Vessels ply the river of shadows
flowing like wind through willow branches
not crawling over mud and stones
and not a stain on the world
They are nailed together with effort
and brushed with the color of imaginings
They carry north the trembled souls
to the hope of that rarefied air
That corona that flows from the sun
as smoke glides from the captain’s corona
and rises to the top of the bluffs
to confound the fugitive catchers
/ / /
This poem was written in response to Wordle 60 at The Sunday Whirl.
Advertisements
Very nice!
Susan, thank you.
Richard
This is a lovely use of the wordle words. I like ‘ply the river of shadows’.
Daydreamertoo, thank you. Glad you like it.
Richard
Haunting landscape and snippet of story. I also like “ply the river of shadows”, “not a stain on the world,” and that wonderful “fugitive catchers.” Immediately thought about a possee seeking stray poets, who take liberties with words. I know that sounds weird and was not your intent, but nothing seems all that strange of late. besides, we readers have the freedom to choose our own associations, lol. Thanks for this one, Richard,
Elizabeth
http://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/
Elizabeth, I’m glad you thought the landscape was haunting. I like your interpretation. It wasn’t what I intended, but it works. It’s not strange at all.
Richard
I loved your use of metaphor, and the story aspect of your wordle poem.
Viv, thank you. I find a lot of my wordle poems end up a story or a character study. This one was a story.
Richard
Tantilizing hint of story and nice painting of images.
Peggy, thank you.
Richard
Nice story here, Richard. Vivid imagery.
Pamela
Pamela, thank you.
Richard
Excellent setup for a longer story – a great vignette and a wonderful use of the wordle.
Traci, thank you. This is a story I might return to.
Richard
I had trouble with corona and you used it three times (including the title) –
‘flowing like wind through willow branches’ a wonderful weave.
I offer my wordle and a companion piece here:
http://julesgemsandstuff.blogspot.com/2012/06/sunday-whirl-60-maiden-voyage.html
Jules, thank you. I appreciate your feedback. I see now how using corona with two different meanings in the poem itself could be confusing.
Richard
I wonder if WP has been affected by sun spots? I remember reading this comment several days ago…
Hope you are enjoying your summer 🙂
But THAT is part of what was great about it! Why ever, ever should a word in a poem mean just one thing, or be used just one way?
Very nicely woven wordle words Richard … a different take from anything I’ve yet read and I like the whole sea-going, fugitive chasing aspect … “not a stain on the world” – that idea appeals to me very much …
http://aleapingelephant.blogspot.ca/2012/06/black-webbed-claw.html
Thanks. I like that line too. And I appreciate your comments about “the whole sea-going, fugitive chasing aspect” of the poem.
Richard
This piece brings a feeling of liberation – a theme I find myself attracted to quite a bit lately. I really like this.
Teri, thank you. I appreciate your thoughtful comments. Yes, it is about liberation.
Richard
The river of shadows is intriguing, as are the fugitives. There is an aura of mystery surrounding your words…and it feels gray and misty.
Brenda, thank you. I think perhaps I was a bit too mysterious in this one. I think it needs revising and expanding.
Richard
OK…me too: LOVE the “river of shadows” — such a fun image to imagine. 🙂
Paula, thank you. I’m gratified that you and others liked that image.
Richard
I enjoyed this, Richard, especially the last stanza… Great wordling..
Mary, thank you. Those last stanzas really have to work, don’t they?
Richard
Love the rhythm of this poem, and the visions.
Diane, thank you.
Richard
Yeah, Richard! What they all said! And add brilliant from me.
Walt, thank you. I’ll take “brilliant” any day.
Richard
I love that many of you actually used corona as in not beer. I would have been less imaginative. Well done.
Thanks. I looked up “corona” to make sure I was using it correctly, and found another meaning that I was not familiar with. So, I used it both with both meanings in my poem.
Richard