Today's poet

[freckle]

I enjoyed Alf's Monza Alvi choice so much the other day that I ordered one of her books called "The further adventures of the souls" (also Bloodaxe) with some intriguing little poems inside, I really like the "otherworldy" style to her writing and the fact that she seems to blur boundaries between the real and unreal....I liked the metaphorical quality to this one...

Escape

The souls are playing truant,
escaping the strain of us,
finding places to hide-

in lifts and murky stairwells,
under bridges. Up there
with the pigeons, they glance

down and marvel at
how hard we try to tell one
soul from another, the boxes

we force them in, the countries
we try to pin on them.
But they won't have it.

However hard we press down
on the lid, out they come,
out of the box.

[freckle]

monday aready

warm impress of sleep
stolen by the treachery
of the snooze button

[Hes]

Brilliant Freckle...I had exactly the same this morning and I'm still waking up now which is why I'm sat procrastinating rather than cracking on with my drawings! I love the second line. The Alvi poems that you and Alf posted are great too. You've introduced me to a new poet, thanks.

monday aready

warm impress of sleep
stolen by the treachery
of the snooze button

[Alf]

monday aready

warm impress of sleep
stolen by the treachery
of the snooze button

Nice bit of imagery there young freckle not to mention of course the alliteration in sleep - stolen - snooze

Damn fine Haiku !

[Mountain Goatess]

I enjoyed Alf's Monza Alvi choice so much the other day that I ordered one of her books called "The further adventures of the souls" (also Bloodaxe) with some intriguing little poems inside, I really like the "otherworldy" style to her writing and the fact that she seems to blur boundaries between the real and unreal....I liked the metaphorical quality to this one...

Escape

The souls are playing truant,
escaping the strain of us,
finding places to hide-

in lifts and murky stairwells,
under bridges. Up there
with the pigeons, they glance

down and marvel at
how hard we try to tell one
soul from another, the boxes

we force them in, the countries
we try to pin on them.
But they won't have it.

However hard we press down
on the lid, out they come,
out of the box.

I really liked that Freckle. A Jack in the Box sprung to mind!....


Jack-In-The-Box

In childish days! O memory,
You bring such curious things to me!--
Laughs to the lip--tears to the eye,
In looking on the gifts that lie
Like broken playthings scattered o'er
Imagination's nursery floor!
Did these old hands once click the key
That let 'Jack's' box-lid upward fly,
And that blear-eyed, fur-whiskered elf
Leap, as though frightened at himself,
And quiveringly lean and stare
At me, his jailer, laughing there?


A child then! Now--I only know
They call me very old; and so
They will not let me have my way,--
But uselessly I sit all day
Here by the chimney-jamb, and poke
The lazy fire, and smoke and smoke,
And watch the wreaths swoop up the flue,
And chuckle--ay, I often do--
Seeing again, all vividly,
Jack-in-the-box leap, as in glee
To see how much he looks like me!

... They talk. I can't hear what they say--
But I am glad, clean through and through
Sometimes, in fancying that they
Are saying, 'Sweet, that fancy strays
In age back to our childish days!'

James Whitcomb Riley

[freckle]

that was lovely mg...particurlarly liked those last two lines...

'Sweet, that fancy strays
In age back to our childish days!'

[Harry H Howgill]

Ayup Freckle.

Loved the haiku today. Hope you are well and haven't had any more car dramas recently. Looks like you've got a good season of races planned too.

Harry

[freckle]

Alone

E J Scovell

Nothing will fill the salt caves our youth wore:
Happiness later not a house with corn
Ripe to its walls and open door.
We filtered through to sky and flowed into
A pit full of stars; so we are each alone.
Even in this being alone I meet with you.

[freckle]

Ayup Freckle.

Loved the haiku today. Hope you are well and haven't had any more car dramas recently. Looks like you've got a good season of races planned too.

Harry

Hi Harry! Hope you are well, I am likin 2011 so far! ...Yes going to try and do a race of some description per month, next is the commondale clart fingers crossed! did you get those special slippers? :-)

[Harry H Howgill]

Hi Harry! Hope you are well, I am likin 2011 so far! ...Yes going to try and do a race of some description per month, next is the commondale clart fingers crossed! did you get those special slippers? :-)

Ha ha. I'm waiting for the inov-8 version to come out.

On a different note, for some reason I thought tomorrow was pancake day, but I'm sadly disappointed that I've got another month to wait. x