"Imaginary Career"...

[Noodle]

from a book of uncollected poems/ 259
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IMAGINARY CAREER
At first a childhood, limitless and free
of any goals. Ah sweet unconsciousness.
Then sudden terror, schoolrooms, slavery,
the plunge into deep temptation and deep loss.
Defiance. The child bent becomes the bender,
inflicts on others what he once went through.
Loved, feared, rescuer, wrestler, victor,
he takes his vengence, blow by blow.
And now vast, empty space, alone.
Yet hidden deep within the grown up heart,
a longing for the first world, the ancient one...
Then, from His place of ambush, God leapt out.
----------
Rainer Maria Rilke
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This poem was translated. It is a piece of the white light to stream in the open window and be refracted out by me silver crystal on the sill.

Dig?

 

[writnpage]

NOODLE!!! The more I read from you, of you, things by you and with you...the more I'm amazed and happy and impressed!!!!
You are the FIRST person in this continent that I've interacted with who brought up Rilke!!!!!!! Many know of him, few know anything by him.
I forgot how much I truely enjoyed his works. THANK YOU SO MUCH for brightening my day.
Loads of luvs,
-Amina
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"Like a bird on a wire, Like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free" - Leonard Cohen

 

[Noodle]

I'll be happy if you mail me later. Thanks for the praise. I am blushing... ummm...
Didn't anyone tell you I am crazy? Just step away s-l-o-w-l-y, heh.

 

[e_rep]

Dig!
No shit. I've never heard of Rainer Maria Rilke. What's the deal with him? Where's he from and when? And more importantly, did he do drugs?

That sounded pretty modern, but it always interesting to find that people in the past feel the same way we might.
writnpage,
Noodles crazy. As the move away slowly, DO NOT look in his eyes, that would be the worse thing you could do.

 

[writnpage]

LOL E_rep...you are FUNNY!!!

)Dammm...I love this forum more and more everyday! What a great way to wake up in the morning and wear an instant smile on my face.
Rilke is I believe a LOT more popular in Europe than he is in North America. It's not often you see his works being taught in schools here which is kind of sad, since they are exceptionally beautiful. Rilke is famous for his passion, feelings, emotions, sensitiveness, sensualness and clarity. Very wise indeed. Most of his fans know about "Letters to a young poet".
lol. I just looked this info up on the net. He was born in Prague in 1875 and died in 1925. (I thought he was French for the longest time, but apparently he simply spent a lot of his time there)
Hope that helped .
Luvs,
-Amina
------------------
"Like a bird on a wire, Like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free" - Leonard Cohen

 

[Noodle]

Yeah! I dig him too!
wrttnpage: You know that Rilke probably spun once in his grave upon feeling you calling him a Frenchie!

E-Rep: I dunno if he did drugs dude, but I drank a lot of beer last night and I ain't got a headache, yeeehaw!
There was almost a throw down, but that is like what all the porch monkeys like me do when we get wasted, we try to 'cause a ruckus.
Ya' know?
---------
"...this message will be removed as soon as I know you've read it E-Rep. Weeeeeeeeeee..."

 

[CARESS]

What a Master Painter with words as his medium! Noodle-roni, this was a wonderful gift! I shall attempt to look him up in the Maryland "Hicksville" library..*sigh* oh, the uncultured geographical area I reside in...

heeheehee
Thank you for this fine gift,
Caress
[This message has been edited by CARESS (edited 12 August 2000).]
[This message has been edited by CARESS (edited 12 August 2000).]

 

[Noodle]

Yo sweet Caress. Try your nearest big ol' Barnes and Noble Booksellers! *plug, plug!*
Here in Jerseyland they are about as numerous as 7-11 and Exxon stations.
I'm out like an old pair of ellese's! Later...
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"This message will also be deleted by me, if I come back around to it."

 

[Infinite Jest]

Hmm, born Prague, the end of last century, I'd say he was probably a BIG fan of absinthe....
mmm....abby.....few shots of that and you don't NEED any other chemicals, oh yes....
BTW thanks for posting, I'd never heard of this guy *blushes*.
Si

 

[Noodle]

Yeah, that Absinthe was bad news or so I've read and have come to believe.

I understand he did not even really like his home town either. He always felt like the outsider or so others have written about him.
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[This message has been edited by Noodle (edited 14 August 2000).]

 

[Noodle]

*bump*
just to share this piece with more heads.
I hope some of you like...

 

[davidgergen]

thanks for resurrecting that thread. a really great read! I had always heard Rilke was a great poet, but never got beyond taking the occasional glance at ones of his books in the bookstore. that poem knocked me out (except for the word "slavery" - in *english*, to an american, that's such a loaded word; i wonder if there's a better way to translate that...).
i wonder what's a good book of rilke's to start with that would be at borders or barnes and noble? anybody know? is there a particularly good translation?