not as compelling as cinnamon peeler

The Distance of a Shout
“(...)

There was no book of the forest,
no book of the sea, but these
are the places people died.

Handwriting occurred on waves,
on leaves, the scripts of smoke,
a sign on a bridge along the Mahaweli River.

A gradual acceptance of this new language.”
Nine sentiments
“ (...)
I hold you the way astronomers
draw constellations for each other
in the markets of wisdom

placing shells
on a dark blanket
saying "these
are the heavens"

calculating the movement
of the great stars“

Not terrible as far as Canadian poetry goes! Some nice written illustrations!
Best lines in the poem

The Buddhas's left foot shifted at the moment of death!

The great writer, dying, called out
For the fictional doctor in his novels

"Англійського пацієнта" люблю давно, а оце нарешті добралася ще й до віршів Ондаатьє - його автобіографічного відкриття вже не рідноі Шрі Ланки. Сподобалося: близькість політичних репресій і святинь забутих цивілізацій, посмішки закопаних біля мертвих Будд і незнайомі мови. Гарно.

Ok...I would actually give it 3 and a half stars, which for poetry isn't really fair. Sometimes episodic in nature, his poems give a picture, a moment. I love the approach, but I wasn't always drawn into the picture or the moment. And, I have to admit, that some just seemed a bit of 'stream of consciousness' with no real meaning attached (or none that was revealed to me.)

I don't mind obscure poetry, in fact I usually revel in it, but this poetry didn't really make me FEEL anything.

I am glad I read it, as I am always glad to read any poetry, but I probably won't return to this one.

Lovely, Lyrical, and Lusty!

Michael Ondaaatje walks with you into his Sri Lanka where the richness there inspires the lush lingering prose that issues from his pen.

In "THE SIYABASLAKARA" he begins....

"In the 10th century, the young princess
entered a rock pool like the moon

with a blue cloud

Her sisters
who dove, lit by flares,
were lightning

Water and erotics

The path from king to rainmaking"......


It is indeed a rich and luminous landscape that he portrays.

Follow him there!

This captivating, powerful little book will both delight and seduce at the same time!

Exemplary.

Deep-imagery poems, self-escaping and artful. Thick in religious references, culture, spirituality. Quiet, universal, Eastern poems. Refreshing!