Thursday, December 02, 2010

For the Ghost of Christmas Future

swing in snow

This ends my trio of Christmas ghost poems, in honor of David's dare.

I thought to finish with a sestina, one of the more challenging forms. Thirty-nine lines. Six stanzas of six lines each, then a final stanza of three lines. The words (or tricky forms of them) at the ends of the lines repeat in a rolling fashion. See if you can figure it. Then in the final stanza, all the words from the ends of the lines repeat in a particular order, to create a grand finale of word-inclusion.

Spectre

If I close my starless eyes,
I can remember winter's future
where rooftops sing with icicles;
I dare them with red lips,
Drop your soul on me.
They do.

I cannot undo
the way they pierce my eyes,
sing a rhythmic do, re, mi,
coax the present to come early to my future
where carolers make o's with lips
on winter nights long-strung with icicles.

When sky turns velvet, breathing icicles
to carolers long overdue
on streets where I have whispered lips
to lips until you felt I'd
blinded you with promises of future
sung, and strung, a mistletoe of me

and we would tumble into infamy,
two royal loves with crowns of icicles
sleighing towards a holly-braided future
and there'd be much ado
for everything—especially your eyes,
especially my red and whispered lips.

Twelve golden fairies pursing crimson lips
might tend your hands that reach for me
to save my heart, my soul, my eyes
from slipping swords of falling icicles
that hurtle from the universe of do
and did and still-to-do for future

dreams of memories pressing to the future,
where rubied glass meets rubied lips
and we reach back to reach through time, undo
the snow lace falling, calling you from me,
calling you to merge your soul with icicles,
let them take the crystals of your eyes.

I still remember future nights when, starred, your eyes
meet rubied lips; it's all that they could do
to keep me stringing crowns, stop my turning into icicles.


Swing in Snow photo, by L.L. Barkat.

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9 Comments:

Blogger Louise Gallagher said...

I like this triology -- and I'm entranced with the idea of writing order/form poetry -- very cool!

Thank you for inspiring me -- now to figure out all the orders!

8:25 AM  
Blogger Real Live Preacher said...

I liked this. I found it to be very sensuous and rich. And romantic in a womanly way, like for a moment I can see the world the way you do.

9:51 AM  
Blogger Maureen said...

I go way beyond using the word "like" for this. I think it could only have been written by someone who's experienced the deepest kind of love. If you haven't fainted yet, I have.

11:01 AM  
Blogger David Rupert said...

This sways with romance. I can almost hear a soundtrack in the background

11:09 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

Is it just me, or do the holidays bring out the minx in you? Whew (she fans herself with a flutter). This is gorgeous. I could just fall into your poetry, L.L.

1:21 PM  
Blogger Thoughts for the day said...

beautiful words beautiful imagery.

2:32 PM  
Anonymous Sandra Heska King said...

Oh my word. Swoooon.

8:22 PM  
Blogger Jenne' R. Andrews said...

Yes, this is exquisite-- such richness with the imagery and repetition-- very beautiful. I love "tumbling into infamy"-- I do that quite often myself...xxxj

1:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

rich texture in your work,
well done,


Glad to Land at your magical poetry land today,
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Love your poetry talent, Please join us at Jingle Poetry Monday potluck tonight,
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7:49 PM  

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