Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Postcards, Batch Three

True or False
John Ciardi

Real emeralds are worth more than synthetics
but the only way to tell one from the other
is to heat them to a stated temperature,
then tap. When it's done properly
the real one shatters.
I have no emeralds.
I was told this about them by a woman
who said someone had told her: True or false,
I have held my own palmful of bright breakage
from a truth too late. I know the principle.

6 comments:

  1. Actually, this one may be my favorite one... hard to choose.........

    Could use maybe a washed-out background image of a emerald, perhaps even one shattering.

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  2. The emeralds poem reminds me of jade and diamonds (how to tell real ones from fake). I'm curious as to where I can get a postcard.

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  3. Find me or Elizabeth in the hallways, for now. We're also distributing them around town.

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  4. This one is great!! Not sure that I would want to try this out though...quite a steep investment.

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  5. I think the card fits the poem pretty well actually, since the poem (and the idea of true/false) is pretty simple and the card goes well with that.

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  6. This is so cool! And open to interpretation. I might be scared if I got it in the mail though, but ideally the sender would add some sort of explanation!

    - Laura

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