A Tale of Love (and Woe) – Lovers' Song #9

Princess #9

Knight #9

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A note on form:  The above form has little (or sporadic) history.  Part of a long line of ancient Japanese forms from which come the sedōka, choka, and tanka is the katauta.  Depending on the source this poem (also known as a half-poem or half-song), is either 17 (5 / 7 / 5) or 19 (5 / 7 / 7) syllables long.  The feeling I get is that this form is meant to be one half of a conversation...perhaps two lovers conversing back and forth.  There is also note of this form consisting of a question-and-answer feel; the first poem posing the question, while the second poem answers it. 


About this series:  This series is a branch-off of a ten act ballad called A Tale of Love and Woe.  All odd numbered installations are initiated by the "princess" with a response from the "knight."  In each of these, the princess follows the 17 syllable pattern to which the knight replies in kind. All even numbered installations are initiated by the "knight" with a response from the "princess."  In each of these, the knight follows the 19 syllable pattern to which the princess replies in kind. 

Right vs. Left: Brain Wars

	I need to be. That's it, just be - but you, my friend, my "better" half refuse to let me be.  You fear the driving force behind my creativity.  I breathe emotions in like air; emotions set me free an though irrational they be I have to breathe to live.  So why, oh why, do you impede?
And don't you think I too have cause to breathe. But you in all your flashy hues disturb my sense of self; but even more you threaten all we are.  Those crazy emotions disrupt our equilibrium; and all  you care about is you.  And what  of me, my "better" half, oh why must I recede?

Inspiration for this piece:

#1 - Over at dVerse Poets Pub, we are exploring a form invented by Gay Reiser Cannon (Beachanny by the Sea and Beachanny Texas).  This is not my first time exploring this form.  Once before I tried tackling it while incorporating opposing views, but I felt unsure.  I think part of that had to do with the fact that I was uncertain if people would realize it was to different points of view.  With this new exploration of the form, called Quarrel (or Falling Diamonds), ideas were presented on how to alter the format to allow for two sides of the same coin...so to speak.  I do admit I'm torn by the center line (as is my poem).  In my first go at this form I created such that if you read the two diamonds separately the middle line worked both as the end of one or the beginning of the other.  Here I was not able to accomplish that same feat, nor sure how I would have included it given the structure I chose.

#2 - Been thinking a lot on brain theory...attended a workshop on it...and to be honest the battle of my hemispheres for control has always been on my mind.  I have some pretty odd theories in regard to this matter, but I'll save you the crazy.


Side Note ~ structure loses something on mobile devices, particularly phones. 

Autumn's Palette - Defying the Color Wheel

green transforms
into blushing reds
       brilliant oranges
       mellow yellows
       russet browns

what other color
can claim such fame?

Para-Morph

To Serve
by Brooke Shaden

Para-Morph

There exist diamonds among butterflies,
colorless morphs with gossamer wings.

They cling like death to trees
born to fear the blustering winds;
their delicacy easily tossed-n-torn.

Vigilant, they wait for life giving forces
  weighed down in hues of blue
    overflowing in shades of orange
  steaming in tints of red
    steeped in blushes of purple
to connect their symbiotic chord to.

Emotions flow as colored ink
releasing heavy/bursting hearts
as the butterflies find their wings.

On the winds dance colorful morphs,
shimmering jewels with brilliant-cut wings.

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Inspiration for this piece:  For Poetics this week,  dVerse Poets Pub is exploring the "Passion of Brooke Shanden," a fine art photographer who doesn't mind getting in front of the camera.  It was not easy to select one image...for I was drawn to many, but in the end I did manage to find one to focus on.  (You can see more of her work through her gallery or her blog.)   

While the image present here as a heavyhearted feel to it, which I think fits well with the color choice of blue.  Originally my thought was to focus on the sadness...the butterfly pulling the sadness away both helping the individual by lightening their load and the butterfly by weighing it down (and adding color).  As I came to that portion of the poem, I felt an itch to move beyond just a single emotion.  I imaged similar images of joyous (orange) individuals twirling with butterflies attached and angry (red) fuming individuals and passionate (purple) individuals....  Any emotion can go overboard and take us too far away from the world and from ourselves; it seemed like the butterflies could help with stealing a bit more than just blues.

On a side note:  Not 100% sold on the title...

A Tale of Love (and Woe) – Lovers' Song #8

Knight #8

Princess #8

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A note on form:  The above form has little (or sporadic) history.  Part of a long line of ancient Japanese forms from which come the sedōka, choka, and tanka is the katauta.  Depending on the source this poem (also known as a half-poem or half-song), is either 17 (5 / 7 / 5) or 19 (5 / 7 / 7) syllables long.  The feeling I get is that this form is meant to be one half of a conversation...perhaps two lovers conversing back and forth.  There is also note of this form consisting of a question-and-answer feel; the first poem posing the question, while the second poem answers it. 


About this series:  This series is a branch-off of a ten act ballad called A Tale of Love and Woe.  All odd numbered installations are initiated by the "princess" with a response from the "knight."  In each of these, the princess follows the 17 syllable pattern to which the knight replies in kind. All even numbered installations are initiated by the "knight" with a response from the "princess."  In each of these, the knight follows the 19 syllable pattern to which the princess replies in kind. 

