History does not sleep

Let’s not talk about Sherman. The brief
whiff of fire you’ve read coasting along
treetops. Brevity is an illusion.

What has happened follows
us everywhere, but
we don’t have to let it in
to dine with us and turn

our wine. The plantations
of Madison still stand, yes. And are still
inhabited after all these years. Only,
their lawns are green now

and the dust of bygone
railroads has settled into graves and
junkyards. And look, it comes

down last on that mountain of trash
you see cresting
behind what used to be
a wall of pines. Even the Romans

knew, two thousand years ago,
that there was no wall tall enough
to keep out the ghost

of what’s done. The vultures
can fly higher, and they don’t stop
circling until they hone in on what
they came to earn

Author's Note

2019

Reviews

[R.E. Ray]

Having lived in the Deep South for more than 15 years, I understand the legacy that burdens the people and the culture. Despite what succeeding generations have accomplished, the progress made in civil rights, education and the economy, "Sherman" still rides through the minds of many, scorching what others have built since that awful time. Yet, some might argue what rose from the ashes it better than what existed before Sherman arrived. History does not sleep... the ideal title for this moving poem. One of my favorites so far, Eilis.

[Eilis]

Thanks, RE, your response is great. I’ve lived in the south all my life and I still get surprised by the attitudes here. Some would love to see the clock turned back. It’s a difficult thing.

As ever, I appreciate your thoughtful, intelligent reading. I’m glad my intent came through as well as it seemed to for you. Thanks again.

[Light and ashes]

Lots of wisdom in the words. Vultures are relentless, but we can be more so. It just takes time and practice.

[Eilis]

You’re right, angelink. We are prone to some thoughtless savagery for sure. Thanks for your visit.

[Light and ashes]

You're welcome

[Delmar Cooper]

There is no calculus to history, no solid geometry, maybe no simple arithmetic. Something akin to chaos theory might come close. Duty, according to Lee was the most sublime word in the language. Sherman might have thought so too. History is out of the mouth of the speaker, one side this year the other side. next year. Raw data is tainted, are your sources Northern newspapers or Southern? Letters home from the Army of The Potomac, or The Army of Northern Virginia? Body counts might be the closest thing to truth.

Anyway, I like the poem.

[Eilis]

I think your comment is a great summing up of not only history, but the current moment we find ourselves in. Almost anything can become wicked or heroic when looked at through the right lens.

Thanks for the insightful ideas shared, Delmar. As a student of history, I really appreciate what you had to say.

[Delmar Cooper]

I love history and other genres of fiction.

[kentuck14]

E,
A marvelous poem considering a time in US history that probably will never leave our consciousness. I have read much about the Civil War (or the War Between the States). The common sense of duty, honor and glory on both sides probably only added fuel to the fire of human passions. Our current passions don't do us any good either. Yes . . . I believe that certain vultures continue to circle over our nation . . . just waiting for our political differences to divide the nation again with walls that won't keep out the danger of self-destruction. And yes . . . these walls won't keep out the ghosts that still haunt the American mind. Great piece E.
T

[Eilis]

Hey, Tom. A great review from you. Can always count on you to offer an interesting perspective.
read moreHey, Tom. A great review from you. Can always count on you to offer an interesting perspective.

Thanks for your appreciation of the poem. I wish these things weren’t true, but here we are. Thanks for stopping by.

[Terpsichore]

'Even the Romans knew, two thousand years ago,
that there was no wall tall enough
to keep out the ghost of what's done'

They had a darn good try though didn't they. AD 122 if memory serves. :)

I have always thought that history has more influence over us than the future. That we pay only lip service to the future, preferring instead to embrace the familiarity of the past.

Much enjoyed this.

T.

[Eilis]

Hi, T. Nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by and sharing these insightful words. I do believe you’re right. The past does have its grip. Which I suppose can be good or bad, depending.

Appreciate your visit

[Samuel Dickens]

Very well composed and with a keenly felt message. Ah, yes--the north and the south. That damned ghost just won't go to it's grave. Growing up in Arkansas, I was never aware of the intense sentiments felt by some other southerners. It just wasn't much of a thing. Even though my great-grandfather, Richard Dickens, fought for the confederacy, (36th Arkansas infantry Co. "I") I never felt angry about "us" having lost. It was when I was in the Navy that I learned how many from the southeast saw it. A friend from Atlanta enlightened me on the subject, saying how people were still angry about Sherman's march to the sea and the burning of Atlanta. Now fifty years later, politics and media have transported that ugly southern anger here. Not all have or will buy into it, thank God. Wow, what a subject. Here's hoping, praying, and crossing fingers that good will overcome evil. Sorry to get so long-winded. Your poem really is a good one.

