Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Magpie Tales Photo Prompt 41: Illusions of Time



as Chuang Tzu dreams




am I a man 
dreaming I'm a butterfly,
or a butterfly 
dreaming I'm a man? 


am I eleven 
on my face, 
or nine 
from inside out? 


hour hand dreams
circle time, 
fading 
time, 


fragments and 
reflections 
on the 
glass. 


Poem © 2010 by R. Burnett Baker 
Photo courtesy of Willow from "Magpie Tales" 









11 comments:

  1. Yeah. : )

    I like when people take it a step further, to see what isn't there.

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  2. i love it when a poem has philosophy more highlighted than the details and the technique. thank you.

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  3. I lie this take on self-reflection, and that your words create intrigue. I also like the quiet emotions in this poem.

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  4. "...nine from inside out?"
    Good -- a creative way to look at it.

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  5. Fine read - I like the look at both sides...

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  6. Some antique clocks have so much
    complexity within their construction,
    they do require the stare, the contemplation,
    like the showdown in THE STRANGER
    with Orson Wells, or Ray Milland
    staring at THE BIG CLOCK,
    or Gary Cooper seeing his life
    tick to a nubbin in HIGH NOON--
    yet you take us further, into
    time itself, into life itself,
    and where within poetry,
    within science or religion
    is the truth. Perhaps
    Buddha knew, or
    Confucius said.

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  7. wow Glenn...you said it all about this poem
    Ric, ditto Glenn

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  8. I like that your ending could be the glass in the clock or one in your hand. Nice, Rick.

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  9. Questions with poetic answers...I like that!

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  10. Very nice -- both sides of things.

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  11. Time has a habit of deceiving us all. Nice piece.

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