Catharsis

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• By me, right now

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• 
  Colton Macy
  October 2, 2007
  
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  beauty in death

  was this ment to be read at a funeral or is this just a personal write>
  
  it is well made and great write

  
• • 
    FransB
    October 2, 2007
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    This is about none in particluar, but I was prompted by a photo of a young girls crying with tears streaming down her cheeks. I enjoyed this write, and it did make me sad, as their are many elderly who die of exposure in developing countries such as mine. Thank you for the comment and the applause.
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  Lad
  September 30, 2007
  
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  I sense a double catharthis here, Frans.

  And both of them are richly expressed with great economy. I hear a eulogy to "her" who has passed, and another cathartic purification of the poet at her passing - her face, her smile, her body and the warming fireplace, now "cold". But, in life, she must have been as lovely a person as her spirit is in death. And the tone of the poet is one of grief, as well as loving memories of her. Very skillful writing, wrapped up in a funeral pyre, for me to enjoy.
  
  Try though I might, I couldn't get hold of "sounds of salt"; it seems a private image closed to a reader, and the four "of..." phrases, "of salt", "of memories", "of bone" and "of fireplace", strike me as contrived and a bit overdone within a brief poem. Perhaps some adjustments could be made? But that's only my opinion, Frans; the whole poem's grieving tone still comes through beautifully. And I especially liked the image of a final fire revealing her peaceful face. We should all live a life so warm as to be eulogized so lovingly.
  
  Lad
• • 
    FransB
    September 30, 2007
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    Lad, thanks for the comments - I so derive great satisfaction from these. I was prompted by a picture of a young girl's face, with tears streaming down her cheeks. I started off to write about this, but it never got to that - you read the poem. I did not want to start off with the sounds of music in the background, with loneliness etc, and started off with tears of salt - linking the sound of music and salt of tears. To me this was a sad write, and it made me quite emotional - so many elderly are on their own. I'll take a look at the 'of's' - now that you have pointed these out, I take another go at it. Perhaps it will come out differently. I'll call it: Catharsis 2 for the time being. You're correct about the 'purification' part, but in a way the catharsis was also the 'cause' of her death. So perhaps too many thoughts in one poem - but I did enjoy writing it. As always to a great mentor - thanks. Frans.