[Eilis]

Thanks so much for sharing all of that, Samuel. It might be the Sherman thing that makes the wounds stay open here, I’m not sure. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by the negative energy, but even still I’ve been surprised at the direction our country has taken over these last few years.

I guess that’s why I wrote the poem because I was trying to make sense of it and also remind myself of what happens when I think things will just blow over.

Really appreciate your thoughtful comment on this. Something I think about a lot and still feel baffled by. Thanks again.

[Chris Shaw]

Hi Eilis, I am unfamiliar with Sherman or where you live but there is much to contemplate when reading your lines. You mentioned the Romans and I am thinking about their influence and how it can still be seen where I am. Only two months ago I went to a dig to see a splendid Roman ceramic floor buried beneath a farmer's field a few miles away. Over here there is a true interest in all that has gone before. We learn from events of the past however unpleasant and ugly they now appear. I do not understand those who wish to erase all memory of what has gone before. As you say we don't have to dine with it and for it to turn our wine, but I believe it enhances our place in this world by having an understanding of past events however unsavoury they maybe. I am fortunate to live in a country where the ghosts of the past live quietly alongside us. We have our castles, our roads, built originally in the Roman conquest, our cathedrals and even our very old universities. We have a nation rich in history and some of it is violent and ugly, but that is not an excuse to banish it. Love where your writing took me.

Chris

[Eilis]

Yes, the history of your country and Europe in general is something I feel drawn to, Chris. I love the idea of being able to touch history on a daily basis. There are some places here where that is possible, but America is very much about progress so a lot of our history makes way for that.

Sherman was a general in the Civil War. He was a Union general where the south was the confederacy. It’s a very complex history that still haunts us today. I see that we are all touched by history in some way, but reacting to it rather than seeking to understand it seems counterproductive. I don’t know what the solution is, but we need to be faced with and understand the darker moments so we don’t repeat them, for sure.

Thanks for your thoughtful comment. It’s great to hear how our homelands are different. And to hear your perspective. Appreciate your visit, Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Always good to read you Eilis.

[Eilis]

Thanks, Chris

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I have lived in Virginia all of my life, and there are very few that I have met that revel in this ugly past. The few that I have met were men of my mother's era that were just racist pigs who were not representative of most. I do not like this modern era of wanting to abolish the past, however. We must teach it and remember it so as not to repeat it. It makes me cringe when I hear people say that the holocaust never happened or that it could never happen again. In an age when so many want to deny the past, it can most assuredly happen again. We need to be ever diligent to insure that it doesn't.

I really like the closing that you chose for tis poem. I quite often see vultures in the air; and you are right, they don't stop until they get what they've earned. Well done.

[Eilis]

Hi, Linda. Thank you. I feel like you really captured something essential about what I was thinking. Either glorifying, justifying, or burying the past will not make it disappear. It is only in the facing head on and trying to repair that it seems possible to truly move forward.

Thanks for your insightful comment. I still meet a lot of confederate apologists where I am. Many of a younger generation and I struggle to understand it. But I’m learning a little at a time what drives the ideas.

Thanks again. I appreciate you sharing your own experience.

[Davidgeo]

I like your 'stop and start' style of writing.

Your content is a little cliched but hey, isn't everybody's?

[Eilis]

Hey, David. Thanks for checking in. All the best

[Davidgeo]

Generic responses are not the way to go.

[Dave Brown]

Just passing through when I noticed this
Instantly reminded of the (true?) show "Marshall" where that state of mind seemed to run rampant
have seen many similar prior movies here, in Canada and I think we feel a bit above it all but sometimes I wonder
a meaningful write

[Eilis]

Hi, Dave. Nice to meet you. I haven’t seen that program, I’ll have to look it up. History is a mysterious beast. It’s interesting how it keeps coming back to us and maybe, like you say, we feel detached.

Thanks for dropping by and commenting. Much appreciated.

[Mrudula Rani]

The title of your poem captured my contemplation, Eilis. even though I have no idea about Sherman antitrust act( I suppose that that is what you are referring to) I thought the assessment of your poem is universal to history in general. Yes, History does not sleep it forevermore Endures and factors in expressions for generations.

[Eilis]

Hi, Mrudula. Lovely to hear from you. I was actually talking about General Sherman from the American Civil War, but mostly it’s just about the legacy of history in general. The south where I live is in an ongoing battle with history and how to define its own.

I really appreciate what you have to say here. I’m always happy to hear your thoughts on my poems. Thank you, Mrudula!

[Mrudula Rani]

Your knowledge of history is fascinating Eilis. I am always in awe of your style and subject matter of writing. It is always a pleasure to read your writings.

[Eilis]

Thank you, Mrudula. :)