Wednesday, October 18, 2006

"The felines in Zanzibar"     [gnomic rubai]


I was counting the felines in Zanzibar   in lieu of counting sheep
now that isn't to say I was struggling   to join the realm of sleep
like an elephant that isn't in the room   I sought for 5 blind men
like a rhino who's looking for Wittgenstein   I said "the road is steep"




==========

responsive to Stephen Schroeder's "reconciling texts" -- including the epigraph from Thoreau ("It is not worthwhile to go around the world to count the cats in Zanzibar").
The final line's rhinoceros allusion is handily explicated by a blogger here.

2 Comments:

Blogger Steven Schroeder said...

David, On the road, so a bit slow about responding... I appreciate the comments--and especially appreciate the poem in response. If we can inspire each other's poems (and if the poems lead from Thoreau to Wittgenstein), we're on the right track! Peace, Steve

Fri Oct 20, 05:42:00 AM PDT  
Blogger david raphael israel said...

cool Steven, thanks. Will keep my eyes peeled in direction of your blog some more -- I don't recall by what route I wandered over there; but your commentariat includes some familiar names.

happy trails,
d.i.

Fri Oct 20, 11:58:00 AM PDT  

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