Pages

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Self portrait, in seven parts

By Francis Scudellari

I. Intro: Likeness
This moment to capture, my self-
Knowing: the next might be, or not,
Quite different, a likeness seen
Verses that, often recognized …

II. Heart
At first feeling, heart-filled feasting
On varied viewpoints, raw-read streams
Here flow unlearned, in-worn courses
Then-taught only one way, to burst …

III. Mind
Inflated ego, my-minded,
Over-lying reasoned belief,
Connected seeming, this chaos,
All-giving cause: to name meaning …

IV. Soul
An amorphous spirit, oared soul,
Shape-shifting into rigid shell,
Poured from unknown sources, seeking
That origin while still-anchored …

V. Body
In shadows, abstractions fleshed out,
Embodied in bone and tissue,
Vague ideals once, incarnated,
Made sullied by others, my own …

VI. Senses
Greedy senses, now-consuming
Life's many morsels, sight-savor
Glist'ning baubles, worldly touches,
Open-handed answers grasping …

VII. Conclusion: Energy
A restless truth, in static words:
Energy purposed, light focused
Toward perceiving, self-defined
In this ever, a-deep'ning whole

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! We're now friends at BlogCatalog, but I'd also like to blogroll you on my site - http://dmarmar.wordpress.com/. This way, it's easier for me to visit your site and see what you're up to.

I'd sure like it if you'd blogroll me too.

Francis Scudellari said...

I'm happy to add you, and in fact just did. I'll be keeping track of Argot now too :).

fihanna said...

well,
hai letto "Der mann ohne eigenshaften"? of R.Musil?

Qui in "self portrait..." non sei "uscito da te" per valutarti,
sei stato troppo "dentro"

Francis Scudellari said...

I haven't read Musil, but I will look him up. I am too inwardly focused, it's true. But maybe the process of writing it was more the self-portrait than the words of the poem ;).

Anonymous said...

Truly well done Francis. I like this idea...exceptionally unique...at least I haven't seen it done elsewhere.
Take care friend.
~JD

Francis Scudellari said...

Thanks JD. I think I do things differently, because I don't know any better :).

ndpthepoetress Jean Michelle Culp said...

Truly another Francis Scudellari master piece of symbolic reflective flowing poetic words that uniquely covers the human being in many of its perplexed enigmas.

Francis Scudellari said...

Thanks Michelle. I think I like your review better than the actual poem :).