in the beginning—
her light, always her light
then noon; penicillin
and a needle full of death
death, so much death
flows this morning in Verona
and that pit,
years and years deep
lurking in the corner
of the marble garden—
arms and bones
tangled, broken
and the smell of death
but
where are her bones
with the scent of honey and myrrh
and
who will now reap the grain
from the yellow fields of August
no! no! no!
harvester sheath your scythe
I will not let her wander
all alone in the sterile garden
my gentle old priest, please
take this grief away from me
here is a loaf of leavened bread
for your kind service
Part of the cycle of poems thirteen silk verses
A few words about the poem…
Giulietta: The Tragic Death of a Young Girl | Cyprus Poems
In the series "Thirteen Silk Verses" from the collection Cyprus Poems, "Giulietta" stands as a poignant testament to the themes of death and grief. With echoes of Verona, this love and loss poem weaves a tale of light and darkness, and death's unyielding grip between the tragic fate of the series' heroine and that of Juliet.
As noon approaches, the atmosphere in the small town thickens with the weight of mortality. A pit of sorrow, deep and unyielding, remains hidden in the marble garden, a solemn reminder of life's fragility. Amidst broken arms and bones entwined, the scent of death lingers like a melancholic melody. Yet amidst this poignant scene, questions arise. Where are Giulietta's bones, fragrant with honey and myrrh? Surely her bones cannot be amongst those marked by the smell of death! And who will tend to the yellow fields of August, reaping the grain that has been left behind?
The urgency builds, an anguished plea resounds. A harvester is urged to sheathe his scythe, to halt the inexorable march of time. Since her light no longer illuminates the world, how will he be able to see the yellow fields? The speaker, overcome with grief, refuses to let Giulietta wander alone in the sterile garden of eternity. In this moment of heartache, a gentle old priest is invoked. With the offering of a loaf of leavened bread, a plea is made for solace, for the priest's kind service to take away the burden of grief.
"Giulietta" stands as a touching reflection on the universality of grief, drawing a parallel to the series' overarching narrative. The poem resonates with the themes of death and sorrow, reminding us of the delicate threads that connect human experiences across time and place. As a part of "Thirteen Silk Verses," it further enriches the tapestry of Cyprus Poems, inviting readers to delve into the intricate web of emotions woven through this evocative collection.
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