Thoughts Regarding "The Old Man and the Sea"

[heslopian]

The old man loved the sea,
though I, the reader, know not why,
when in Hemingway’s famous novella,
it proffered him nothing but blood, sweat and tears.

But, then again, I’m only fifty pages in, so
perhaps the waves, those pesky waves, will soon
redeem themselves. Perhaps the tides, those wicked tides,
will yield and then congeal, become a gang of Harlem whores,

whom on Havana’s beaches he‘ll seduce,
fuck and regale with sports stories, tales of “the great DiMaggio,”
whilst his marlin watches on, blood seeping from his
mouth - like water from a cracked white sink, red wine through an

upturned bottle, lies from the mouth of a cleric -
the hook on his lip some African disc, as his face, cold and
morose with its huge monocles, mourns the loss of their
companionship, his worthy foe, the man who loved their sea.

Oh, if only such a fish would rise and drag a soul like me,
I’d hold the line until my fingers broke; then, bereft of land
forevermore, I’d lie abreast the stern and drift, feel my throat
grow dry and weak - aged, brown flower - and the sun slip from my sight.

[billy]

i like the pace of this jack. for me it sets off really mundane and accelerates to the 3rd verse
with ripe imagery. and then brakes to the last. i really like this piece, i love the way (for me) it eludes to
the mariners madness, his longing for the shore and the ability to claim himself.

the last verse was the ultimate and for me the best written. it captures the whole of what Hemingway was trying to depict.
in fact i think the last verse is one of the best i've read (anywhere) when taken in context of what a poem is saying to me.

ps i've copied this one into the poem and picture section. great write jack

[heslopian]

Thank you very much for the kind words, Billy Should I put in a content warning though for use of the "F" word? Normally I would have but this time I forgot.

[billy]

i thought i replied to this

naw i wouldn't bother about an odd f word. we can be a little lax on the content rule from now on, just use a bit of common

[addy]

This is unbelievably profound and wise. Being maybe less than fifty pages into my own journey as well, I found this perspective particularly relevant and striking... and wonderfully sad in its own way. To understand and recognize and want that feeling without really knowing it yet. Powerful stuff.

[heslopian]

Thank you very much, Addy That was a lovely comment.

[srijantje]

have the marlin seep blood from his eye

[heslopian]

Thank you for your feedback, srijantje