Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: busy

Moment of Silence: Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke has left this world. I wish him good voyage, and fair landing among the aliens whom he wished would contact us.


Messenger in a Bottle:
Elegy for Arthur C. Clarke


If you’re holding this, Explorer,
You’re holding the pride of Terra.
Let me tell you about him.

He was one of the greatest storytellers
Our species has ever produced.
Some of them came true.

He wanted three things:
Lasting peace in Sri Lanka,
Clean energy on Earth,
And word from you that you exist.

He sent this, a piece of himself,
Into the ocean of space,
Perhaps to be reborn,
Our messenger in a bottle.

Please treasure him as we did.


----------------------------------------
EDIT: Read another elegy, "Final Rendezvous" by dkolodji here:
http://dkolodji.livejournal.com/208573.html
Tags: news, poem, science fiction
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  • 10 comments
dakiwiboid

I love this poem.

dakiwiboid

March 19 2008, 14:04:02 UTC 13 years ago

The only memorial poem I ever wrote for a writer is much, much more obscure and actually pretty childish, now that I look at it. It's about one of our former Poets Laureate and just sort of popped out. I haven't thought of anything for Sir Arthur, and may not as I don't seem to be able to write poetry any more. Here's what I wrote for Mona van Duyn.

Wax.
Wax on.
Wax off.
Wax fruit.
Wax furniture.
Wax floors.
Mind your own beeswax.
Wax wroth.
Wax wroth until it's so shiny you can see your face in it.
Then wax lyrical.
Write down the results of waxing lyrical quickly, preferably with a wax crayon.
Wax on.
Wax off.

December 3, 2004
In memoriam, Mona van Duyn

ysabetwordsmith

Re: I love this poem.

ysabetwordsmith

March 19 2008, 21:49:30 UTC 13 years ago

I've seen that kind of poem before, where one word/idea is spun out into as many iterations as possible; I like the concept. Thanks for sharing.

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