From the Cave

By Sy Hakim

Both poems and the art works are thematic with a strong relationship between the works, There is a shared pictorial approach: strong bold colors paralleling bold rhythmic
explorations: there is often a shared titles as well as an exploration of a topic/theme.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 17, 2007
• ISBN: 9781465323927

Sy Hakim

He and Odetta Roverso were married in Vicenza , Italy in 1970. Sy Hakim earned his MA in American Studies at New York University (1960) and continued graduate studies at various universities. He has been listed in “International Authors”; “Writers Who is Who” and other professional journals. “Sy Hakim is a humanist, interested in . . . a diverse civility and the ethic search into the story of myriad civilizations and religions.., he fulfills the obligations of his subject and forms.., a validity combined to sustain his expressionistic (humanistic and poetic) concept...” [S. Maugeri, Italian Critic] Sy Hakim is an American Artist and Poet who has lived much of his life in Italy. This accounts for the many classical allusions one find in his works, both art and poetry. In addition to publication in various magazines and journals, he has published collections of poems (The Promise of Eve, 1994) and two plays. His first collection of poems was published in 1970, the same year of his first one person art show in Italy.

Book preview

From the Cave

In the hidden cave

buried in the leaves—

up on the mountain—

tragedy

and autumn

and the low-grade philosopher:

did it matter

that the west wind blew

from the east?

impossible contradiction?

or that the autumn leaves,

falling, turned green

on contact

with the brown earth?

In the cave

facing out toward the east

and the orange streaked

setting sun

the philosopher—

in thought and pre-occupation,

guided his gaze and concern

beyond the entrance:

surely there was a sign . . .

Before the pause

there appeared the line:

the blank consummate

of turning time

contrasted with the green leaves

and the red-turning grass;

an optical illusion?

a mental diversion,

distortion, contortion?

a dis-illusion

or finally a vision?

a true site, insight,

a grasping of now-seen truths

beyond the cave?

The low-grade philosopher

continued his thoughts

and his un-wavering gaze

to the east,

to the flamboyant colors,

to the wavering sun:

distorted illusions?

intuitions,

contorted confusions?

or subtly,

finally,

at last perceived

a truth’s multi-colored fusion . . .

In the hidden cave

buried in the leaves—

up on the mountain—

tragedy—and quiet . . .

and autumn

and the low-grade philosopher,

and the wind blown

covering, autumn’s

multi-colored leaves . . .

Impulse

Replicating

originating—

all phases repeat,

all phrases repeat,

the negativity of black:

chaos and creation,

transitions,

string strung filaments

and fibers,

theories and molecules

waves and vibrations;

atoms,

grey matter forming,

grey matter building

and bursting—flung

into black . . . silence;

replicating

all phrases repeat

the primordial impulse,

the invisible principle,

let there be

and grey matter rising

consolidating,

grey matter reorganizing,

perpetual blanket

dispersing, spreads:

grey matter and sparks

igniting,

light sparks and black holes

and red comets,

grey matter and grey mists

forming, amalgamating,

and black moons,

black against black

within grey—

within the silence

of the frozen

absolute

let there be . . .

Chaos and creation

all phases repeat

primordial impulse,

the invisible principle:

transitions