Swans Commentary » swans.com February 11, 2008  

 

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by Guido Monte & Francesca Saieva

 

Multilingual Poetry

 

...l'espérance est dans le risque et dans le silence.
André Neher, L'exil de la parole  

Memory of past lives © 2007 Dario Fiorentino

 

 

(Swans - February 11, 2008)  

along empty palaces of death
we're going alone thinking: all is unhelpful,
all is deleted by darkness—

winter birds hunting for better lands
are flying, mist shrouded at dawn
with the old elm leaves

 

 

Thirsty souls migrate to the Lethe river, "under the knife of an acute and terrible heat" (Plato) you, immortal mortals, draw water from the Amel river, forgetful of your past lives (Proclos), your trial is to decide between "the Oblivion waters or the Memory waters of death" (R. Sorel). Primeval new Orfic oblivion overcoming every mystification: Who, what is the lead I can follow in the darkness? "Lamina," lead-gifts, for going to the "sacred prairies," not prisons under the Hades' power.

 

The authors thank Virginia Ann Huth.

Photo: Dario Fiorentino, Memory of past lives, 2007

 

 

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About the Author

Guido Monte on Swans (with bio). Francesca Saieva teaches philosophy and pedagogy, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Palermo. Read her bio on the page she shares with Guido Monte.

 

Legalese

Please, feel free to insert a link to this work on your Web site or to disseminate its URL on your favorite lists, quoting the first paragraph or providing a summary. However, please DO NOT steal, scavenge, or repost this work on the Web or any electronic media. Inlining, mirroring, and framing are expressly prohibited. Pulp re-publishing is welcome -- please contact the publisher. This material is copyrighted, © Guido Monte 2008. All rights reserved.

 

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