The City of Stone

I breathe a sense of place
here carved in halls of
cool granite and marble
singing in the hollows of history

husked from the earth
in centuries past by calloused hands,
strong backs bent before
the keeper of time

noticed the wear and tear
and stopped the chiming of the clock;
implacable stone sits silently
in smooth splendor watching

the denizens oblivious
of the edifices that
protect them from the wind
and offer warmth within,

their stories lost in the memories
of men who lie quietly beneath
their own stones, their truth
buried deep and dark

and still I cannot pull my eyes
away from the perfection gabled
steepled and arched enveloping me
in sweeping streetscape vistas.

Reviews

[Girl Friday (Sarah W.)]

What beautiful language and imagery here...wow... I'm truly impressed with the style and the flow of this piece, and the way that you have tackled your concept.

their stories lost in the memories
of men who lie quietly beneath
their own stones, their truth
buried deep and dark -- great lines...

[icelandicblue]

Thank you Sarah. I am pleased that you liked the style of this piece.

[Antoñyo]

Excellent flow here with a chilled sense of irony...this delivers while offering a small looking glass. hmm

I enjoyed reading your glance,
thanks

[icelandicblue]

Thank you for your insightful review.

[David Scott]

I wonder where this city is?
I imagine a castle in the highlands of Scotland...
Where ever it is, you have framed and sketched well the image for the reader to begin their imaginings.
I like the fact that you give just enough details to guide the mind without spelling everything out so much the reader has nothing left to imagine.
Thank you for introducing me to this place of stoney history. :)

[icelandicblue]

Thanks David for such a nice comment. I am happy you could see a place in your mind.

[s y e]

Wow Anne, you have blown me away with this write. You have some stunner lines that nearly blew me out the window and across the world!

An amazing write, Blue - I love your writes, and you, you are such an inspiration to me!

[icelandicblue]

You are the best Noodle. Thanks for lifting my spirits once again.

[Angi]

This had me picturing caves, carved and ancient dwellings of some lost people, underground with towering ancient steeples and clock towers built on top of those old caverns. It felt archeological to me. Nicely done, Blue. Angi~

[icelandicblue]

Thanks Angi, I was going for archeology.

[Einstein Noodle]

cold stone hearted; dank stone castles, eerie stonehenge
...deep warm protective images you have evoked from your City of Stone ..i like it!!
E.

[icelandicblue]

Why thank you Einstein, you are right there is most definitely a duality in stone.

[Dye]

What a remarkable image you have just painted in this piece. There is something so beautiful about old architectural structures that you can just feel the history. It was very nice to read your perception of it here.

[icelandicblue]

I appreciate your comment. I will be by to read some of your work soon. Thanks so much.

[Dye]

You are very welcome. That is nice of you but don't worry about it, I'm not everyone's cup of tea and I comment when I want. I don't expect anything in return. That being said, if you visit, great-- but not necessary. :)

[Augustus]

Elegant, elevated, majestic. Much like the castles you speak of. There is a grandeur in your words and style that resonates with the grandeur of your subject matter. From a technical perspective, I feel that is one of the hallmarks of a well-written poem. The oneness of structure and soul, as it were. The passage of time and the many lives of men that the stones have seen have been portrayed gracefully. I especially liked the stanza
"their stories lost in the memories
of men who lie quietly beneath
their own stones, their truth
buried deep and dark"

I like the ending too. It leaves the reader with a feeling that he or she is in the presence of greatness. The majesty of stones far outlives the majesty of kings. A wonderful write!

[icelandicblue]

I am humbled Augustus. Thank you.

[Augustus]

You're most welcome. It was my pleasure.

[Travis Gibson (poetic h..]

That was profoundly poetic. A sincere pairing of emotion and ability, well done... this is an excellent piece.

[icelandicblue]

Thanks for you kind words poetic heroics.

[Aethereal]

This splendid poem expresses what goes through our minds when we view the architecture of the past: It inspired me to write this gift mono-rhyme quatrain for you to keep as your own:

Stones

We saw cities made of stones
where we found abandoned thrones,
vaulted ceilings, marble cones
far above their builder’s bones.

[icelandicblue]

That's just beautiful Aethereal. Thank you so much.

[Aethereal]

You're welcome! I enjoy placing concepts into tiny quatrain nutshells.

[Chris]

I've seen so many real places... walked the paths, touched ...life and history. This touched me.

[icelandicblue]

Oh Chris and I am flattered that my words touched you. Thank you so much for that, it is a gift you know.

[Chris]

Yes... and you earned being ...heard.