Open eyes of pearl, ruby mouth,
wax translucent about gemstones and full moons,
wrap waves in gossamer twinkles,
love’s courage and dejection tear at us
with fixed card-greeting smiles.
Stuffed to the gills
with cluttersome grandiose:
pretty-sounding words
don’t worry about the meaning!
I’m linking this to dVerse Poets Pub, my first contribution there in a long, long time. The form is one created at the Pub: a quadrille, a poem of precisely 44 words, and the prompt in this case was to contain the word ‘open’. I cheated a little bit with some double-barrelled words, but for much clearer and better poems, do join us over at the Pub!
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wrap waves in gossamer twinkles… what an image!
I really love how you take the image of those gemstones and beauty to those pretty words and greeting card smiles that means nothing… it feels like you have captured what’s lacking in an Instragram relationship… (or might have got it wrong)
Ah, you know me well, I sometimes get annoyed when people think that romance or poetry is all about high-flung gestures and decorative words rather than real substance…
I agree… and I do prefer words that cuts to those that soothe… even when writing about love.
love your close, a good point made…i almost chose the same image of gemstones for my poem then opted for another one….
It was quite a surprise to see we were (visually) on the same track…
I absolutely adore this poem 😀 especially the image of ‘wrap waves in gossamer twinkles’ Sigh.. beautifully executed.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
“Stuffed to the gills
with cluttersome grandiose:
pretty-sounding words
don’t worry about the meaning!”
~I couldn’t agree more!! 😀
Ah, yes, that all-style, no-substance view of poetry! You refer to it and at the same time skewer it so well here, Marina Sofia. Beautifully done
I may have fallen victim to its persuasive charms myself on occasion…
I like the imagery you’ve chosen, with the gems stones and greeting cards.
Don’t worry about the words. Great advice for how to NOT read poetry!
Personally, I am a big fan of “double-barreled” words (a phrase I also love). 😉 Your title says it all. Well done.
Much harder to use those double-barrels in haiku, for instance, but it works for the quadrille!
I do totally agree with your poem – “Stuffed to the gills with cluttersome grandiose” words. I’m sure this is why so many people dislike poetry. So much of it is cluttersome words puffed out of a stuffed mouth, a bunch of flarf. Who does care about the meaning? True poets. It is so good you have joined us again. You were sadly missed.
You’re right, it just seems too pretentious to most people, or else they think: ‘I’ll never have the vocabulary to understand it!’
Thank you for your kind words. I hope to be able to participate at least once a week from now on. Life is too short to get wrapped up in the administrative minutiae and forget about poetry!
Yes indeed it is! And I think some people are just too puffed up on their own intellect (or what they perceive as intellect” and feel they need to write in a showy manner. I know people who often say, I can’t stand poetry. It is so contrived/above my head/written only to a certain audience…
I used some double-barreled words, too, and I’m not so sure it’s cheating when they work so well. I just wrote of my thing for stones on another blog–I keep a bowl of them on a nearby bookcase. Lovely poem and I’m SO happy to see you!
I’m rather partial to stones – collected on beaches, bought at the Natural History Museum, marbles from my sons…
Always a pleasure to read your work, MarinaSofia…and I appreciate the message (and guidance) you so beautifully express here. With so many “pretty-sounding” words to utilize, we can overthink it, placing them only to please. It becomes cumbersome and defeats the purpose.
SMiLeS noW..
i used to watch
politics until
i determined
that both sides
alWays win..
then i lEarned
to Love it all open.. sacred
and holy and i won heaven now..
all IS A FeeLinGs and SeNses..
rest is an inkblot test.. i choose
to love iT all.. sImply
’cause i can..
the gift
of fearless
unconditional
love with eXpanding
liGht and LoVe of DaRk
and struggles sAMe.. as
sure it is no surprise
that ark
iS iN dARk..
but nah.. not
much for smAll
talk but i Love it..
and all those kitty
kats on Facebook too.. as the
Internet is developed souly for ThAT..
thiS eNtire rUse is to showcase mY KAt..;)
Yes and yes. A poet after my own heart.
Why, thank you! What a lovely thing to say!
Very well done!