Title: The Song of Loneliness
or, “To Tpaγouδi ths Ephμou”[1]
Dedicated to Bob Dylan
This is the song of the desert, where
At dusk, Garlic Lily thrusts
it’s grey blue bulbs and white yellow tufts
Out into the unknown.
This is the song of the desert, where
Coyotes throw their shrill
Cries across an ocean, excited with the thrill
Of life and death.
This is the song of the desert, where
Everything is said
And nothing is left unsaid
Days warm, nights cold
This is the song of the desert, where
No story is left untold,
And, whether young or old
Life is only for the bold.
–Stephen M. Miniotis
Exegesis/Afterward:
Please support Amnesty International’s fight for freedom of expression. They just released a 4-CD album, with Bob Dylan on the cover, which I just purchased online. This inspired me to dedicate one of my pieces, “The Song of Loneliness”, to Bob Dylan. I hope you enjoy it. In this piece, as in many of my works, rhyming plays a major role, as does rhythm and meter. Particularly, I wanted to express a juxtaposition between a lonely man and a desert, as you can see from the title and alternate title. Note that duality plays a major role here, and opposites are a common theme in my work.Bob Dylan, having supported Amnesty for many years, must wonder, at least sometimes, whether or not living a secluded lifestyle might have panned out differently for him. We all wonder in the end, whether or not we’ve done the right thing. As in all of us, life might have went the other way. Of course, from the perspective of a recluse and a relatively unknown artist, I do imagine whether or not things might have been different for me, too, had my career taken off and went the Bob Dylan route and I had become famous at a young age. We all dream big, after all. However, it is our support for great causes, such as Amnesty International, which tells the tale at the end of our life, and that isn’t always showcased in our art. But, doing the right thing is the only thing that matters in the end, and not the end-result at all. To make the right choice, every time, regardless of consequence, is that rarest of qualities for which Bob Dylan should always be praised. There are only so many Bob Dylans in the world, after all. Maybe just one.Bob, thanks for inspiring me! I hope that this poem inspires you, too!
Sincerely,
Stephen M. Miniotis,
Last Gentleman On Earth .com
www.lastgentlemanonearth.com
Please see the “LGOE (c) Stephen M. Miniotis“ tab for more information about publishing and quoting my work properly. (c) 2012 Stephen M. Miniotis
[1] The Greek translates to “The Song of The Desert”
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