- Volume 3 -
A collection of verse
by Dahni
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To:
The Poet’s soul
And
The Writer’s heart
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Dahni Talons & Feathers ii
FORWARD
by Arman Sicova, editor for I-Magine
‘Talons and Feathers’ is by far the smallest collection of Dahni to date. Though fewer in numbers of individual poems than other collections, they are not without depth nor fail to provoke thought. When we think of talons, images of a bird of prey come to mind, its strength and power and grip. Feathers show a softer, streamlined and aerodynamic design for flight. These are the intents of Dahni in titling this work. These two distinct contrasts are used throughout, first by subject matter dealt with and then by the poems. Some are longer and then others are almost ‘one-liners,’ short and to the point, pithy and full of wisdom. Some are written in an almost a story-like format. ‘Living in America,’ which in an excerpted form was previously shared in another collection, is perhaps the best and most condensed panorama that defines the American landscape and experience, of which personally I have ever read. I am not alone in this belief as this poem was shared with and acknowledged by the present governor of the state of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee and former president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton. The poem ‘Ninety One Keys,’ was written after Dahni visited the capitol of Arkansas in Little Rock. This was also presented to governor Huckabee whose appreciation prompted a personal reply. All the music of the world may be written and heard on incredibly only eighty eight keys of the piano, but never written or heard without the surprise ending of this poem. There are none the few times when arguments have ensued or conversation has ceased under the subject of religion and politics. ‘Insipid Spiders and Scorpions of Pernicious Pedigrees,’ offers cause to this phenomenon. This work was also, featured in yet another national anthology of poetry. As to anthologies, Dahni pokes fun at these with the work, ‘Surviving Anthologies.’ This poem along with the entry ‘Writing’ show the passion of anyone that would be a writer and the pitfalls encountered when publication is the desired result. Many less than reputable companies apparently understand this fervent desire and exist solely to take advantage, exclusively for their own profit and gain at the expense of the writer. There may be a point in all of our lives where we have or will personally experience or someone near and dear to us will be or has been involved, with some tragedy or near fatal event. Have you ever thought or uttered the words, “Why me or why not me,” I know this has been my experience. It seems so often that in life it takes some tragedy or heart-wrenching event to appreciate and understand how fragile and precious life is. ‘Slap on The Cheek, A spit in The Face,’ was written for the brother of a dear friend of Dahni. This man had survived a near fatal car crash. This man wrestled with why he had been allowed to live, when others had not and by far less than what he had gone through. In our culture and perhaps many others around the globe, the acts of slapping and spitting in ones face are clear evidence of insult. A Christian understands the meaning of “turning the other cheek.” In ancient cultures, the spittle of a holy man was believed to contain healing properties. When the blind man heard Jesus spit on the ground and felt the moistened dirt upon his eyes, these were aides to his believing for deliverance. In the poem by Dahni, it is Death that slaps the man’s cheek and it is the man that spits in the face of Death. The implication is both defiance and healing. If sickness is death in part, then healing and health is life. Deep down we all understand our end, but we are not born to die, we were born to live! If Death could be healed, it would no more bring death. We all often seem to get caught up with the things and affairs of life, taking for granted the wonders of life that occur constantly all around us. This poem by Dahni reverberates within the soul that it is not why we live or how long, but it encourages to live each moment, as if it were our last. What could I possibly write here which would add to the intensely humorous work entitled, ‘Percolator or Drip?’ This entry is just pure fun and enjoyment. It uses a predominate figure of speech throughout, attributing human characteristics and qualities to animals and inanimate objects. Lack of sleep, mass quantities of coffee consumed and late nights cramming for tests, working or maybe even an episode of insomnia may well indeed blur the vision and cloud the mind. This is a must read! Dahni has a unique way in which he draws a reader into his work. Images that are common and familiar to most of us are used as comparisons to express the points in which he clearly makes within his poetry. A water glass and a vacant house in ‘Half Empty or Half Full,’ are found in dealing with perception. Most of us are familiar with the phrase, fair weather friends. ‘Fair Weather,’ shows how easy it is to partake of the good things in life, but also how often others shy away from responsibilities when circumstances change. ‘The Old Man and the Old Woman in the shoes,’ brings to mind a childhood rhyme and changes the image slightly to include not just an old woman, but an old man as well. Shoes are used as analogies comparing the things collected in life and how through the ravages of time they wear out as does human flesh. This poem show unlike shoes and flesh that do wear out, something that never will. Yet another poem deal also with age. With age and to our often discontent, come wrinkles. This poem concludes with an admonition for something we should never allow to wrinkle. ‘Talons and Feathers’ as a whole is simple yet brilliant. Talons are the things in life which grip each of us. Its meaning being both that which is steadfast and that which binds a life. Feathers show the fragility of life as well as, the essence of which we are made to do, soar in the firmaments of imagination and opportunity. May you grip with talons and soar with golden feathers, in reading this work and throughout your lives. Soaring with you,
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* This symbol indicates that these poems are featured on this website
The Titles
* 1. Talons and Feathers 2. Opus 3. Notes to the Heart 4. Just a Whisper 5. Sonnet 101 * 6. Blessed Garden 7. Writing * 8. Insipid Spiders and Scorpions of Pernicious Pedigrees * 9. The Ant and The Spider 10. Sweet N’ Sour * 11. Living in America 12. Surviving Anthologies 13. Role Models 14. Slap on The Cheek, A spit in The Face * 15. Ninety One Keys 16. First Movement 17. Rich Enough 18. Percolator or Drip? * 19. Lion and Man 20. The sage of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme 21. Fair Weather * 22. Half Empty or Half Full * 23. The Old Man and The Old Woman in The Shoes 24. Wrinkles 25. A Heart-ic Exercises 26. Lifeflow * 27. Mathematical Axiom Talons & Feathers A collection of verse by Dahni Copyright © 1997 by Dahni & I-MAGINE PUBLICATIONS revised 2nd printing 2006 All rights reserved. Published in the United States by I-Magine Publications, Rochester, NY 14612. No part of this book may be used in any manner whatsoever without written permission by both the author and the publisher except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.____________________________________________________________________
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