It seems fitting to showcase a favorite poem of mine with photos of myco-heterotroph plants. Why? Don't know. It just fits.
So here's Pablo Neruda's
Love Sonnet XVII:
I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when your eyes close, I fall asleep.
14 comments:
Beautiful poem, well written and lovingly illustrated, congrats!
What's the names of those first couple plants? I know the Indian Pipe and Pine Drops (is it?)... very cool!
Pablo Neruda is a favorite... too bad you can't read him in Spanish!
Orgasmic is when my favorite poet and favorite blogger merge together with a photo of a plant so impossibly red it makes me want to weep. And then get in the car and drive to see said blogger so she can show me the red plant. and a raptor or two. or three. Dearest Laura, don't worry - I will read the poem to Susan in Spanish in a way that she'll understand...every....last....word. Trust me.......
Dang, Tim. You made my toes curl a little.
Yes. Please read poetry to me...in Spanish. In the hot tub in Cabin #4.
; )
How does the word: "Inappropriate" translate?
Hmm...which part is inappropriate? The poem or Tim reading poetry in a hot tub?
The poem is perfect...and I assure you, I'm not Tim's type.
:)
Lovely, lovely poem. Lovely pictures. Lovely you.
Beth
Beautiful Poem and paring with photos! Like a fine wine pared with a wonderful meal!
thanks!
So now I must catch up with what I have missed on your blog..been on a vacation of sorts..and I am sooo behind with my blog reading.
See ya!
Susan, so beautiful, the poetry and the photography. I agree, it goes together well!
Beautiful poem and gorgeous plants. How do we translate jealous?...I want to see those plants! I have a fascination with fungus and odd looking flora. Great pictures, and the poem was perfectly paired with them!
Five years later, I wonder how I missed this. This post is still simmering.
Nice to see this again, the plants, the translations in between the lines. Excuse me for the long post earlier; we have, though, update our website for the Pablo Neruda documentary: www.nerudadoc.com where you can also find info on The Essential Neruda, with that Spanish on one side, English on the other as talked about... Thanks again!
Post a Comment