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Phantasmagoria, And the Two of Pentacles
| Open Poetry #49 |
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Phantasmagoria, And the Two of Pentacles |
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ice Member Elite
since 2003-05-17
Posts 3404Pennsylvania |
"..learn to look at all things With a sort of mental squint." Lewis Carrol-  * Phantasmagoria Spirits there, challenged each other- By color, illusion-shapes and disguises; Projections like-on a leaden sky- Reflected the sights of bones without skin- Muscle-Blood or intestinal matter. Magic was hidden inside of a lantern, That conjured an image, on transparent screens- Bent-Mirrors increased a candles weak power, Showing outlines 0f people, Who had lost times battle... (The audience screams!) Their minds being throttled By thoughts of clattering- Bones come alive...  **Two of Pentacles Outside The sky is a concave mirror, Reflecting pictures on the earths curved line, The juggler of seasons adds apparition; (Beneath the arch, he is always middled.) In the jesters left hand, Is the round-ball of winter. In his right, is the orb, that tells when it's summer. He throws both high--the earth-arch over The spheres circle close, but miss each other; Fatigue, inertia, and passing time... Would make the right choice of winner. Old Londoners needed phantasmagoria. While they waited out winter inside For the juggler, To drop the bright ball, And make it warmer outside. ****************************************** * Phantasmagoria Phantasmagoria was a form of theater which used a modified magic lantern to project frightening images such as skeletons, demons, and ghosts onto walls, smoke, or semi-transparent screens, frequently using rear projection. Was most popular in England throughout the 1800s.. ** "Two of Pentacles"-Tarot card- the juggler of things. |
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JerryPat2 Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975South Louisiana |
Ahhh . . . glad you let us know what a phantasmagoria was/is, Ice, I was going to look it up . . . I can just imagine that it was a fun/scary place to attend. I believe I would have loved it also, as I loved this write! ~ If they give you ruled paper, write sideways. ~ |
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Cari Member Posts 411 Englnand |
Well, the winters in England are certainly long and dreary but we don’t get the extremes in our climate as the US does. Phantasmagoria was only for the financially well off I’m afraid. Abject poverty was widespread in Britain at the last half of the 1800’s and at the time when the riches of the Empire made the little island the superpower of the world. So much for empire building and for Adam Smith’s trickle down philosophy, we are all still waiting. I see parallels between the America of today and the Britain of the late 1800 hundreds. Where both let capitalism run unchecked, while politicians feed the masses with a diet of patriotic sound bites which do nothing to address any of the many social problems of everyday living that they face. Today I read of another massacre in Michigan and we know what the answer will be from the NRA, sell more guns. Old Londoners needed phantasmagoria. While they waited out winter inside For the juggler, To drop the bright ball, And make it warmer outside. Loved that last verse Ice, sardonic and straight from my own fractured wit. Cari. |
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ice Member Elite
since 2003-05-17
Posts 3404Pennsylvania |
Jerry It does sound like an iteresting thing to attend.. Thanks for the reply. |
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ice Member Elite
since 2003-05-17
Posts 3404Pennsylvania |
Thank you Cari "Phantasmagoria was only for the financially well off..." Yup That's why the insertion of the second part..Those that went to that theatre were well off, depended on money to gain what they needed..their future was bright but also boring. The Tarot card, (especially, it might make sense, the two of pentacles) is what poor people might have depended on instead of money..to tell their fortune, or future by. Thanks for the reply...all of it. "Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance." |
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