Any Poirots out there?

Community by poemelf

Calling all literary sleuths! An old friend from graduate school, artist and writer Trish Rawlings, sent me a puzzle and I’m as stumped as she is.

 

Here’s what she emailed me:

 

Years ago—in fact 1988—my brother Tom gave me a Cross pen and pencil set as a Christmas gift. I was a year into grad school and had switched from painting and the visual arts to go back into fiction writing (you know the rest!).

 

I stored the set away with other pens and pencils as I’m pretty “casual” when it comes to writing equipment and didn’t want to lose them….

 

Anyway, I was just going through those and saw the Cross box. I turned it over and saw what Tom had written on the back of it. I’d forgotten about this.  Back in 1988 I asked Tom if he’d written this himself and he just grinned and didn’t say.

 

It sounds vaguely familiar but Googling it brings up nothing…

 

 

With wondrous eyes perceiving,

or, better still, to pen thy soul

upon a flight of pages;

Where be thou, nobler aim, than these

that cometh from the dreamer?

 

Readers, does this language sound like any poet’s you’ve come across? Respond in the comment section or email me at thepoemelf@gmail.com.

 

My own feeling is that Trish’s brother wrote it. But one thing is clear: Trish’s brother is one sweet fella.

7 Comments

    1. Patricia Rawlings
      Reply

      HI Pam— I hope Tom is the author–I really do. He’s a quietly clever and colorful and creative person and I’ve always wanted him to confess he is the author. I told him we are wondering who the mystery author is but I haven’t heard back from him yet. He’s also very shy. I will certainly let you know if I should find out….

  2. Patricia Rawlings
    Reply

    Hi Pam– I will certainly let you know if I should hear from Tom. I asked him AGAIN if he is the author but so far silence. He’s a very clever, creative, and shy person and I’ve always wanted to think he wrote this himself. That would be so wonderful.

Leave a Reply