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"
Yeah. : )
ReplyDeleteI like when people take it a step further, to see what isn't there.
i love it when a poem has philosophy more highlighted than the details and the technique. thank you.
ReplyDeleteI lie this take on self-reflection, and that your words create intrigue. I also like the quiet emotions in this poem.
ReplyDelete"...nine from inside out?"
ReplyDeleteGood -- a creative way to look at it.
Fine read - I like the look at both sides...
ReplyDeleteSome antique clocks have so much
ReplyDeletecomplexity 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.
wow Glenn...you said it all about this poem
ReplyDeleteRic, ditto Glenn
I like that your ending could be the glass in the clock or one in your hand. Nice, Rick.
ReplyDeleteQuestions with poetic answers...I like that!
ReplyDeleteVery nice -- both sides of things.
ReplyDeleteTime has a habit of deceiving us all. Nice piece.
ReplyDelete