Thanks to Alistair Forbes for hosting SPF

Whose skull was this?
Painted with black,
Pagan man with Celtic designs.
Artwork of black paint done with care.
Celtic chains round the chin,
Eyes the deepest black holes,
Examining his head thinking,
Under every living human head,
Lies bones, a skull.
More chains around his forehead,
Celtic chains connecting what?
Fans of decorations highlighting cheeks,
And lines underneath hollow eyes.
Teeth broken, some full and functional.
But some teeth chipped,
Decayed from no tooth brush or paste?
What artist drew on a human skull?
Had he or she no respect for the dead?
But I think this skull we’ve found,
Designed with detail,
In the middle of the Ireland,
Tells a story of a time long ago,
No saying how gentleman skull died.
If he was sacrificed,
Or passed away from illness,
These decorations seem to tell me,
He died a man of a great respect.
I do know he was not so old,
And someone saw value in his bones,
To delicately, with care, design his skull rare.
Perhaps, frightening away the other dead.
Or with an artists eye,
Giving glory and tribute to this man’s remains.
His skull the most valued,
For there sat his brain, where he thought,
Ruled kindly and wisely, a leader,
Before death took his life.
And the painted skull through time,
Still grins on.
©Mandibelle16. (2016) All Rights Reserved.
Some deep thoughts in here Mandi. How an where we decide to give glory to things, predestines our eternity.
Enjoy the rest of your Tuesday!
Dajena 🙂
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Yes, right on D 🙂
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Great poem! I think that question of who it was is an interesting one and you explored it in a fascinating way.
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Thank you JA. Yes, who is and how he died, are always fascinating questions in anything historical.
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Very creative take! I like how you’ve captured our interest by asking all those questions in the poem! ☺
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Thank you S. Glad you liked it. History and Art are fascinating subjects, especially when they overlap.
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fascintating look into the past of a skull. Great pome Mandi.
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Thank you Al. I think the Celtic chains drawn/painted on it, made the story take off. Happy you liked it.
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wise, deep, and just so creative!
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Thanks Rosema. History is an interesting subject, art t as well. To me the skull is creepy, but those designs could have meant different and better things to people long ago.
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Yes! You look deeper to the skull and made a deep tale our of it. Great job! 😀
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Thank you 🙂
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you are more than welcome my dear!
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An artistic poem that does justice to the artistic photo! Superbly creative, Mandi.
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Thanks Jade. Even though I think the skull is creepy, there’s something to be said about the artwork on it.
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You put great thought and justice to this artistic skull. Your words paint quite creatively 🙂
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Thank you. The skull is creepy but I thought perhaps to an ancient culture, doing artwork on one might be a good thing?
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Wonderful poem but creepy scull!
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Thank PJ. Yes I agree, the skull is very creepy.
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It is creepy but looks cool with all those markings on it.
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Celtic chains connecting what?
Good question! The skull and its decoration, making it an artifact. The whole thing is a question. The grinning seems to indicate the answer to connection is known and good luck in finding it. Wry skull.
Thank you for this creative, pondering verse, Mandi!
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Thanks Christopher. This skull is a mystery and a an artifact indeed.
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Skull to skull we shall all be. So glad the spirit does live there anymore. Good job with the poem, Mandibelle.
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Thank you Oneta 🙂
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My Bad. “So glad the spirit does NOt live there anymore”
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Hehe no worries. I know what you meant. 😀
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Intriguing piece, Mandibelle, left me wondering.
Or maybe I mean wandering, my more natural state.
Nicely written, dear lady.
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Thank you so much CE 🙂
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