Art & Humour

Let’s briefly imagine

Let’s, briefly, presuppose you hadn’t fled,

Hadn’t frozen in the headlights of my interest,

Then dashed off, in your maidenly discomfort,

Seeking the river, turning into this laurel.

Let’s briefly imagine, as I kiss the trembling

Bark of your arboreal mutation,

That we’d spoken, at the dinner I’d proposed,

Of mutual constraints and all life’s ironies.

I might have called you Merline, as Rilke called

His artist muse, young Baladine;

I might have spoken of the Duino Elegies

And how the Earth’s transformed. Let’s just imagine.

 

This article was originally published in the June 2021 edition (vol. 121) of Australian Rationalist.

Photo by Eugene Triguba on Unsplash

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About Paul Monk

Dr Paul Monk is a public intellectual and prolific writer, columnist and poet. He has extensive knowledge of the history of Western civilisation and a deep understanding of the role of religion in it. He is the author of 13 books. His latest book is 'The Three Graces: Companionship, Discretion, Passion', published in July 2022. It features 300 poems and is available through all major online retailers.

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