avatarRavyne Hawke

Summary

The web content presents an experimental poem titled "Index of Famous Dying Words" by Lori Carlson, which is inspired by a reference book on last words and reflects on themes of life, death, and existential musings.

Abstract

The article features an experimental poem by Lori Carlson, a writer known for her diverse range of topics including relationships, spirituality, and mental health. The poem, "Index of Famous Dying Words," is a creative compilation that draws inspiration from a book of last words uttered by notable individuals. It explores various themes such as the fear of being buried alive, contentment, the desire for light in darkness, and the longing for peace. The poem's creation is attributed to the author's isolation during an internet outage, which led to a reflective and somewhat morbid exploration of the human condition. Carlson invites readers to ponder whether her piece constitutes poetry or is merely a chaotic amalgamation of thoughts. The article also provides a brief biography of Carlson, noting her contributions to various Medium publications and her focus on topics relevant to the LGBTQ+ community.

Opinions

  • The author, Lori Carlson, acknowledges a personal inclination towards morbidity, as evidenced by her interest in a reference book of last words.
  • Carlson views her work as an "index poem," suggesting a novel approach to poetry that involves indexing and recontextualizing existing content.
  • The poem is presented with a degree of self-awareness, as Carlson leaves it to the readers to judge its artistic merit.
  • The creation of the poem is framed as a serendipitous outcome of an internet outage, implying that solitude and limited resources can lead to creative productivity.
  • Carlson's writing is described as encompassing a wide range of human experiences, with a particular

POETRY | EXPERIMENTAL

Index of Famous Dying Words

Experimental poetry

Photo by Anton Darius on Unsplash

Alive, swear to make them cut me open so that I won’t be buried Content, I am Dark, turn up the lights, I don’t want to go home in the Death, nothing, but Flowers, too late for fruit; too soon for Finished, friends applaud, the comedy is Heaven, oh, do not cry — be good children and we will all meet in Light, I see black Martinis, I should never have switched from bourbon to Mystery now comes the Rain, do you hear the Rising, I must go in, the tide is Time, all my possessions for a moment of Understand, does nobody Voices, I begin to hear Way, I must have peace and this is the only

©2020 Lori Carlson. All rights reserved.

This is the kind of nonsense that happens when the internet is down for three days and all you have to keep you company is a reference book on people’s last, dying words. Yes, I am morbid that way. So I decided to do an index poem and see what I could come up with. Will let you decide if it is poetry or just a mess.

Lori Carlson writes poetry, fiction, articles and personal essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, and the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to writing for The Wide Open Spaces, Lori also writes for twenty other publications here on Medium. Check out her personal Medium blog here.

Poetry
Index Poem
Experimental
Free Verse
Writing
Recommended from ReadMedium