Map Reading for Beginners
By Philip Sidney
- 2102 reads
Wisdom criss-crosses
the papery surface.
Colour, symbol, measure,
land,
made knowable,
traversable.
Reality,
scaled down.
Stroke the mossy rock,
trace contours in the dust,
breathe the unchartered air.
You are here.
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Comments
I'm hopeless at map reading.
I'm hopeless at map reading. Loved the ending 'You are here'. There's a sort of airy feel to your poem, Philip, full of possibilities.
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The amount of work gone into
The amount of work gone into producing them is massive isn't it, and we take for granted that we have such good maps. It is lovely looking at OS maps and imagining all those lovely places as you imply, and stirring memories, and realising how many places there are even in a small area that you haven't really explored, and all look different, and all vary with the season, the weather, the direction you take … Enjoyed your little musing, Helen. Rhiannon
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Nice to think that something
Nice to think that something three dimensional can be transfered to a flat surface.
I like 'you are here' not that that helps when you look at those large maps found in large towns never visited before.
Lindy
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This is lovely. Like how you
This is lovely. Like how you've breathed life into flat bits and made connections.
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HI Helen
HI Helen
I like maps too, and like this poem very much.
But I am now hooked on google earth maps - and love walking down the streets and paths with the benefit of photography, when I am going visiting somewhere.
Jean
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Loved this, Philip...rubbish
Loved this, Philip...rubbish as I am too at map reading. Maps are fascinating things, though, which you highlight so very well with this piece.
Tina
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