Thursday, January 22, 2015

Frozen cattails...




















dVerseIt's about form today over at dversepoets.  Choose a particular form of poetry, write a poem using that form - then break it.  That means to freely change it in any way you like, through rhyme, lines, word syllable count, shorter, longer, whatever. I wrote a sonnet and proceeded to "break" it by ignoring some of the rules....hard for me to be loose..



Nature takes a look at herself-


Frozen cattails stand their stead
in refuges home to starlings
camouflage protects doe and young
Sun melts the frosty communal bed

Sepia hues cast a shadow blanket
Stillness, but for random flutterings
Ducks berth in tall wild iris grass
A Capella floats from dank lily-pads

Birds of prey wear luncheon jackets
Slow salmon are caught when spawning
Baby herons wade in water to their knees
Small creatures have no forewarning

Therein lies the danger of eagles farling
"Watch out!" ring out the snowy bells
 Lakes mirror pale skies overhead;
meadows robe in cool pastels

Into their dwelling sun rays slant
The scene, still damp, freshly painted
belies perils of kidnapping
Life goes on, birds keep chirping
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 













16 comments:

  1. part of that song of life will always be that the prey will take the life of others...
    and for some that is the key to their own survival...the muted hues of watercolor
    play off the frozen cattails and this time of year....

    hey it feels good to go loose sometimes eh? smiles.

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  2. Arthur Miller wrote in THE MISFITS, "nothing can live unless something else dies."; part of an audition speech I'm working on for a Feb 22 audition. Your broken sonnet still is quite effective, but then again, I do not flow easily into a sonnet like you & Bjorn do. I really enjoyed this prompt, secondary to the audacious fun of thumbing my nose at poetic parameters, & replacing it with whatever comes along imaginatively. I like your line /the meadow robes in cool pastels/.

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  3. What a peaceful scene! And yes indeed....life does go on!!

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  4. the circle of life, it indeed goes on... painted a sweet little scene here... great way to shake off the gloomy winter blues

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  5. Above all you've created an enthralling poem.

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  6. to me the whole poem feels like a watercolor with all the scenes captures in a light and fluid way

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  7. You have created some lovely imagery here! It's a wonderful read.

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  8. Isn't it funny, how some of us moan how hard it is for them to make sure they use a form enough that it's obivous they've broken it, while others struggle to break out of a form? I like the trailing off ending, which to me sounds like 'etc. etc.' - this will repeat. A bit like the musical piece by Strauss called 'Perpetuum Mobile' - do you know it?

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    Replies
    1. I do now....I had not before. Thank you for introducing it to me.

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  9. I really enjoyed the rich imagery in this poem, Kathy; so many peaceful scenes used to draw attention to the inherent violence of life!

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  10. The combination of nature's calmness and beauty to the menacing threat of the talons above.. exactly in contrast like this life is created... wonderful poem Kathy.

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  11. You have shared a beautiful nature scene and I also liked the photo you chose to complement it.

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  12. This is definitely steeped in wonderful images of nature. I resonate with so many of these wonderful creatures you bring to us in this sonnet.

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  13. What chilling beauty is this - the winter landscape populated with life holding on, trying to survive. Wonderful way of breaking the form and lighting up the winter with this painting in words. You put me there - in beauty and its stillness. Gorgeous work.

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All comments, constructive and otherwise, are welcome and appreciated here. Thank you to those who show an interest in my quirky style of writing, photography, painting, and presenting a feeling or thought and for stopping by A Dwelling by the Sea..