Slumbers' Kiss

crickets sing gently
beneath the moon's lushes glow
waking dreams behind closed eyes

car horns serenade
beneath flashing neon lights
coaxing dreams to steal the night

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A note on form:  One form I have found interesting is the sedōka.  Being an ancient Japanese form predating the haiku, there is little about this form for an unschooled poet who relies on the internet for information.  It has been linked with the choka, tanka, and katauta.  Most closely it is related to the katauta; I have found sources that state the katauta is 5-7-7 and/or 5-7-5 (like a haiku, but without the nature link).  The form is known as a half-song...putting two together (in the 5-7-7 version) creates a sedōka.  My first exposure to the sedōka stated it was often a pair of individual poems (able to stand on their own) that addressed the same subject in a different manner.  I think this is what I like most about the form.  There is also sources that indicate this pairing was an exchange between lovers.  I prefer to link that instead with the katauta with the idea that two different individuals are writing in a call-n-response form.  I have been exploring this notion in a series called A Tale of Love (and Woe) - Lovers' Song.  Tomorrow I will be sharing the 8th piece in the series.

More than Me (alt. title: I Need to Get Over Myself)

I want to say something
     not nothing

I read the other day
about 'perfection paralysis'

the inability to
     put pen to paper
           fingers to keyboard
           life o words
for fear of not
     being perfect

& I thought
                   "Wow,
that's me!"

so caught up with all of me that
is imperfect, I
long for something
             something
             something that
is perfect

& it's not about the words I choose
    though
that definitely plays a part
     but

I want to say something
     not nothing

I want my words to resonate
to mean something
outside of the nothing that is me

I'm not paralyzed by the imperfection
     of my words

I'm paralyzed by the perfection of others'

beauty pours from their lips
heart scrawls across napkins
truth stains their fingers

& I sit
so caught up in the nothing of me
that I grasp at straws for something
                                      something
                                      something more

than me

Crazy & Old – Yes, but Cats – No

They say every girl dreams
        about her wedding day;

I'm not
            "every" girl.

I wonder if I knew
        even back then

        (though fond of felines)
how reluctant I would be
to adopt a cat.

In the End, It Is for Me Alone

Selfishness,
the ability to put one's self
before others
a quality I lack
with regret
for those moments
of pain
which tear through me
at times

Selfishness,
the ability to disregard others
in self gain
a characteristic I view
with envy
for to cut away the pain
which consumes
would take one single selfish act
ending it all

Selflessness,
the ability to look past one's self
at others
a quality I exude
with glee
for those pained moments
are few
which leaves many wondrous experiences
to live.

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Inspiration for this post:  I wrote the above piece back in September of 2004.  I felt, with this being National Suicide Prevention Week, this was a relevant write.  I admit it is an unusual and odd train of thought, but that is often the case with me...odd and unusual.  Honestly, aside from the use of the word "few" at the end there, I still hear echos of this train of thought.   

Bringing Light to Darkness

Inspiration for this post:  This is the convergence of what I feel must be non-coincidences.  Over at dVerse, the topic is "Bringing Light to Darkenss."  Shortly after reading the post, I was browsing through my tumblr feed and came across a post by Tyler Knott (see below), which reminded me of the fact that this is National Suicide Prevention Week.  I admit, for me, far too often "darkness" links to "depression."  I would not be true to myself if I tried to unearth some other version of darkness for this prompt.  So...I have two pieces at the moment (in honor of today which is World Suicide Prevention Day)...and another coming tomorrow (in continued celebration of this week).  While I'm sure I could dig up quite a number of pieces that fit the prompt, I thought I'd keep things simple.  The first piece, Still, (created using an app called Poetics) I feel says quite a lot in just TenWords.  The second is a piece entitled Origami Hope.

Still

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Origami Hope

Hope brings tears to my eyes;
logic would assign these precious pearls
with a joyous & uplifting tempo,

but tears are a fickle thing,
their truth held only
in the eyes shedding them.
yes,

        hope brings tears to the surface,
but they are sad
                           dark
                                    su
                                       ff
                                         o
                                     cat
                                   in
                                      g
                                           streams
threatening to consume.

Sometimes I think
                               if I could
I would fold every single hope lying within me
    up
into tiny little paper seeds
& blow them away
leaving me a bald dandelion head
bowed in the darkness where light
cannot trick me into feeling
                                              more.

but I know
                   I'd shed tears
                                         for their loss.

(what am I without hope?)

I'd rather watch those tiny white puffs
float along my dark oceanic tears–

     life rafts for me to cling to
     as the darkness looks to pull
                                            me
                                          under.

---

Post by Tyler Knott

TWLOHA's 2014 Campaign
for National Suicide Prevention Week (NSPW14)

"There Is Still Some Time"
poster based on blog post
by Jamie Tworkowski, TWLOHA Founder.

Fly Swatters & Motorcycles

The side view mirror announced
its presence even before
I heard it buzz on by me

& I couldn't help wonder
what it might be like to
ride a bumble bee

leaning to one side where feet
could easily touch asphalt
& glide in between empty

spaces careful not to taste
metal which can easily
squash it like a bug

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Inspiration for this piece:  I was driving home yesterday and a yellow motorcycle passed me by.  (Never ridden a motorcycle before.)  That coupled with the buzzing bees that had been disturbing me earlier in the day lead me here.

Lune: Sweet Spot

Music Workshop at Castle Goldrain
by Claudia Schoenfeld

Lune:  Sweet Spot

#1 (Kelly Lune)
notes kissing earlobes
awaken
passion deep within

#2 (Collom Lune)
it's the sax
with notes slow dancing together
that seduces me

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Inspiration for this piece:  If only I could be this good after 9 months...over at dVerse Poets Pub, the walls have been decorated with some lovely artwork by one of the dVerse community members, pubtender and proprietors of the pub.  You can learn more about Claudia and her art at dVerse: Poetics - Sketching it Out, check out her work on Flicker, or her poetry at jaywalking the moon.