Thursday, April 05, 2007

Writing Exercises

I’ve combined Bone’s Three Word Wednesday with another writing exercise I found through Gautami (Poetry Thursday) to create the following poem. This week’s Poetry Thursday’s” challenge is to write a poem to a favorite poet. The following is written to Sylvia Plath (1932-1963). Bone’s three words are “Miles,” “Voice,” and “Holding”

For Sylvia

Your words linger on my lips,
a clear yet troubling voice,
declaring the horrors of Dachau
and unrequited love.

Your portrait loiters within my mind
-that graceful neck and haunting eyes-
subtle beauty with a mouth
seemingly uncommitted to a smile or frown.

Attractive yet troubled,
I can still hear your voice
over distances beyond miles
crying out for recognition and your lost father
-holding out hope that vanished-
one February morning by the oven.

I should say that I have never studied poetry, but I enjoy playing with words. As for Sylvia, maybe my infatuation is like Eldon John infatuation with Marilyn Monroe (who also died in the early 60s). Of course, Mr. John made a fortune with his words and music and then recycled it and made another fortune as he paid homage to a dead princess.


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27 comments:

  1. AnonymousThursday, April 05, 2007 10:55:00 AM

    Wow, that is very good!

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  2. gautami tripathyThursday, April 05, 2007 11:13:00 AM

    And you say you are not good? This speaks out. At any many levels. I love Sylvia Plath.

    And post the link here thursday, thursday, how I love you so for wider readership.

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  3. gautami tripathyThursday, April 05, 2007 11:16:00 AM

    PS: Please click it and jst leave the permalink of this post there.

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  4. sageThursday, April 05, 2007 11:52:00 AM

    thanks Peri

    Gautami, Thanks for your suggestion--I hope I left a permalink, so of this technology stuff is beyond me. Thanks for your post in Poetry Thursday which gave me the idea...

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  5. MurfThursday, April 05, 2007 12:04:00 PM

    I hate making that ego of yours bigger but after the occasional nagging over the last year about your lack of poems, I have to give you your props (as the kids say). That was very good. I need to come up with a special day...

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  6. Pat PaulkThursday, April 05, 2007 1:24:00 PM

    I'd love to see what you could do if you studied it some. This is one fine poem!! You should consider sending this out for publication.

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  7. DianeThursday, April 05, 2007 3:30:00 PM

    nicely done, though may I suggest lingers in place of loiters? I have a book of Plath's poems, I need to actually read it

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  8. ArleneThursday, April 05, 2007 4:14:00 PM

    A cynic indeed!
    I loved your poem! I don't know poetry past what I learned in high school, so I just go with what I think sounds good, and yours sounds good :-)
    Thanks for stopping by mine :-)

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  9. AnonymousThursday, April 05, 2007 4:22:00 PM

    Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton's life have always fascinated me so much tragedy and melancholy in two gifted women who seemed to have everything. Your poem really captured this sense of lost hope. The last line was particularly powerful.

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  10. sageThursday, April 05, 2007 5:51:00 PM

    Murf, my ego may be enlarged, but you can rest assured that you're not to blame!

    Thanks Pat!

    Thanks Diane. I think you are right, I was trying not to use linger twice, but the parallelism might strength the poem

    Arlene, thanks for having the links to Bone's 3WW!

    Bookbinds, thanks for stopping by. I also like Sexton's poetry, especially "the Awful rowing toward God"

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  11. MichelleThursday, April 05, 2007 6:42:00 PM

    Very interesting use of the three suggested words. I liked this.

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  12. relFriday, April 06, 2007 4:19:00 AM

    I think you've captured the essence of Plath quite well.
    rel

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  13. MurfFriday, April 06, 2007 6:43:00 AM

    Ouch. Way to put me back in my place.

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  14. AnonymousFriday, April 06, 2007 8:12:00 AM

    Wow Sage...there are so many layers to you! Very nice.

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  15. sageFriday, April 06, 2007 8:33:00 AM

    Michelle & Remiman: thanks for stopping by

    Murf, Don't take it too personally, just consider it payback for Linda! ;-)

    Thanks Deana.

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  16. MurfFriday, April 06, 2007 9:15:00 AM

    Gee and I had forgotten all about her. Thanks for reminding me again, Sage. And for the record, I never called you a cheater. I just questioned whether what you did was cheating or not. ;-)

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  17. AnonymousFriday, April 06, 2007 12:52:00 PM

    Sage
    I had no idea that you were such a good poet.

    I'm speechless and amazed

    That dead princess taught me a lot. I'm an expert on who is your second cousin, first cousin once removed etc., due to my friends and I once spending a long weekend memorizing a People/Princess Di special edition on lineage.

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  18. Jean-Luc PicardFriday, April 06, 2007 2:04:00 PM

    An excellent poem about Sylvia Plath. It has high standard.

    Michele sent me here.

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  19. MurfFriday, April 06, 2007 2:16:00 PM

    Pia, I hope there were lots of alcohol and cheese puffs to make that lineage memorizing weekend the least bit of fun. :-)

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  20. AnonymousFriday, April 06, 2007 7:56:00 PM

    impressed...so when's your first performance?

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  21. sageFriday, April 06, 2007 10:02:00 PM

    murf, subtle definitions!

    Pia, thanks. Like Murf, I'm amazed that you spent a weekend studying who's related to whom within the royal family


    Capt. Thanks

    Murf, Cheese Puffs? that just makes your pants yellow (from wipping 'em)

    Kontan, me, on stage, nah, unless it's a reading, I don't do music in public

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  22. UnknownSaturday, April 07, 2007 7:52:00 AM

    No Sage there not one and the same lol

    Nice poem

    and thanx for the comment ;)

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  23. Jean-Luc PicardSaturday, April 07, 2007 8:00:00 AM

    I've visited this post before; an excellent poem.

    Here via Michele.

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  24. Shannon akaMontySaturday, April 07, 2007 11:01:00 AM

    I think poetry is one of the most...intimate styles of writing.
    And what you've written is perfect for Sylvia Plath.
    Excellent!!! I really enjoyed it.

    Hello, Michele sent me!

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  25. vSaturday, April 07, 2007 11:50:00 AM

    Wow. Stellar poem. But I'm not surprised. Sage, you're a wonderful writer and this blog is a joy to many.

    Thanks for sharing such an excellent poem with the rest of us.

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  26. MurfSaturday, April 07, 2007 2:52:00 PM

    You don't wipe your fingers after cheese puffs! You let it cake up on them and then when you're done, you lick (or depending on how many you've eaten, sucking may need to be involved) them off. That's the best.

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  27. BoneSunday, April 08, 2007 9:40:00 PM

    OK, so I'm almost positive I left a comment on this days ago, and then it disappeared into that deep yawning chasm where lost comments are gathered, just waiting to be read.

    I echo others' sentiments, that I was amazed. It's excellent.

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