A few years back, when I was teaching Jack Finney’s story The Third Level in a section of grade 12, I put a question to the entire class: “If you get a chance to live in another time, which would you choose – past or future?” Ann [not her real name] put up her hand first. “Future,” she said. In Finney’s story, Charley chooses to go back to Galesburg of 1894. He loves those big old frame houses, huge lawns, and tremendous trees with branches roofing the streets. It’s a ‘cool’ place whose evenings were “twice as long.” Life was a relaxed affair. People had time to sit out in the evenings, sipping tea and playing music on their guitars. There would be fireflies all around. Peaceful world. Charley wanted that world. My question to the class was in relation to that description of an old world. “My father speaks about the horrors of his childhood,” Ann said. “There was poverty. Not enough food to eat, no proper clothes to wear, no vehicles to carry you… Who wants to go back there?” An
That is so true. Profound.
ReplyDeletehmmmm so true
ReplyDeletebeautiful... :)
ReplyDeleteright :).........
ReplyDeletewow .. !
ReplyDeletegreat and 100% right
ReplyDeletePoignant... :-(
ReplyDeleteAmazing what you can put across in just three lines!
ReplyDeleteSir..you spoke heart out in just few words :) Jai Ho ! :)
ReplyDeleteTo be laconic in a way that is profound is the essence of writing and here we have a sample of it with poetical perfection. That is simply superb.
ReplyDeleteYes, broken dreams make a good basis for poem but then our life is usually full of broken dreams. Does this mean our life too is a poem?
ReplyDeleteHi! It's been a while. I never read a poem by you before. It was tasty.
ReplyDeleteHi Shovon, it was splendid to see you in today's Hindu Literary Supplement. All the best for yur novel. I'll read it.
DeleteBeautiful and deep!!
ReplyDeleteBrilliant Haiku-like crispness! hhm broken dreams!
ReplyDeleteI told my husband another poem:
Cinema is a poem of life for two hours.
Oh, no, wings. Not every movie. Yu should have watched what was screened yesterday: the sound was utter flop.
DeleteBeautiful,touching and true....Thanks!
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