A book, a chair, an afternoon,
the sun in chase of setting moon,
a pleasant time of idleness,
ignoring work, forgetting mess;
the pages fly
beneath my eye,
they go so fast,
the ore is mined -
I want to find
a book to last.
A hundred pages flipping by,
one book is not enough, I sigh;
so Russian novels take the place
of mysteries with better grace.
Tolstoy is first
and not the worst -
his War and Peace
with three critiques
takes seven weeks -
and then release.
Then Gogol, Gorky, Bulgakov
compete with Ilf and his Petrov
to take up all the bookcase till
the Russian masters take a spill.
The books are thick,
and none are quick.
The stories run
through history,
and now I see
how writing's done.
A contest entry
- #128 Winklings but open to all at Allpoetry! Yes, you!!! by Lyndon.
6030 points, ended October 22, 2008, 6 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Thank you for reading!
Comments
1 - 6 of 6
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I always like Dostoyevski and Gogol more than Tolstoy, but I was very young when I read some of his stuff so that isn't really fair.
I have a feeling not many Winklers (except maybe Henry) read much Russian fiction, but I could be wrong.
There is something about the Russian novel I have always liked, the translations at least. Maybe because they dealt with a time and place more to my speed, or maybe not.
Those you mentioned plus Turgenev, Lermontov, Kataev,(who was Petrov's brother I think) the stories of Gorky and Babel...there isn't enough time to read all I'd like (and I've grown lazy.)
Today is a cold day, I shall sit by the fire and read...but an American, Dawn Powell, who had a hard life and is pretty much forgotten, buried in a Potter's field.
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You are right, there just isn't time to read everything we would like. There are so many real concerns, relationships, activities, necessities, that an hour just to read is becoming a luxury. I'm continually lagging behind my reading group, and I am a leader, it is most embarrassing. Happy reading to you!
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Some pastime with chaptered compagnie!
Technically perfect as one expects of persons in this contest. "Pursuit" is a fair synonym for "Pastance"!
You had time to fall in love with say Anna K? Hmmm?
Fine poem and I enjoyed it and hope you read them all again.
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Thank you Ron, I am presently reading the adventures of Anna K, and the bookshelves are groaning. Thanks for judging and for setting an interesting contest.
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Perfectly pictured. Rhyme, flow, form... all the beautiful bloom of your special skill. I applaud both your portrayal of and your stamina for dredging the depth of classic literature on a sunny afternoon.
Bravo!
Rahad
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Thank you Rahad. Some books are long, but the classics are as good as they are long.
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