Fragments means, when after-
wards interpreted,
pieced together,
much like swirls of fingerprints
or helices, the souls of past
still buried in our cells.
We try to place ourselves
in shoes of clay and mold our-
selves in spearhead agony,
to comprehend we haven’t
learnt that shape of weaponry
might change, but death
remains the same, and
the filaments of murderers
are dormant, waiting (left)
in hearts of you and me
and neighbor men.
Fragment of sculpture from Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Today Karin inspire us at toads with a prompt on remains, or fragments at toads. I thought about all the traces that still remain inside, in our DNA, and if we really have changed so much. This is my 17th poem this month so I’m still a little bit ahead.
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh boy…so true. I don’t know if there’s enough years ever to out live the passed down traits. Sigh. I was listening to an audio book…How to Analyze People on Sight…talks about psychology and physiology and how the square “fighter’s” jaw is a passed down trait and that those people are more likely to be combative.
Love your poems, Bjorn…they always cause me to think. 🙂
Helices is a beautiful word — you are very right about this fragments clinging, Bjorn. K.
i like your critical stance on humanity and its genetics; a vast embracing poem
much love…
the souls of past
still buried in our cells.
A very fruitful look at how who we have been somehow refuses to let go of who we are.
This is so wonderful. This was a killer line for me:
the souls of past
still buried in our cells.
We try to place ourselves
in shoes of clay and mold our-
selves in spearhead agony
This is fiery and brilliant Bjorn 🙂
I very interesting perspective. So much contained in the DNA which we cannot eliminate. I often wonder if we inherit memory along with the bad habits and eye colour.
I hope not, Kerry.
the souls of past
still buried in our cells….. that is a fascinating thought. I do wonder how much of me is really all me?
Scary, how much information is contained, within our DNA and RNA, which we still haven’t decoded, yet. Am worried, this knowledge will be used to remove those people, considered as social deviants, by some people, like the LGBT+ community.
Yes, this made me think. One would think our collective unconscious would be weary of all the warring by now….yet on we go, same old same old. Very deep poem, Bjorn.
This brings to mind forensic science which has always fascinated me and has advanced to much in our lifetime. There are words in here that would make a great prompt: filaments, helices, clay and agony–just to name a few.
It is scary what fragments we hold inside…great take on the image
The past still sings in our bones. So, of course, I love the line about “the souls of past / [being] still buried in our cells.” There is so much in DNA, which we supposedly don’t use… I wonder, sometimes, just how true that is at the very core… and how much our beings remember about what remains.
I have recently acquired an analysis of my DNA and it is so interesting. You poem points to thoughts I have had in regard to how far back does our ancestry “show” What fragments ,as you write, can we put together. I always enjoy reading your work, it inspires me to look further at things and ideas,,
I love this, especially:
“We try to place ourselves
in shoes of clay and mold our-
selves”
Traces – not of the current lifetime – can be memories that slowly dawn. A moment may spark these gifted memories and spin out a web of associated realisations. An intiguing series of thoughts.
A very interesting notion.
It’s true..who knows what our DNA contains…we only look for the obvious genetic hand-me-downs, but the worst is probably just biding its time. A great thot here Bjorn!
Death certainly remains the same.
I love the title – really made me stop and think and as i read and looked at the image also tried to imagine time and DNA all combined and fruitlessly cemented in stone – it’s a big concept to ponder isn’t it – i suppose we all feel the need to leave our mark – even here! Maybe some day our filaments will be pieced together too
It is becoming quite popular to get one’s DNA tested and being informed of connections almost unthinkable showing how varied our heredity is. Of such is our own character and traits so formed.
It is interesting to gauge how fragmentary we all are. The little differences are the ones that distinguish our traits from each other. That itself is enough to make us enjoy each other’s company as we are far from being clones of each other.
Hank
loved this examination of our inner differences Bjorn. thanks for sharing.
I look upon this poem as saying within each human there is something that resides there which will eventually bring about his/her death. It lurks there waiting. We may hold it off for a while (they are dormant as you said),but eventually it comes forward and says: Gotcha!
An interesting subject to ponder, and I love what you have created Bjorn!
We try to mold ourselves to the point of becoming someone else. Stunning work Bjorn gives me much to think about.
Hope those filaments never surface to break our “self’ further more…I like the breaks in your use of words…form and content complement each other….great lines Bjorn…
Beautifully done!
much like swirls of fingerprints- poetry can live in such personal and common places… beautiful
Evidence of these ‘killer filaments’ after death continues ..(at least, that’s what the scientists say) ..It is possible that the DNA helix holds some of the important memories of our ancestors!! Extremely interesting subject, Bjorn!
I love this piece…
There is something achingly beautiful about this: “We try to place ourselves
in shoes of clay and mold our-
selves in spearhead agony”
I like you pondering about ‘killer filaments’ still in our DNA…. shell we find it and use…or transform into peaceful pattern….I think the time is come, we no more need to protect our survival and argument can be solved by the way of negotiations…
Very interesting assignment and well covered. Cool!
I have seen the effect of DNA in my own family – the same boisterous (one might say histrionic) easily offended personality, the same knee-jerk overreaction to a differing viewpoint, the identical sneering scoff and on and on and on. You’d think that people with such similar personality traits would have enough in common to keep the peace. But no – they can’t stand each other and often point to the offensive characteristics which they themselves share (albeit: often revealed through dissimilar views) as proof that the other should not be tolerated, on the grounds that they are impossible to get along with (which, of course, they both agree on). Thus I’ve come to believe that DNA (nature) is a huge factor in the conduct of individuals – through experiences (nurture) takes that nature in any number of directions. Two clones might never agree or they might have a great deal in common. If they have an aggressive, combative nature, they’ll find something to fight about.
This made me think about our ancestors and our genetic makeup. How much has been passed from one generation to another? I think what I admire most about your writing style is your ability to make the reader pause to think.
Yes, change is slow and I wonder sometimes if we’ve even begun to learn how to crawl…
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com
“we haven’t learnt that shape of weaponry might change, but death remains the same” : wow! this reminds of how new and more efficient ways are designed to maim and kill.
when Cain killed Abel, that curse had been etched into our DNA ever since.
This was intense, with wodnerful use of imagery. Loved it.
I like to think that there are souls that I don’t even know, buried in my cells. Who walks with me? Lincoln? Swedenborg? Ibsen? Oh, many!