Then Let Us Have An Elegy

b''h 

2/18/13

Then let us have an elegy 

Before our world be done -- 

Play! Musician! -- eloquently -- 

Last melody; tho' none 

May live to hear your final song -- 

If finish it you can -- 

Before to cosmos, too, belong  

Cold harmony of Man.

Reviews

[sithlordjp]

When that last melody comes, I wonder what it will sound like. I hope it won't be sad. I'd rather have something with a good rythym that people can dance to... A celebration, through song, of a life well played. A party to send me off to that cosmos where all music will be my own. I like your words sir.

[Firestone Feinberg]

I'm a Jew. My religion demands the song be sad. We are the happiest when we're sad. Just kidding. Ya know what? i had a great-uncle who was a French Canadian and he came from a very large family who lived in the country. Anyhow the family were very religious Catholics, and many of them were priests and nuns. And he was going to be a priest too, but then he met and fell in love with my great-aunt. They were in their early twenties. Anyhow he asked her to marry him, but she couldn't unless he converted. So he did. He was circumcised at that time. No fun. But they were married at least fifty years until he died. There is a lot more I could tell you, but that's enough for now... but: I still have my uncles 'tallis' (prayer shawl that Jews wear in synagogue). My aunt gave it to me when he died. Thanks for reading and reviewing my morbid offering. --David

[sithlordjp]

I know very little about the Jewish Faith, thank you for this interesting explanation and anecdote. She must have been a special lady if he went through circumcision so late in his life to be with her. Now that's true love!

[Firestone Feinberg]

He studied and learned Hebrew and all the prayers and laws. He really became a Jew. He taught me how to ridea bicycle and how to tie my shoes. And he would do card-tricks for us and sing us little songsin French too. I loved him. His name was Jack (really Jacques) Carrier. My aunt was Frances Hammer. They had one baby who died in infancy.

[quinfinn]

your writing style is unique and truly resonant. i find these writes absorbing and edgy. bravo!

[quinfinn]

i vaguely recall that from my school daze....i will have to revisit that one! i have always been particularly partial to Poe

[Firestone Feinberg]

Thank you so much. This is a dark one -- well WE know what that means... Still, there is hope -- we cannot help hoping. Did you ever read Emily Dickson's masterpiece
'Hope is the thing with feathers' ? It's one of her greatest poems -- short -- four quatrains. I very much appreciate your kind words and I am do glad you find something worth reading in my poems -- God knows I try! (sorry I am a rather observant Jew -- but no fanatic and no proselytizer -- ) --David

[justjenn_2u]

May I write the lyrics for this musician? : ) I love to hear the chorus and take in the vocals. May we all live to WRITE our final song because I know I am. This is good. I love the flow and sincerity. Write on....

[Firestone Feinberg]

Thanks jj. You are most welcome to write the lyrics. How about posting them here once you write them...

[justjenn_2u]

Give me the subject and I will write. : )

[Firestone Feinberg]

The Final Song

[justjenn_2u]

Great one, want to collab?

[Firestone Feinberg]

howbout you write and then i edit... i'm good at that... or you could write some lines or a verse and i could do the same ... maybe a verse/chorus song i like your idea -- may we live to sing the song -- like you said in your review... maybe you could start with the chorus part if you like that idea...

[justjenn_2u]

I like to write a verse, you continue, I write again, you continue. I am good at editing as I work for an editing company as well. : ) Good team!!!!

[Firestone Feinberg]

go for it

[John]

A witty variation on the 'One more song' song or poem. Usually one for the road, but this is for the end of the road. You use the Dickensonian hyphen to underscore the word 'eloquently', even if nobody is around to hear it. This caller has a sense of style. Cold harmony suggests that without Man the cosmos is literally lifeless or that mankind is not in harmony with the natural order. Further food for thought.

[Firestone Feinberg]

I love what you said about 'one more for the end of the road!' So wry and cute. I also love your snide comment about the Dickinson Dashes that no one might get to see! Alas. 'Tis their loss.

Actually I am a natural dasher. Stodgy editors would certainly lambaste me for my dashing-overuse. But I don't care. Even though I always felt a twinge of self-critique when profusively I dashed, I was finally given full license to dash away by our dear lady-of-the-dashes. How upset shewould have been if she had had the misforune to see what her first editors did to her sublime punctuation.

Your understanding of 'cold harmony' helped me to untwist -- somewhat -- those odd words that emerged by themselves -- to the end that I could not ignore them -- sensible or not.

Thank your your warm and sly review. I smile. --David

[John]

I wasn't sure if they were typos or deliberate mistakes.