The Man of Stone

" ...a joint writing project-- concept and original poem by Jola S...; English interpretation by Mark Teague"

 

The Man of Stone/Posag/ 

While walking through the Park,
A little before dark,
I came upon a Statue that I'd seen on other walks.

I swore, upon it's cheek
A tear began to leak
And in my mind the Man began to talk!

"Once I, like you, was free
To stroll beneath the trees
And laugh, and love, and live a hundred Joys."

"But in my heart I chose
To have no part of those,
To not be like those other girls and boys!"

"So cold had grown my heart,
I could not let love start
Then one day I woke, and I was made of stone!"

"I'd lost my final chance
To live, to laugh, to dance--
Was fated now to spend my days alone!"

"Now, I see you every day
You chance to pass this way,
Ever alone, without a friend or beau,

"I hope to make you see
That what's happened to me
Is NOT the way you want your life to go!"

And now my eyes are red
At the things that Statue said;
He has shown me what I needed to replace!

Now, no more solo walking
I seek rather friends, and talking
Since I saw that tear upon that Statue's face!

jola  and mark teague
October 23, 2009

Reviews

[Ellen Hammond]

I like the rhyme and flow of this poem almost as much as I love the idea, the concept, the theme of it.

Since Mark has stated that he helped you translate it, but it was your idea, your muse, Jola, I see no plagiarism involved. As David Lewis Paget stated, it is not uncommon for editors to assist in the reconstruction of poetry or other books, especially when translating them into English. And it seems Mark was acting in that capacity for you. If it is supposedly copied from Mark, and HE is not screaming plagiarism, why would someone else take it upon themselves to do so in such a public and humiliating way?

I once sent a poem I wrote to a poet friend to get her opinion on a verse I added to it because one line just didn't seem to fit. She suggested that I change one word from what I had written, to one she gave me that fit it so much better. Would I have been accused of plagiarism for using the word she suggested? Since most words have been around for centuries, are we all then copying someone else's work by simply using words that were formed by someone else? I hope I made my point, and this misunderstanding can be straightened out before it gets out of hand.

[Leigh]

Nice imagery and very imaginative piece of work, something really different - thanks for sharing

[Raja]

Wonderful and vivid! I am surprised to find concepts like this could have even taken place. You're brilliant in keeping a fine balance in words and expressions!

Thank You.

Raja

[Emily B]

a friend's avatar winked at me one night . . . and since, I am more apt to believe that statues can have tears and other assorted mysteries . . . beautifully stated.

[Through the Gateway]

This was a brilliant piece, Jola. The message is one we should all take to heart. The visuals are excellent and I imagine that the Polish version is just as beautiful as the English one.

[Surrealstorm]

Such a beautiful poem. It really reminds us how important friends and family are. Great Write!

[Eagle Cruagh]

This is pure truth
The very best philosophy'
We can even learn from a stone
If we but take the time
To observe

A beautiful truism in poetry.

Rate----- 100 %

----- Eagle Cruagh

[Phibby Venable]

very beautiful and moving! and a wonderful lesson to us all..we do not have
to walk alone.

[R J Askew]

Like the concept and the drama of the execution. Your poem immediately think of Nietzsche for some reason. Is it that too much thinking overshadows our heart so much that they are petrified? Anyway for me the weeping stone man wld be a philosopher who realises too late that he thought too much about life instead of living it and feeling it.

[Doctor JKC]

A lovely piece.
We all go through phases, however,
some stay down and stuck in anger
and depression.
I applaud your mystical sight
and the lesson learned.
A lesson we all need at times.
Sincerely,
Dr. Callaghan

[spence]

This is a very well crafted poem, as well as a wonderful story with a fantastic moral message of truth and wisdom. It is sad, but true that many hide beneath masks to disguise the pain we must endure in life and sadder still that this can render us isolated and, subsequently, insular to the point where we can no longer feel anything beyond our loneliness and desolation and we become little more than a stilled likeness of who we once were. I took a lot from this spiritually healing poem...very well done, take care, spence