NOVEMBER POETRY

November 15, 2012 Poetry , POETRY / FICTION

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Elliott, Pearl Ketover Prilik, Denise Janikowski-Krewal, Holly Day, Richard Luftig

 

 

 

Thoughts On The Clydeside

By

Stephen Elliott

 

 

 The patch of grass

 

Between the river and the road

 

Is a haven.

 

Granting peace,

 

Not by the idle ebb of the Clyde,

 

Nor by the bellied laugh of youths.

 

Not by the gilded autumn leaves

 

That flitter, fond of some fair breeze

 

As we proceed to harvest thoughts on

 

Heaney, Sidney, Spenser and Shelly.

 

 

 

Not by that enchanting chorale that

 

Swells along the river, unrestrained,

 

Unchained; winged and soaring heavenward

 

To seek a true, untarnished chord

 

And brushing soft our eager ears

 

Does briefly lift our hearts to virtue.

 

 

 

This dash of green upon the grey:

 

An ultra-urban sanctuary,

 

Not by the moss-made cushioning,

 

Nor of the vacant fear of rain

 

But by the golden voice

 

 

Of a friend.

 

 

 

 

 

Poets’ Prophecy

By

Stephen Elliott

 

 

I have been enraptured.

My allotted die has been cast.

Sweet chains encapture me,

Fettered for eternity –

Blemished so as to be,

Scoured so as to see –

That which holds tight defines me,

Comforts me, seizes me

With fits of anger, sorrow, pleasure,

Spotting God within the heather,

Winking Death from ropy tether.

I am a poet.

Words contort me,

Leaping out from luscious lea,

Forever found within the sea

Until the sun does scorch our surface;

And even then some sovereign wordsmith,

Steeped and enamoured

And fathered by eloquence,

Will find significance

In a solitary flake of

Feather-ash.

 

 

 

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8 Comments

  1. Linda G Hatton November 20, at 18:08

    That first one, wow! I kept wondering if he had died - and then the ending got me. Very powerful. And the second one is so sweet and tender. I love that moment of the boy and girl agreeing to meet again when they're grown. Really nice work!

    Reply
  2. Barbara Ehrentreu November 17, at 22:09

    I loved both of these in different ways. Why? could have been in Beyond the Dark Room. In many ways it's the thoughts any abused woman has and it's very disturbing. I loved the images in both and especially in No Umbrella Needed: "Diamond droplets of pittered-patter-pleasure".

    Reply
  3. De Jackson November 17, at 16:17

    Oh, Pearl. "No Umbrella Needed" is just wonderful. Such powerful images here, in both poems. Excellent work.

    Reply
  4. ina November 17, at 09:28

    Really remarkable poems, Pearl, capturing very different lives and meanings of love. Agree with Misky that "Why" was disturbing and yet impossible to take the eyes off of.

    Reply
  5. Patricia November 17, at 07:22

    Pearl, Misky said it so well! I had a similar reaction to the first poem but could not find the words to describe my response. Thanks Misky!

    Reply
  6. Pearl Ketover Prilik November 17, at 06:28

    Dear Misky and Pat - thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and to comment. It means a great deal to me. Misky - of course I am delighted that you were pulled along, do not intend to disturb except when material itself is disturbing and thrilled that the second poem was 'unfrazzling." Patricia ... "powerful" is perhaps one of my favorite adjectives. Thank you so much. I WELCOME ALL COMMENTS... I you stop by and peek take a moment if you possibly can to leave a reaction. We write because we have to ... We publish because we like to be read (at least IMHO). :)

    Reply
  7. Misky November 16, at 14:00

    The first one, "Why" is very disturbing, and I almost found it difficult to read ... yet I was pulled along with it against my will. An astonishing and disturbing piece, Pearl. The second one was a welcome relief from the way the first left me frazzled. I could actually feel my pulse dropping to normal again as I read it.

    Reply

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