04-27-2023, 02:14 AM
Cadaveri Excellenti*
Oddly there’s no smell
but that of ancient stone and cold dust.
A string of bulbs lights
the hung cadavers, still in their robes
along the carved passage
grimacing, mannikins of the dead
though no artisan could form
those shriveled limbs
skin like bark, with all its
twists and turns, dried leather,
eyes only slits torn in the mummified skin
jaws agape, swallowing the unaccustomed light.
Silent, yes, but to look one in the face
you cannot help but hear voices
still echoing in their darkness.
*Basically an ekphrastic poem, based on the first 4 minutes of the film by that title by Francesco Rosi (1976)
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4lQhEZmpp8]
Just edited because I saw I'd only done three senses, but I'm glad I did. I am slavish to the prompt.
Oddly there’s no smell
but that of ancient stone and cold dust.
A string of bulbs lights
the hung cadavers, still in their robes
along the carved passage
grimacing, mannikins of the dead
though no artisan could form
those shriveled limbs
skin like bark, with all its
twists and turns, dried leather,
eyes only slits torn in the mummified skin
jaws agape, swallowing the unaccustomed light.
Silent, yes, but to look one in the face
you cannot help but hear voices
still echoing in their darkness.
*Basically an ekphrastic poem, based on the first 4 minutes of the film by that title by Francesco Rosi (1976)
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4lQhEZmpp8]
Just edited because I saw I'd only done three senses, but I'm glad I did. I am slavish to the prompt.