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Posted by: RC James Jun 29 17, 05:19

(Revision2)



The compass points south
to the knife, the guitar,
deep song,
and the furtive assassin

The dagger readily cuts
through passion.
The shadowy blade
wielder,
or rather, the myth,
reflects the low life
around it.
In the alleyway,
slinky, stealthy moves
possess the killing ground,
mythologies dissipate,
switchblades
lose their owners
to blaring sirens.
The dagger makes no sound,
it weighs
on the assassin,
flashes to the heart
as time; the dead live
in the tango.
Now gone, past renewal,
laid down rope-wise,
thorough benediction,
they live inside the dance,
in the tone of the guitar,
in lucid now,
in what has been ignored,
and what is now uncovered.








Glinting under
a fugitive moon,
the knife slices
through passion;
the spectral defiler,
cloaked in myth,
cuts through low life
around him.

In the alleyway,
the blade’s shine
challenges the sky,
mythologies dissipate.
The dagger
weighs on the assassin.
He apprises
the razor edge
with a wary thumb,
then, silently,
lacerates time,

The dead live in the tango,
laid down rope-wise,
under thorough benediction,
they live inside the tango,
in the tone of the guitar,
in lucid now,
in what has been ignored,
what is now uncovered.




(orig.)

A blade,
in faint shadows
under a fugitive moon,
slices through
distorted passion,
frenzied low life.
In the alleyway,
alien wasteland,
the blade’s shadow
torments the sky.
The assassin savors
the blade’s edge
with an anxious thumb.
Then, without a whisper,
he lacerates time,
the beating heart.
The dead,
past renewal,
under thorough benediction.
live inside the tango,
in the tone of the guitar,
in lucid now,
in what has been ignored,
what is now uncovered,
courage, deep song,
and the assassin’s blade.

Posted by: JustDaniel Jun 29 17, 07:37

Greetings, James...

I've never done the tango, and I'm not much for knives and myth either.

I'm afraid this piece is beyond my personal comprehension. I may be a bit dull, but I simply cannot follow this.

Sorry I don't see the Light, Daniel

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 1 17, 07:26

Good Morn to you, R.C. James; (sorry about the mix-up, dangit!)
I have been reading, even admiring your reflective free-verse. I pick up some profound images coursing throughout your work, but I must confess that some of the message is beyond my comprehension--entirely due to my lack of understanding abstract thoughts. There seem to be two schools of thought in the realm of poetry: one, that a poem should tell a story in plain words (which I personally adhere to) and the other, that a poem should contain metaphors that will cause the reader to ponder and arrive at his own conclusion. I look at your write and think that its key to understanding lies within my grasp; but then, it's gone. Well, what do I expect from the mind of an 82-year old fellow, lol.
R. C., your poem is a well-written challenge to this reader. And, unlike Daniel, I still tango--in slow motion. Take care, Ali

Posted by: RC James Jul 1 17, 12:17

Ali - I don't know that Larry would be that pleased to have this piece attributed to him, it's actually mine. RC

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 1 17, 12:35

Hi, R C;
I will give you a chance to raise the question: Ali, where is your brain? It's somewhere, baking in the desert at 110 degrees. Should be done by now . . . . Sorry about the mix up. Ali

Posted by: JustDaniel Jul 1 17, 13:33

Don't sweat it, either of you!

Ali, if you're in the desert, is it too dry to sweat there?

And Richard, Larry has had despicable things attributed to him, and your piece certainly isn't that!

deLightingly, Daniel

P.S. Why don't you click "My Controls" up there above, and then go down on the left and edit your profile to let us know a bit more about yourself! Ali, I did note that you said you're 81, I believe. You've got me (and I think Larry) by a decade!

Posted by: Ali zonak Jul 1 17, 15:08

Daniel,
no, not 81 but pushing 83 and going strong--except for my fleeting mind. Yeah, I should complete my profile before I for. . . what is the word--forget? Cheers, Ali

Posted by: greenwich Jul 6 17, 11:02

The poem is full of vivid energy. Is the tango a reference to the dance macabre where at the turn the assassin cuts the throat of the victim.
Tango was associated with the lower classes in Argentina and Uruguay. Is the poem dealing with this settlement ?

Posted by: RC James Jul 6 17, 11:58

Greenwich - It doesn't refer to Dance Macabre, but to the original tango, whose mythology is packed with assassins and knives, more as symbols not as actual events. But it is the dance of the barrios of Buenos Aires and other towns. I've had problems putting this one together - this I think is the best I can do for now. Thanks for your look and questions. RC

Posted by: RC James Jul 11 17, 15:56

https://soundcloud.com/rc-james-user841120068/z0000304-1