Mark A. Hill
In the middle ages, the word topaz referred to any yellow gemstone,
In modern times, it denotes only the silicate.
Topaz is referred to in Exodus in the King James Bible,
A few moments before you fold it up and nod.
Beget is an archaic word the past is begot and the past participle is begotten,
Americans refer to irregular verbs as strong verbs.
Stronger people tend to walk taller or shorter than their size; this is seldom perceived.
The translation topaz derives from the Septuagint translation topazi
Which was a reference to a yellow stone that was not topaz,
It was probably chrysolite ( chrysoberyl or peridot ).
He slud in at third is ridiculed by US sports commentators.
I am not sure how worthy I might be in the face of death,
Although dying friends have told me I would be strong.
We often make mistakes in interpreting words and messages.
It is likely that, “pitdah” is derived from Sanskrit words pit = yellow, dah = burn),
forming “yellow burn.”
Like all things, you cannot take topaz with you.
Mark A. Hill is a translator and English teacher, and he has lived in Cagliari, Italy for 28 years. His poetry has been published in The UK Poetry Library’s Top Writers of 2012 and the Live Canon 2013 Prize Anthology. His debut novel will be published by Wallace Publishing in 2025. A book of his collected poems will be published by Hidden Hand Press later this same year.
andotherpoems.com 