The green lantern

The green lantern
by jamh
07-May-2011
 

As a boy it might be
the stance of a holy knight,
a Jesus of power, heralding
Arcadia.

Then years point
to the scale of corruption,
to his little patch, quite small
on the ship of fools,

as he sighs to the mirage
whirling above vows, nuptial,
eddies in the black pools
of his shrinking skull,

the lantern casts
its negative light
on the slit of eyes, the horizon,
nostalgia.

Back from height
to the curvature of earth,
the place he called home,
almost mortal.

What was he then?
Half idea, half beast,
half a scientist, artist,
charlatan.

Like the rest of us,
each in our own bed
with a demon of jealousy,
finally antisocial.

jam11

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Anahid Hojjati

Dear jamh, thanks for bringing all the possibilities to my

by Anahid Hojjati on Wed May 11, 2011 01:58 PM PDT

attention. Your poem was good and I saw that even the first time that I read it but i need to read it couple more times to get all its different layers.

You also wrote:"I am glad that you are at a point in your life that you don't feel you've missed out on anything." Dear jamh, that is not the case at all. Almost all people, have this feeling that they missed out on something in their lives.


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jamh

Anahid

by jamh on Wed May 11, 2011 01:43 PM PDT

I thought about what you wrote. I myself can identify with your words, how difficult my early life was in those Montreal winters, among the stunningly beautiful French Canadians. I am glad that you are at a point in your life that you don't feel you've missed out on anything. I would think that by hard work you have attained your personal goals.

Some people set out to change the world. For example, the green color here might refer to the idealists that partook in the Revolution. If you look at what they have accomplished, aside from the mayhem and the violence, is not much. Or green might be the color of Islam itself, and the terrorists that not only harm everyone initially, but eventually as well. Or the green, as you pointed out, might be the color of jealousy in love (although jealousy exists in all of the above), and how, finally alone, our hero despises everything and everyone.  These lines of possibility all can exist together.

 

 


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Anahid Hojjati

I am not jealous of the young

by Anahid Hojjati on Tue May 10, 2011 05:26 PM PDT

When you are young, you have to study hard and establish yourself. Especially if you immigrate as a young person, things are not easy. I would not want to go back to when I was young. Not that I had a horrible time but being young is not my wish now. Being healthy is always good. From childhood and youth, I like having a sense of everything is possible. Any way, it is beautiful poem. I love your poems since they are philosophical just like Persian Westender but he writes in Farsi.
Cheers


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jamh

Dear Anahid

by jamh on Tue May 10, 2011 05:11 PM PDT

I realize that these lines can have multiple meanings, and different ones to each person, and that is how they should be.

The poem progresses from an idealistic young man to a bitter old man. I imagine that when you are old, and broken, what you are most jealous of is youth (and health).

 

 

 


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Anahid Hojjati

When you write about being jealous

by Anahid Hojjati on Tue May 10, 2011 03:43 PM PDT

If you do it repeatedly, you will make others uncomfortable. They don't know how to act.  I guess since you don't use your own name, it is OK. Unless, some people know your pen name. In that case, if you write too much being jealous, others may feel uncomfortable around you.


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jamh

Thank you for your support

by jamh on Mon May 09, 2011 04:54 PM PDT

Thank you for your support Anahid.


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Anahid Hojjati

jamh, thanks for sharing

by Anahid Hojjati on Sat May 07, 2011 07:14 PM PDT

 

Back from height
to the curvature of earth,
the place he called home,


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