glorious, diminished

By purr_verse

today i found myself marvelling
at a picture
of central park new york;

i've never been there
but it was suddenly, importantly
vibrantly clear
how exceptional
remarkable
deserving of the fame
it is despite
that mass promotion
that breeds disconnection:

"oh yeah central park for sure
it's really famous
it's great
awesome"

just like the fjords of norway -
they made me cry
they're so beautiful;
It's not their fault
that their fame numbed me
prematurely.

"oh yeah see the fjords
of course
yeah okay sure"

When you're so often
emphasised it's easy
to forget why
that is
You're remarkable.

I'm sorry.

It's just that the constant praise
gets a little bit
repetitive.

Oh you magnificent
grandiose things!
You superstars, recorded
so much so much
we all forget how we gasped
when  you first walked in the room.

Oh you magnificent
grandiose things!
i'm so small
so very
very small
and

I have also been spellbound
by a determined
crazyfaced
purple
weed.










Unauthorized Copying Is Prohibited. Ask the author first.
Copyright 2010 Natalie Lyndon
Published on Saturday, August 28, 2010.     Filed under: "Poetry"
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Comments on "glorious, diminished"

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  • Carmina Gitana On Sunday, April 29, 2012, Carmina Gitana (149)By person wrote:

    I love this one. It's so incredibly true. Especially in our time of Picasa linking to GoogleEarth, and you can basically see the entire world without leaving your apartment or even putting on pants. These days, I think I too am more likely to be surprised by a weed than by a famous landmark. This might explain why most of my trip photography ends up being of random doorknobs.

  • OLd SouL On Friday, April 27, 2012, OLd SouL (732)By person wrote:

    went camping one weekend.. it was after a stretch of very warm days and the night we arrived to our site a cold front was passing through. we hiked down to the river to check where its level was.. as we came down the dock steps something amazing unfolded. the warm water had generated this steam rising from the river in the cold air... the steam was rushing from the banks creating a teepee effect directly in front of where we stood... roughly 15 foot tall.. I say teepee as its only fitting for a river named Suwannee. It lasted an hour. I felt special for being there at that moment. I've traveled a bit. Seen Niagara, it was cool. NYC was neat. Airballoons in NM. Blue waters of Cozumel. Blarney in Ireland..etc. That moment on the Suwannee remains my favorite. It was impossible to capture on film and I'm failing its description; but its mine.

  • Hands_Around_My_Throat On Monday, October 3, 2011, Hands_Around_My_Throat (67)By person wrote:

    I liked this work. I like how you can bring to light that people Make things extra-ordinary, and then they just are, unquestioned, and sometimes that takes away from their splendor.

  • A former member wrote: this is utterly profound..... what a way to express a complex sentiment.. I think we overcrowd and hype so much of expectations instead of actually appreciating things for what they really are... however they are....

  • ubiquitoussoul On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, ubiquitoussoul (346)By person wrote:

    "that breeds disconnection"..the city of adverts; the new age..where few stop to take in big breaths..rather than small gasps..and take in the little details over cast..large to small..the now glorious previously diminished..I think musically when I here diminished . the gap less staff and see epic when I visualize fjords.. such beautiful...there is more to see if you expanded your spectrum; your life... magnificently written..sorry if my comment don't make sense haha.

  • jonLyndon On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, jonLyndon (113)By person wrote:

    "just like the fjords of norway" w/ a stunning, never considered before reflection to New York's Central Park! Brilliantly perfect. & this new semi-urbanality poetry from you, I love it! The glorious use of your rhythmic aspects of prose & the magnificence of your human intellect brought down to size by the grace & pride of the "grandiose things" in the splendid penultimate stanza; the sense of near invisible rhythmic structure/meter, like jazz, listen to the notes you cannot hear. The between melodies. & the surreal tangential final "spellbound" verse, so purr_fect! This poem is a photograph. As Solace said: a "glorious piece". Echium plantagineum? The "crazyfaced purple weed" (Purple Viper's Bugloss)? The Solace comment lent me towards that theory for the perfect end, from a picture of Central Park to the fjords of Norway to your breathless smallness as to the universe and then the smallest of things... this is pure purr_verse. glorious & diminished yet elevated. Beautifully crafted!

  • ubiquitoussoul On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, ubiquitoussoul (346)By person wrote:

    Like the Jazz reference..

  • jonLyndon On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, jonLyndon (113)By person wrote:

    And still, there is rhythm, flows like an echo thru the Rhine Valleys... the Rhein, "to flow". Bravo!

  • jonLyndon On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, jonLyndon (113)By person wrote:

    I love the comment from Solace...

  • not an addict On Tuesday, August 31, 2010, not an addict (45)By person wrote:

    To taste again the youthful beauty of a life unjaded... These are words that deserved to be said, and I thank you for doing so. The world is far more beautiful than we are at times capable of admitting, or understanding, but sometimes it just takes a couple appreciative words to give an old pair of eyes a new vision.

  • Solace On Monday, August 30, 2010, Solace (1069)By person wrote:

    Glorious piece, that last part about what I assume to be Pattersons Curse was superb. Life is as much glorious wonderment in giants as it is wonderment of ants. I will seriously spend entire afternoons gazing at skylines from mountain tops as much as I will watch an ant hoist a rock out of its way and feel just as awestruck by the sight. That social need to diminish something so great simply because it is so well known for being great. Dare to be different (but in some cases theres a reason not to). The Fjords will always be an overwhelming confirmation that things are often as good as people say, despite the fact that they have said it.

  • ubiquitoussoul On Thursday, September 2, 2010, ubiquitoussoul (346)By person wrote:

    Absolutely adore the ant comment as I can relate..it's funny..had to mention that..

  • jonLyndon On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, jonLyndon (113)By person wrote:

    Well said!

  • elisa On Saturday, August 28, 2010, elisa (1616)By person wrote:

    somewhere between all the pretentious small talk at 'big' parties and the manufactured hype of insignificant shit, i've grown uncomfortably accustom to being underwhelmed. excellent write.

  • carlosjackal On Saturday, August 28, 2010, carlosjackal (3016)By person wrote:

    You just nailed 'Geographical Cliche' perfectly...Fantastic flow, gut-punching shine. Love it.

  • ubiquitoussoul On Wednesday, September 1, 2010, ubiquitoussoul (346)By person wrote:

    ooh I like that..geographically..dis/inclined

  • A former member wrote: .much like your words. fabulous nature [outside and inside of you as well].....everywhere. great read.


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