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On Ancient Paths
Preface
These three poems were first published in Reflection, Gonzaga University’s literary magazine (1984, 5, & 6). They were not published in the order in which they are currently found. Since then, they have been slightly re-written and organized with consideration to story line.
These poems are satire if in the sense of the Roman “satura”, and not in the manner of A Modest Proposal. They are meant to be read with good humor, not forgetting however, an enormous respect for the past. The quotation from Jeremiah is used respectfully.
The end notes parody Eliot’s addenda—notes appended after initial publication, as are these. They are offered as Ariadne’s “clew of thread” as much for an ageing author as for the careful reader. My hope is that I don’t abandon the reader in Naxos.
The nautilus decoration is inspired by Fibonacci’s Sequence, some of which I quote: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144.... The poems and the notes were written with similar constructs in mind.