Lapis Lazuli.

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flux
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Lapis Lazuli.

Post by flux » August 28th, 2013, 2:42 pm

Ancient miners delved between
The world's gritted teeth and levered
You loose; artisans and architects, who
Know the colour of eternity, then
Raised you, piece after piece,
Suspended you around the throats
Of queens and across the brows
Of kings and higher: where the air
Is spanned by arch and dome
You bring within our reach
A perfect sky.

You bring within my reach
The whole of the heavens.



Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious stone that was once the only source of the colour sky blue.


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mangodog
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by mangodog » August 28th, 2013, 4:26 pm

Ancient miners delved between
The world's gritted teeth and levered
You loose

This is solid granite writing, Flux!
I liked your air-spanning line too.....
holding stones to necks must have been
an interesting choice to some anceint,
and the color of the sky at that....no wonder
the heavens opened up for you....my awe
floated up with you

really wonderful piece.....MangoFido



dwells
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by dwells » August 28th, 2013, 5:38 pm

I knew it was a bluish, greenish, goldish gemstone from ancient times, but this treatment was wonderfully done and much enjoyed, cheers!
Last edited by dwells on November 5th, 2013, 8:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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faithmairee
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by faithmairee » August 28th, 2013, 8:27 pm

What a beautifully penned piece. I like everything from the great diction and flow to how powerfully it was delivered. Great wonderful poem! Faith


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everhopeful
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by everhopeful » August 30th, 2013, 1:36 pm

Excellent title to this one, the literally inspired content took me be surprise a little, as did a literal reading of your poem. However I can see how significant human discovery can be in inspiring us, and the wonders of what we have on earth often leave me pondering a deeper significance, purpose, and connection to something greater than the eye can see.
Top work.



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platinummoon
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by platinummoon » August 30th, 2013, 1:49 pm

Another delightful poem from your pen. I can only second all above reviews.



Philip16
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by Philip16 » August 31st, 2013, 7:38 am

Your words encouraged me to lift my eyes and gaze into an empyrean sky.
Thanks Flux.
Philip16


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Eggy
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by Eggy » November 3rd, 2013, 6:03 pm

OK let me start from the top:-

' between
The world's gritted teeth and levered
You loose;'

Excellent! A beautiful illustration of the fact that effort is required for reward

artisans and architects, who
Know the colour of eternity,

A devotional statement of considerable subtlety

'where the air
Is spanned by arch and dome'

An obvious reference to what some have termed 'clerical architecture'

'You bring within our reach
A perfect sky.'

And, of course, what may lie beyond it.

You bring within my reach
The whole of the heavens.

Ad coelum per ardua

This is an exquisite piece of work and deserves a wider readership than this site can give it.

PUBLISH!

And thank you for such a delightful read.

Mike



flux
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by flux » November 4th, 2013, 9:30 am

Thank you all very much, and thank you for spotlighting this poem. It was inspired by a Weekly comp' challenge, I wrote it the day after I wrote 'A greying soul' which I entered into that week's challenge.

And Eggy, thanks for the encouragement, I know I should do something with what I write, but I am hopelessly impractical and really wouldn't know where to start getting anything published. All my efforts go into writing.

Thanks again for this, reading your comments is reward enough for me. For now.


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inflames
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by inflames » November 4th, 2013, 7:49 pm

I read once that the reason there is no mention of 'blue' in ancient greek philosophy is because they didn't know what it was. This is an interesting expansion on that idea- the fact that this is the only known blue. Very interesting! And in saying that, the topic is beautifully written as well. Congrats on your spotlight!


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everhopeful
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by everhopeful » November 5th, 2013, 12:48 pm

I really enjoyed this one the first time around, and while I was struck by the theme that time, this time I appreciate the technique behind the poem. This is really crisp and concise, without a wasted word, and has an element I always love in relatively short poetry - a big pay-off in the conclusion. In this case it brings elements of history, nature, the cosmos and spiritualism together into how the speaker can still relate to the significance of human endeavour.
Congratulations on the spotlight!



rupertpupkin
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by rupertpupkin » November 5th, 2013, 3:42 pm

Hi, I must confess I had to google it. Great poem Flux , not a word wasted and the flow, theme and tightness were all so spot on, brilliant writing, well done on the spotlight, cheers, Sean.


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Sasha
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by Sasha » November 6th, 2013, 3:49 pm

I love this!
I love how this was kinda divided into two parts, one that represents somehow a literal symbolism to people with speaker included, then the last two lines were like a special symbolism for the speaker alone, and I feel it has a lot of meanings to the speaker coated by a striking metaphor.
Wonderful work! Congratulations on the Spotlight!

Sash



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songofmeadow
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by songofmeadow » November 9th, 2013, 12:41 pm

Well deserved spotlight, proof of not what but how you engage the reader, I found the personification and imagery as lucid as the colour mx


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dornicks
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Re: Lapis Lazuli.

Post by dornicks » November 9th, 2013, 2:56 pm

Well written----and informative. A good read placed where it deserves to be. Congratulations on the Spotlight,

dornicks


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