title, and changed the ending* 1/28/2008 Sacred Space There is a nuclear waste site buried deep within a mountain range some would consider sacred. I wonder if millennia from now when the denizens of a fresh America unearth it like my culture dug into the mounds of the Amerindians, will this range once again become sacred? Either for the knowledge of the civilization lost beneath, or for the site's mysterious power to sicken those who linger too long on its crags and steeps. Perhaps, they would think it our god. Edited January 29, 2008 by reverie
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