"My mind's a map. A mad sea-captain drew it..."

This poem, written by Stephen Vincent Benet, is one that creates compelling images for me. It strikes me as pieces of a fantastical tale and I want to know more:               Difference

My mind’s a map. A mad sea-captain drew it Under a flowing moon until he knew it; Winds with brass trumpets, puffy-cheeked as jugs, And states bright-patterned like Arabian rugs. “Here there be tygers.” “Here we buried Jim.” Here is the strait where eyeless fishes swim About their buried idol, drowned so cold He weeps away his eyes in salt and gold. A country like the dark side of the moon, A cider-apple country, harsh and boon, A country savage as a chestnut-rind, A land of hungry sorcerers.                                                  Your mind? —Your mind is water through an April night, A cherry-branch, plume-feathery with its white, A lavender as fragrant as your words, A room where Peace and Honor talk like birds, Sewing bright coins upon the tragic cloth Of heavy Fate, and Mockery, like a moth, Flutters and beats about those lovely things. You are the soul, enchanted with its wings, The single voice that raises up the dead To shake the pride of angels.                                                    I have said.                               -Stephen Vincent Benet What does this make you think of?   ~Kiki

Poetry That Makes You Think

Happy Valentine's Day!  

In honor of this day of love, poetry somehow seems fitting for ye ol' blog today.  This is a poem that I found in a newspaper probably twenty years ago.  I loved it so much I cut it out and have kept it on my desk ever since. And though it's not about love, it has a message that has always resonated deeply with me. Please enjoy:

Chongqing, China
THE RIVERBANK
Fan Ming
Translated by Andrea Lingenfelter

Red roses bloom
                In the woods
                On the other shore

There is no bridge over the river
                I linger
                Linger on this shore

Golden apples ripen
                On the branches
                On the opposite shore

There are no boats on the river
                  I linger
                  Linger on this bank

The red roses have withered
The golden apples have fallen
And I discover
                    The river
                    Is very shallow after all

~Kiki

Poetry Friday - Without You Here

I have no idea how we got from last Friday to this Friday so quickly but here we are again on Poetry Friday. My poem this week is actually the lyrics from a song that serves as an inspiration for one of my WIP's.

The poetry of songwriting is an art form in itself and I hope to do some songwriting myself in the future. Anyway, this song is written by Johnny Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls, who was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. Enough said.

Without You Here

Your love’s a gathered storm, I chased across the sky
A moment in your arms, became the reason why
You’re still the only light, that fills the emptiness
The only one I need, until my dying breath

And I would give you everything
Just to feel your open arms
And I’m not sure I believe
In anything I feel

And now, now that you’re near
There’s nothing more without you
Without you here

I’m trying to believe
In things that I don’t know
The turning of the world
The color of your soul

That love could kill the pain
That truth is never vain
It turns strangers into lovers
And enemies to brothers

Just say you understand
I never had this planned

And now, now that you’re near
There’s nothing more without you
Without you here

My head lies to my heart
And my heart it still believes
It seems the ones who love us
Are the ones that we deceive

But you’re changing everything
You’re changing everything in me

And now, now that you’re near
There’s nothing more without you
Without you here


What inspires you?

Poetry Friday

I've seen a couple of sites lately that have Poetry Friday's (even though I'm posting this late on Thursday night...) which I think is a GREAT idea so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. :) One of the sites belongs to Kelly, who is a fellow writer and blueboarder. She was nice enough to post on my blog so I followed her link back to her blog and discovered her Poetry Friday post which got me thinking.

I've always loved poetry and poured my teenage angst out in notebook after notebook of poems (lost now forever, thankfully!)

In one of my books, THE GETHEAS STONE, the protagonist, Nica, has to follow ancient quatrains, which are really clues hidden as four line poems. One of my favorites from the book is this one:

Between the cross and the crescent moon

When the lion stands at high noon

A secret of blood, hidden by ancient lies

At last revealed before one dies

A cheery story, as you can tell. :) And then another one is in a (made-up) language:

Selo quatrand, ser maba randatt mokata

Histra e, ejob e, regata e, murdaba

Le cuiske fle monarche

Garot de histra y'ar yian

Probably had a LOT of chocolate the day I wrote that one. ANYWAY, one of my very favorite poems of all time is entitled THE RIVERBANK. I found this in a newspaper probably 15 years ago and I loved it so much I cut it out and pasted it on my computer. Well, I've had to photocopy the thing several times as it gets more yellowed and worn but the message still rings true and I love it as much today as the day I found it. I hope you enjoy it too. It comes from Chongquing, China, written by Fan Ming, translated by Andrea Lingenfelter:

THE RIVERBANK

Red roses bloom
In the woods
On the other shore

There is no bridge over the river
I linger
Linger on this shore

Golden apples ripen
On the branches
On the opposite shore

There are no boats on the river
I linger
Linger on this bank

The red roses have withered
The golden apples have fallen
And I discover
The river
Is very shallow after all



Tell me, do you have any favorite poems?

photo: courtesy of www.samford.edu