Mayan Prayer: We Remember in Our Eyes

As always, you leave me speechless with your poetry. Wonderful and very well formed to fit into both worlds as you intended.

Thank you Janice.

Lovely words.... Thank you for sharing

Thanks marlene

I want to be respectfully and politically correct in the use of the term native people as I love this writing. It seems that native people have an internal understanding of their connection to world and universe that those in more "complex" societies miss altogether. As a prayer, a plea and a revelation of their angst, it is beautiful. I am grateful to have this come my way. I feel clumsy as I try to share my thoughts and ask apologies but also enjoyed the great heart shared.

Karen, I am so glad you enjoyed this. Your comment is very gratifying.

Hello, my ballerina friend! :)

If your comment is clumsy, Karen, then nothing here is beautiful! What an elegant, insightful and lovely expression of the feelings this lovely prayer evoked in you, wow!

I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments on the native people's instinctive connection to the invisible forces in this world. Too much of the rational mind , and too little of the emotional one - I feel this imbalance is what has deprived modern societies and nations of "knowledge" of the more esoteric secrets of the Universe.

((((((((((((((((((((((((Karenina)))))))))))))))))))))

Oh heavenly heavens...my friend Aman. What a joy to read your sweet words. My grandfather was Potawatomi Tribe and I carry a great heart for the earth connections. He was such a wonderful man. He would take us all fishing with him at the pier and tie us to the railings so if we went over the edge he could fetch us back again. George Howard Thomas a very great soul.

Beautiful tribute to what must have been remarkable people, Atticus. I especially like
"We built steps and the stone hills
beneath them;"

Hey thanks John, I liked that line too.

Atticus, this is simply beautiful, and deeply respectful of its roots. I love the way each word carries its own weight, and means exactly what you want it to mean. This is, in many ways, refreshing, since we're almost reflexive these days to find other meanings that we think may be there. Your words tell a story to mean precisely what they do, building dignity with words into a prayer.

Thank you so much Andrea. You always seem to understand my work and it pleases me greatly.

I'll try to write you tomorrow. ~been busy as heck between "school" and work!

Hi Andrea! This is such a lovely comment, poetic and soulful like your own persona.... That soulfulness which I saw a year ago when I first saw a comment of yours here , is shining bright and strong!

Somehow, in a strange way, it makes reading the original post so much more worthwhile when insightful, perceptive and sensitive beings like you come along and shed your beautiful light on these pages. Thank you for this measured yet eloquent comment, my friend!

(((((((((((((((((Amazing Andrea))))))))))))))))))

((((((((((( Aman! ))))))))))) Thank you for those beautiful words! My only creativity these days seems to be short comments! I'm trying to get back to my writing, but seem so easily distracted by the daily routines. But when inspiration comes, I promise, there will be words to follow!
xxxx

One. I just found your wonderful poem, despite what the 'kathryn esplin and... and...200 others like this...

two. Atticus, you write, as few others do. Here or anywhere. A true poet. Your words encapsulate image, feeling, idea and metaphor. And they do it with brevity, and remarkable meter.

A wonderful, wonderful poem.

Yes, who can write like that today?

Thank you so much Kathryn I always appreciate your kind words. :-)

whetstone: What a wonderful tribute in your poem, Atticus; I was at first looking for a narrative, but then realized that was the wrong approach for me to take, in your fine mythic recreation and tribute here.

I looked up the Popul Vuh.

The translated Popul Vuh reminds me quite a bit of Garcia-Marquez' Hundred Years of Solitude; in its mythic scope and interweaving of time.

A stunning tribute to a people and a literary tradition.

Thanks for posting this to The Surreal Circus! Featured.

Thanks for the feature Shira!

Featured in the Triple Name Club.

And thank you too Kathryn!

So many powerful lines and great imagery. Love this, Atticus, and everything you write is to perfection (for Whetstone). That's why you're a good group leader. :))

Oh, thanks so much Jenn. It sure is good to see you around again.

Whetstone: It took a bit of puzzling to "get" the central message of your poem, but once I saw it, I thought it was executed brilliantly: "You told us, we bound them... don't forget us, we are not a wooden people."

I thought at first that you were referring to slaves and wooden icons, but then I realized that the entire culture of these people has been relegated to a bound ("wooden") book. Definitely a prayer for both cultures!


Thanks for sharing with Gather's Best Writers and Artists. Now featured.

Also, I love the title's ode to oral tradition.

On second reading, I wonder if I got that completely right? The people seem to be "binding" rope.

Yes, but also:

I was thinking of the book as it relates to the Mayan's very detailed "woven" awareness of time, the common thread, or rope if you please. It was their guide to the intricacies of the universe.

I also liked the phrase "we bound them" because it does indeed introduce an element of primitive brutality into the thought.

"Wooden" plays a dual role here also: The association with "wooden hearts" on the surface but as it relates to their mythology: When the gods first attempted to make man, they screwed up and created creatures that were unable to give them praise because they could not speak and they had no real intelligence. These became the animals. On the second try the made people out of wood. And although they could talk, they had no love for the gods. Nothing they said made a lot of sense and the wandered about their lives without purpose. The gods grew frustrated and tried to destroy these people with floods, fires, and by turning every creature in creation against them. Yet some survived. These ran off into the forests and became monkeys. It was not until the fourth try that they managed to create real human beings and even then, they had to modify their creation.

One can also think of a lot of associations like "not wooden" meaning a people that you cannot carve up, etc.

BTW Ann, thanks so much for your insight!

