Strike is an old Germanic word as a verb, why it is we strike, we struck, we were stricken. Not striked. That is what this poem is about. And the poem only takes a few of the meanings you can find for strike. Strike is one of the words that spread its meaning far and wide because there has been enough time for that kind of variety. We like coming to blows as a culture, I guess.
What Happens When A Word Gets Old
(And this just strikes the surface)
I shall strike my path
or shall I strike out, strike off,
make a bruise and more?
I am struck with thought,
stricken with the old dismay,
or shall I strike with
determination
for the freedom of us all?
This spear, this hammer
is an ancient thrust
from the German ancestral
spirit, great value -
I shall strike your coin
and strike my new dreams like trout
in the mountain stream.
The clock strikes the hours
as I strike the brassy notes,
while we strike for pay
and then strike the set.
April 30, 2011 10:54 AM
A Streetcar Named Desire set strike from Alex White on Vimeo.
Wow.
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