RE: Johnny

["Gart, Mitchell" <Mitchell.Gart>]

"Johnny's laying there his sperm coddling" works too.  Webster's has a
meaning for coddle:

To cook (as eggs) in liquid slowly and gently just below the boiling
point

- Mitch
 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-babel-list
[mailto:owner-babel-list] On Behalf Of Douglas W.
Corkhill
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 7:28 AM
To: babel-list
Cc: li_lightfoot
Subject: Re: Johnny

>From: Li Lightfoot 
>
>considering that Patti is first a poet, "sperm coffin" makes a lot of
sense. 'Sperm' being the seed of life and a 'coffin' being the abode of
death... well, there is a certain internal symmetry there, don't you
think? just the sort thing a great poet might envision. very skillful.
very apt. and I do believe it says, 
>   
>  "life is filled with holes and Johnny's laying there in his sperm
coffin
>  Angel looks down at him and says "ah pretty boy...."
>   
>  seems pretty clear it was meant to be "coffin" as "Complete" has it.

Li,

I love the symmetry, the symbolism, and the skillful writing.  Yes,
sometimes we forget Patti is a poet first.  I agree with you.  I had
never thought of it as "coughin'" before this thread.  

Doug