Monday, January 30, 2017

OF CUPS AND CASTLES

I came kicking and screaming into open verse poetry, insisting that poetry had to rhyme.  It is only of late that I've learned the poetry of creating word pictures.   This poem was my first effort at writing open verse in a  workshop led by Shari Wagner in 2012.
 
     THE  CUP
Eloquent with age
secrets lie within
your chipped porcelain
of lips that drank
from your communal cup
cool, clear water
from some unknown well.
    *****

.....and this was my second effort

   IRELAND

I long to go to Ireland,
away from its cities
into the green hills
to stand in a circle of stones
placed by ancient Celts.

I long to see the lochs,
deep and mysterious
with secrets as old as time.
I want to stand
in a great stone castle
whose walls have withstood
the onslaught of centuries,
holding secrets of bold knights
and shy maidens,
and listen to the whispers
of voices long stilled..

I want to stand in the green fields
where sheep graze,
and  see  heather
on the moors releasing
its sweet fragrance
into crisp, clear air.

Then, I want to step into
a thatch-roofed cottage
for a spot of tea
to ponder long
the things I have seen.

14 comments:

  1. You may have come in kicking and screaming, but you certainly started strong with these two wonderful open verse poems!!

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  2. I certainly enjoyed reading your open verse poetry.

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  3. I love this.. somehow I think they can be tied together with that cup... there is something very zen in that first poem to me.

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  4. I like them both very much, especially the first. I think all that time writing with rhyme and metre is a great foundation for going on to free verse – it means you have learned craft, and are not just producing chopped-up prose.

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    1. PS 'open verse' is a good name for it. The term 'free verse' is of course something of a misnomer.

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  5. That first poem captured the magic of a thing that accrues meaning/symbol.

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  6. I especially love Ireland, as through your words I feel like I visited there. Beautiful!

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  7. I think both poems are very good. Enjoyed. You have good talent for creating picture words. Nice.

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  8. The Cup within its tiny space is a powerhouse and in contrast Ireland is an open space poem with the fragrance of beauty, freedom and history...you took us to the spot....

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  9. I am a poet who loves rhyme best but occasionally writes in free verse. You did well with both poems. Now I need to read one of your rhyming ones!!

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  10. Luv them both, ah but 'The Cup' I'll choose as my favorite today

    Much love...

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  11. I like both pieces quite a bit. Good for you for venturing out into new styles of poetic expression.

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  12. for a spot of tea
    to ponder long
    the things I have seen.

    Fantastic takes on just a few tries. Augurs well for the next few ones coming along, Beverley!

    Hank

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