I probably got as much as I could out of your poem without knowing those details of Mayan history. But I'll read it again later, just to be sure. I definitely got the impression of a "primitive" culture as well as that of cultural assimilation.

Commenting is my pleasure, Atticus.

I hope that's not too much information. I hope to write poetry that can be appreciated on many levels.

~Which I admit, lends some weight to Guy's point.

And thank you so much for the feature Ann. :-)

As usual, Your words do not disappoint, Atticus. I am drawn back to Machu Piccu, literally the Old Mountain, the progression of Maya, Aztec, and Inca, and the diamond carved stone there.... Mysteries abound, and that haze enhances our imaginations, as does this poem...

Hi Ron, how are you? Thanks so much for the kind words my friend.

Presently featured in the Thursday Writing Essential!

Hi Kimberly, Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate the feature.

Atticus, I love the idea as the Maya Civilization is a fascinating study but i must agree with Guy. the meter or line break makes it difficult reading ie "Christ, the Spaniards

ate the corners of the world"...as a prayer I recited the Lord's Prayer and felt the rhythm that might be a guide.
as always you reach into the corners of quests to find interesting ideas...I am finally learning what whetstone is for ...as you said "thicken the skin" bless you

Hi Richard,

Here is what I mean by "Christ, the Spaniards" and maybe I can address Guy's point a little more also. If you say "Christ and the Spaniards" you assume that there is a separation there in the mind of the speaker. Also, you remove the possibility that "Christ" as a word on its own is being used as an expletive as well the name of a god.

Like above, I thoroughly appreciate the critical comment Richard. I'll think about this one too! Thank you so much.

you are a champ!...and holder of the whetstone. don't see how you handle this and taking another course?? WTG!

Thanks Richard :-)

You should feature this one, Atticus.

Done, ~ but for the example of the dialog. I won't be in the habit of featuring my own posts here. Thank you Ann.

What a powerful plea, penetrating to the very bones... a great lesson in history, a great lesson in spirituality. Excellent, dear Atticus! :-)

Blessings and best wishes always - S.

Thank you Sveta, for your generous praise. :-)

Not wooden but, solid nonetheless.

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Thank you Angela. :-)

whetstone: Beautiful work. Obviously a lot of revision and discussion has gone on while I was trying to get back to this. From what I remember of the old version, this one is better -- tauter and easier to follow.

I still found the last line a little confusing (until I read the explanation comment.) But even if all the references are not clear, the poignant plea comes through to great effect.

Sensitive and evocative writing!

Oh, thank you so much for coming back and whetstoning me Shira! I greatly appreciate it. The only thing I changed was the line breaks as Guy indicated. See....you guys can keep me from over thinking these damn things! I love this group!

A loving tribute to an amazing civilization.

Thank you so much Erin. I appreciate the comment!

It would seem that their plea ( your grand interpretation of ) has never faded and will never even as the year 2012 approaches. There is an emotional component here of which I find very appealing, Atticus, " O heart of ocean, O heart of sky,--don't forget us." An appeal for immortality that in so many cases, speaks to the human element within us.
Your first stanza paints so deftly, the ruinous invasion by Spain and serves as a dynamic intro. What a dichotomy the Mayan culture was, eh? So forward-thinking and yet so barbaric at times ( not like the Aztecs, though ). The Spanish ignored their ingenious contributions and the church burned them ( almost all ) and yet, the Mayan people still survive to this day. Oh well, I digress.
Splendid exactness woven so succinctly in their beliefs and history in the 2nd and 3rd stanzas. Solid, Atticus! Just excellent word choice. Still, it was the fourth stanza and the two concluding lines that served as the proverbial icing on the cake. I love it when a creative soul magnifies the power of a subjective personal pronoun such as 'we' in this case, by isolating it. "...are not a wooden people." Sums it all up, I'd say!
I commend you, my friend for an exquisite effort. Most notable!

C.F. Thank you for your more than generous praise my friend. Your knowledge and respect for history makes your comments all the meaningful to me.

I will be back later with a Whetstone comment. I need to think it through carefully first.

Whetstone: I like the way you equate the Spaniards with Christ. That's how the Mayans would see them.

I think my Mayan friend, Elvira would like this. It has the simplicity, yet depth of the way she herself speaks at times.

Sharon, I would be interested in what she thinks. I didn't want to presume too much, which made it difficult to write a "prayer" for a people to whom I don't belong. So I tried to view it from what I know of the historical culture, but place more emphasis on what we do have in common, our humanity.

Elvira is from the Yucatan. She believes in both Christ and the old Mayan religion.
She is both a simple person, and a very intelligent one. I wish I saw more of her.
She works here during part of the year and goes home for the winter.

Did you know that a lot of people think that the Mayan culture is extinct?
Far from it of course.
I don't see too much of her any more. She was my caregiver for about three years.
They believe that there are five 'epoch's of time, but I'm sure you know about the calendar. She believes that.

Your verse paints a mural of chronological historic events and the human need to feel sorrow.

William, I missed your comment earlier. Thank you so much for your insight. I have unfortunately only been paying sporadic attention to Gather since Sept.... I have missed a lot. My apologies.

Your poetry takes my breath away.

Spare, but rich with image and metaphor. And surprising turns - eating the corners of the world, we are not a wooden people... And nary a cliche anywhere!

Original, tight, yet full of the sensual love of the world and its images that a poet has.

This poem steeped in Aztec myth, European history, an understanding of original peoples. A sliver of irony, wrought in expansive images that cause us to stop, to ponder.

Wow!

Hi Brenda, thank you indeed for such a lovely response to my poem. I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment! :-)