Clark A. Smith (poet, artist, sculptures and novelist), along with several Arkham House, authors, such as Richard L. Tierney; de Camp, Lin Carter, HP Lovecraft, Robert Howard, George Sterling, all poets, all short story writers, two generations of them, stepped onto what I call the Highway of the Dead. They wrote about horror, suspense, the demons that lurk, and fantasy"like E.R. Burroughs: on Mars or Venus. They mixed archeology with folklore, and outer space, shook it up, and out came adventures of Lumeria, and Atlantis, and the Cave series of women and men from before the time of Adam and Eve; and so here are two poems to the now, lost, Highway of the Dead, or perhaps to the third generation: 1) Clark A. Smith [Sculptures and Art] Snub-noses and thick of lips"
Slimy and thin (a man driven),
I always thought of, CAS's art:
Goblet, human-feline features", Had its own, like his pose,
And poetry; akin to an Olmec god. Note: Dedicated the CAS, and his love for the macabre, poems and art #1018 12/22/05 2) Crumbling Archeologist Bones of cities lay about
With vines and stones and ferns and faults"
From jungles, deserts, shrines and pyramids,
From the seas, and restless ancient cities!... From the winds: hiss the perishing of the ruins.
And what is left at the utter end"?
A snake, a bird, a goat and a hen...! Note: the only thing stronger than my love of poetry is perhaps archeology; and perchance that is a toss up. So to the archeologist, I dedicate this poem: in particular, to my friend on Easter Island, Charlie Love. |
