Dec 5, 2006

meaning... what?

Since I got an email asking, "What is your poem 'altar of the apocalypse' about?," I decided I'd republish it here, and see if anyone can help me figure it out.

(There may actually be a meaning. No promises, though.)

For Ezra Pound




altar of the apocalypse

the trade school dairy
strewn with gold foil and manganese,
the steam exhaust of scented ferns


[Tie close-up added late, and cross-posted at that poetic parade, Mr. A's world of tacky ties.]

2 comments:

TeacherRefPoet said...

One of my favorite poetry quotes is by Heather McHugh, who said of her work:

"It's not ABOUT about."

Jim Anderson said...

I hear that. Much like "A poem should not mean, but be," Archibald MacLeish's imagist dogma.