The View from the Zenith
2010; Boston University; Volume: 17; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/arn.2010.0053
ISSN2327-6436
Autores Tópico(s)Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies
ResumoTheViewfrom theZenith KARL JOHNSON SilverJubilee "Girlwaybeyond myleague!"didyoutellyourself Backthen inschooldays? "Archery MVP, Sharp edgethatnojerkwants tofoolwith, Faster thanvarsity boyscross-country"? Youstill werenotscared off butweredrawn tome. Heart-stolen boy, so blatant! ThoseSaturdays We'dshare themorning watching bluebirds, Chickadees, nesting-routines ofhousewrens Birdlife youloved, butwhatmadeyoublushable? Me,myprotective impulse forSmallOnes'life. Yes,I recall your glowthat time I Chasedterrain-bikers from where thefawns hid. Just onceyousawfirsthand thatI likedtohunt. I angled downhill stalking that gorgeous buck (No weapons, cleanfun), sneaked backupand Pounced where youwaited. Yougotembarrassed. Allsenior year, youknewthatmyspecial crowd Shygirls wholearned I'd safeguard their secrets, and Kidstired ofunkind epithets, and Boyscutely wildenough - calledmeAlpha. Un jealousboy, justthinking indifferent terms, Yousenta notewhich throned meinKeats'sode, Thatsentence . . . Queen-Moon thronged bycourtiers Clustered around melikestars Youmeant well. ARION I7.3 WINTER 2OIO 50 THE VIEW FROM THE ZENITH Once, youconfessed fullmoonmadeyouthinkofme, Backtracked andfound safewords:"You don'tcompromise, You knowyourown flight pathforcertain, Lightyourown way and don'tneedpermission." Girlway beyondsafewords?Beyondworshipful Grownboyswho'd goneno further thanpuppylove, Who couldn'tguessshemightbe dating Purposeful wolvesor havepetsshefavored. Not all who had funlove anniversaries! Atclass reunionnow- reconnecting when You've seenthecrossroadssign"To Midlife" Please don'tdiscussmeforreappraisal! Was I yourqueeneand huntresse thechasteand faire? Don't learnthefactsnow,RetroActaeon .I Took Alpha'sshare,tookfulladvantage. Few weretheSaturdaynights I didn't. I staredtherisksdowntwenty-five yearsago. Let'sleaveyourqueensafe,right whereshealwaysshone, Uncloudedsilver. SmallOnes learnthere's Timeto be activeand timeforsilence. KarlJohnson 51 Horace's Bookends Dedication IntheRight PlaceattheRight Time Great-grandson oftheroyalline - you,Maecenas, are My guardtower.You're theroyalaccolade tappingme. Racetrackturnsand red-hot wheelsand Olympicdust, Palm-crowned victories . . . "worldchampions"are raised to gods. Unpredictable votes,mob ofRome'scitizens, Three-stage climbto thetoprank. . . that'sanotherroute. Wealthgetsthere:likethegrain-dealing monopolist Who sweepsup everylastseed fromNorthAfrica. Unseafaring men,sea-fearing mencultivate Quite contentedly thoseacrestheirfathers did. Not gemdeals witha jeweledmogulofAsia would Budgetheselubbersto hoe waternearCretewitha Cypriotboat! In thesplash-downzone ofIcarus, Sea-lanetraders themselves, too,lose theirnervewhenthe Southwest, African windfights theCycladicwaves. "Hometown!Countryside! Calmlife!Butthepoverty ... ?" Theyfixup anystormdamageand sail again. SomeoneguzzlesbycupfulstheFalernian ("Thanks,don'tmindifI do"), loses no opportune Snoozetime, sprawledfora half-day in arbutusgroves Some call "strawberry trees,"else at god-tranquil springs. Men morecommonly love stimulant buglecalls, Troop encampments and thosebattlestheirmothers hate. Out on-trail undercold heavens,a hunter may 52 THE VIEW FROM THE ZENITH Thinknotonce ofhiswife,evena newlywed, So fixatedon somedeerthathishoundshaveseen, SomewildMarsian boar slashinghisnetsapart. In mycase thereward - ivy, thepoets'crown Letsmeminglewithgods ; findinthecool ofwoods Far off, notamongcrowds,nymphean-satyrish Ring-dance levity, flutetunesthatEuterpemay Setloose, lyrics forunshyPolyhymnia's Sapphiclyre - either Muse might disinhibit me. Head heldhigh,whenthebardsgo marching inI may Slamhead-onintostars - rankedamongbardsbyyou. Horace, Odes i.i KarlJohnson 53 Envoi Beyond TimeandPlace I've now finished a morelastingmemorialthan Bronze.Pyramidal royalburialsachieveno such Height.No frustrated NorthWindnorerosiverain Nor infinity's timeline oftheyears,ofthe Swift-flown seasonsor eons,can degrademywork. Death shallnotbe complete:muchofmybeingwill Slippastfuneral rites.Suchis myfuture, that WhileRome'spontiffs and mutevestalsclimbJupiter's Steps,youngHorace willkeepgainingcelebrity. In Apulia,whereviolentAufidus Flows so noisily, whereDaunus theDrought-Stricken Once ruledoverthefarmpeople- they'llspeak ofmy Dirt-farm origins, mylyricalpoweras the Firsttransposer in our keyofAeolian song, GreekstanzaictechniquesintoItalianstyle First !Melpomene,acceptmybid'sarrogance, GrantI'm worthDelphicleaves,crownme as laureate. Horace, Odes 3.30 ...
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