Friday, September 28, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 10

To seek what secrets colors hold
to sniff the skies of worlds afar
to scan by sight a mountain's gold
to taste the rainbow of a star.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
Sorcerous derangement of the senses.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about spectroscopy.

 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 9

A glassy gourd of milky hue
to give illumination;
within my mind it's shining true
denoting inspiration.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The potion-imbibing sorcerer praises magic mushrooms.
 

Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about light bulbs.

 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 8

A song may substitute for light;
no whale nor bat need ever fear
the deepest depth or darkest night;
by chirping they shall see by ear.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The sorcerer identifies with these creatures of darkness, navigating by the sound of their own voices rather than by God’s Light.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about sonar.

 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 7

By metal bowls we scan the sky;
for chirps from distant worlds we quest
revealing wisdom that is high;
but would our own Earth pass that test?

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
A prayer for wisdom from the foolish.
 

Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about the search of extraterrestrial intelligence.

 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 6

Beneath the red beneath the red
a light too low for human eye
to time how fast your carriage sped
and carry music from the sky.
 

Commentary by Brother Quark:
Infernal insight. But is he crediting the music of the spheres to demons?
 

Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about radio.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 5

Beyond the blue beyond the blue
a light too high for eye to see
to screen the teeth inside of you
and skry the bones inside of me.
 

Commentary by Brother Quark:
Angelic vision; which is also memento mori.


Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about X-rays.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 4

A hollow tube with glassy eye
upon a stand of iron furled
shall ten times, hundreds, magnify
the tiny world within the world.


Commentary by Brother Quark:
This is some sort of meditation amulet.
 

Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about microscopes.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 3

On mountain far from city light
a clockwork tube with mirrored eye
shall scan the silence of the night
and seek the worlds beyond the sky.


Commentary by Brother Quark:
This is some sort of pagan temple.


Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about telescopes.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 2

A massless mote of speedy vim;
a bolt without a path exact;
of even count of inner spin;
a lightning-lodestone mote of act.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
Perhaps this is about the soul; but see previous.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about light, as a quantum of action.

 

Monday, September 17, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 6, quatrain 1

A refugee from stellar flame;
a carrier of information;
at constant speed in every frame;
a lightning-lodestone undulation.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
Perhaps this is about the soul; but see next.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about light, as an electromagnetic wave.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 10

O lilting Lady, sing the blues!
This shining disk shall bear
Your voice, so new, so clear, so true
Though you, alas, aren’t there.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
They consort with the spirits of the dead.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about music recording.

 

 

 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 9

It’s a spinning spark, it’s an atom’s part,
It’s a lightning-bolt and a riddle;
It smote like a mote at the end and the start
Yet it plays like a wave, in the middle.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
Perhaps this is about the soul.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about quantum wavicles.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 8

It’s made to labor on and on;
not born nor bred, but built to plan;
what name for this automaton?
A slave? A pet? Not yet a man?

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
Perhaps this is about golems.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about robots.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 7

These motes, all ninety-four, may be
in all but stellar fire found;
the building-blocks of all you see,
by crazy wavy logic bound.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
This is a knotty one. Perhaps it’s about angels?

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about atoms.

 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 6

A window into distant lands,
an entertainer and reporter;
Alas! controlled by wealthy hands;
a base deceiver and distorter.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The scrying-glass is run by unclean spirits.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about television.

 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 5

A lettered thread, a double screw;
a message from your parent’s day;
the only stuff that’s truly you;
by G, by T, by C, by A.
 

Commentary by Brother Quark:
Another reference to the pagan caduseus. The meaning is obscure; perhaps it means that God is our true substance?

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about DNA.

 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 4

This brilliant burning ruby ray
so swift and sharp, can soon
inform me just how much to pay
or the distance to the Moon.
 

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The sorcerer consorts with devils.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about lasers.

 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 3

They’re a multitude of specks of goo
and each teeny beast is weak;
But they’re everywhere, and they’re mighty too;
They’re the Lords of Earth, the meek.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The magician left-handedly praises the poor.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about bacteria.


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 2

Engrave a glyph on a chip of sand,
Add lightning to make it run,
So midnight mechanics may then command
the logic of nothing and one.
 

Commentary by Brother Quark:
Clearly a magic spell.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about computer chips.

 

Monday, September 3, 2012

Retrodictions, canto 5, quatrain 1

Despite my sight, I can’t believe
these leaves of leaves of leaves of leaves.
My casual glance beside the path
is ambushed by poetic math.

 
Commentary by Brother Quark:
The mystic is made speechless by weeds.

 
Commentary by N. Hellerstein:
This is about fractal geometry in nature.