Analysis of The Indwelling Alchemy of Life
Karl Constantine FOLKES 1935 (Portland)
Dearest comrade of this natural world.
Observe the order of the universe.
Created not by human hands, but by spirit.
Transforming all that which is temporary.
Oh, dearest comrade, meditate on your treasure.
Receive that which invites no compensation.
Grieve not at that which is temporary.
Or that which in passing, fades away.
Latch on, instead, to the permanent.
Never fading, hidden; yet secure.
A diamond waiting to be polished.
Zirconium treasure; and the alchemy of life.
Meditate, thou wandering one, upon Thyself.
Open your inner vision; and observe.
A greater world of possibilities awaits you.
Zealous world of wealth and wonderment.
Awake, thou pilgrim, to the call that beckons you.
Meditate, oh wanderer, ‘pon the golden prize.
Inward, within Thyself, lies the alchemy of life.
| Scheme | X X X A X X A X B X X C C X D B D X C |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | |
| Metre | 101111001 010101010 010111011110 0101111100 1101101110 0111011010 111111100 111010101 110110100 101010101 010101110 0100100010011 1011001011 1011010001 010110100011 101110100 011101011101 10110010101 100111010011 |
| Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
| Characters | 813 |
| Words | 164 |
| Sentences | 19 |
| Stanzas | 19 |
| Stanza Lengths | 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 |
| Lines Amount | 19 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 33 |
| Words per line (avg) | 7 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 33 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 7 |
About this poem
This acrostic poem, “The Indwelling Alchemy of Life,” was initially composed on August 8, 2020, at 12:58 PM, to honor and pay tribute to Dr. Golnaz Moazami, MD., ophthalmologist , Harkness Eye Institute, affiliated with Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York. An astute, caring eye surgeon, Dr. Moazami rescued me from near blindness by skillful diagnosis of the rare disease of ocular sarcoidosis, one of the leading causes of inflammatory eye diseases present in up to 80 percent of patients, and frequently manifested before diagnosis of the underlying systemic disease can be determined. Ocular sarcoidosis is not easy to diagnose; it requires a doctor’s diligent intuitive patience to research and eliminate all other possible causes of ailment and, through a medical process of what I describe poetically as ‘alchemical engagement,’ to hone in on an accurate prognosis in order to eventually recommend and administer effective long term treatment. All of this, Dr. Golnaz Moazami achieved successfully, and I am eternally indebted and thankful. While written to honor Dr. Moazami, this poem extends outwardly to embrace all who recognize and pay obeisance to the brotherhood of divine spirit in all human souls. more »
Written on August 28, 2020
Submitted by karlcfolkes on September 13, 2022
Modified on March 14, 2023
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"The Indwelling Alchemy of Life" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/137590/the-indwelling--alchemy-of-life>.
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