Here’s the final product; the first revisions and original are posted after:
Before a Diagnosis
Once there was a magnum opus
whose colors’ terribilita still astounds.
We make copies. We hang them on walls.
Their frames collect dust and crack.
Through telescopes by windows
you can still see the stars,
holes poked in paper or
asterisks of things far off.
The following is my first poem written for CRW 2300. I have posted the revision first, and the work in its original form second.
Before a Diagnosis
By Sarah Madsen
Once there was a magnum opus;
its terribilita of color astounds.
We make copies. We hang them on walls.
Their frames collect dust and crack.
Through telescopes by windows
you can still see the stars,
like holes poked in paper;
asterisks of things far off.
The bell still tolls,
though the sound has lost its sweetness.
As dust-covered as old paintings,
the Tibetan nomad is no more remembered.
Original:
Before a Diagnosis
By Sarah Madsen
Once there was a magnum opus;
its terribilita of color astounds.
We make copies. We hang them on walls.
Their frames collect dust and crack.
You can still see the stars—
through telescopes by windows—
as if holes poked in paper,
asterisks of things far off.
It is still significant to hear the bell toll,
though the sound has lost its sweetness.
The Tibetan nomad is no more remembered
than his last night’s home.
Categories: poetry
Tagged: poetry
Today I am exceptionally happy.
The weather outside is beautiful, I have finished work, and class starts in another 45 minutes. I am sitting at the CSC re-typing a poem draft for my class, and remenicing on the events of this weekend.
Delane and I spent a good deal of time together, which was wonderful–we hung out with some friends Thursday night, slept in the next morning, went to dinner and watched Across the Universe Friday night before making a 3:30am donut run, and then Saturday evening hung out with Eric and a couple friends from his dorm. Sunday we went to the family church with Dana and grabbed lunch.
Friday evening dinner was also for the purpose of meeting with Leslie, a really sweet girl from RUF who is my backup (though i hate to say “backup”) roomate if Delane decides to live in the sorority house. (she finds out this afternoon if she gets in). After dinner, Leslie and I were going to go to the RUF scavenger hunt, but when we arrived, we realized that we had come at the wrong time (it has been mis-printed earlier) so we missed everyone. Deciding not to waste the time we had, we made up our own scavenger hunt and marched around the Reitz Union getting strangers to help us with our made-up activities. Six people sang us happy birthday, a stranger danced with me, we hid in trash cans, and made human pyramids with people we’ve never seen before. It was incredible. It’s amazing what people will do if you tell them it’s for a scavenger hunt. 
Sunday afternoon, Dana, Britt and I met up with some other friends down at Devil’s Millhopper (a sinkhole in Gainesville) to enjoy the afternoon and go for a walk. It was really beautiful!!
Afterwards, Dana and I went back to Michael and Britt’s apartment and hung out there, exchanging music and playing halo after dinner. Delane joined us, and we all played video games (all of which I came in dead-last). But it was a lot of fun.
Overall a very relaxing weekend. Just what I needed before I begin preparing for projects and homework due this week. Thursday looks to be crazy, so hopefully I won’t procrastinate until Wednesday to finish work.
God has been incredibly faithful to me this week. Actually, the word “attentive” fits much better here… God is always faithful, but I feel that He has been especially so to me, and has recently been speaking to my heart. There is a peace that I’ve felt recently.
It’s a peace I cannot describe, but if I had to make a shot at it, I would simply say, it’s a peace like the spring–winter has ended, and I’m am slowly enjoying the melting snow and promise of new life.
Valentine’s day is around the corner–and this is not to really reflect on that in any way, to me it’s just another day–towards it I feel no disdain nor affection. But yesterday afternoon I saw a sign that said “John 3:16-the greatest Valentine”. And this is just to say, I feel that reducing Jesus to nothing but your “valentine” and other such cheap sayings, etc, is a great underestimation of what Jesus really is… We have whittled Jesus Christ down to nothing more than a figure for our over-emphasized/over-commercialized comsumerist holidays. Totally Lame.
In a world where the words “I love you” have lost their meaning entirely, calling Jesus our “valentine” means loosing significance in His message of love.
“Greater LOVE hath no one than this…that he would lay his life down for his friends…”
Think about it.
Categories: Uncategorized
