November 7, 2002

• 16 Years Ago Today:

  
  

  Endgame

  
  

  

  
  

  Metaphor for Morphean morphosis,
  Dreams that wake, transform, and die,
  Calm and lucid this psychosis,
  Joyce’s nightmare in Escher’s eye.

  
  

  At the end there is a city
  With cathedral bright and sane
  Facing inward from the pity
  On the endgame’s wavy plane.

  
  

  Black the knight upon that ocean,
  Bright the sun upon the king.
  Dark the queen that stands beside him,
  White his castle, threatening.

  
  

  In the shadows’ see a bishop
  Guards his queen of love and hate.
  Another move, the game will be up;
  Take the queen, her knight will mate.

  
  

  The knight said “Move, be done.  It’s over.”
  “Love and resign,” the bishop cried.
  “When it’s done you’ll stand forever
  By the darkest beauty’s side.”

  
  

  Dabo claves regni caelorum.  By silent shore
  Ripples spread from castle rock.  The metaphor
  For metamorphosis no keys unlock.

  
  

  – Steven H. Cullinane, November 7, 1986

  
  

  Accompaniment from
  “The Thomas Crown Affair”:
  Michel Legrand, “Les Moulins de Mon Coeur”

  
  

  Lyrics by Eddy Marnay:

  
  

  Comme une pierre que l’on jette
  Dans l’eau vive d’un ruisseau
  Et qui laisse derrière elle
  Des milliers de ronds dans l’eau….
  
  

  • 5:24 am
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