i s a a c
standing on the edge, the eve
seen from these eyes surely will
unfurl to be untrue, colored as it is,
far-sightedness
and falling will begin to welcome
rising truth
the colors of far valley trees
the colors of our eyes, the mirror
bent inside itself
and falling will be the unshaken
ground
meanwhile old coats old shoes will
fall away, inks will change their hue,
none of which I can say from here
write me when the apple lands
neil reid © april 2013
Posted in Poems, Writing Prompts, tagged apples, bears, cento poem, Mary Oliver on 10 May 2011| 25 Comments »
poem for We Write Poems, prompt (#53) Directed cento poem
Write a cento poem: a poem comprised entirely of selected lines from another poet, gathered and arranged into a new poem. Specifically we were asked to choose from poems that have a positive, affirmative energy for us personally.
apples and bears
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
So I say, what about toast? and offer him a dry corner
Give up your body heat, your beating heart
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
I felt them sometimes against my feet
against my mouth and my nose, and breathed me
wide mouth in its laugh-shape
he says, how it is never to be not hungry
and she put her face against my face
put her muzzle, her nostrils, soft as violets
and apples did it,
Who made the grasshopper?
Then trust.
neil reid @ may 2011
credits:
cento poem created from poem lines by Mary Oliver,
poems:
“The Poet Goes to Indiana”
“The Summer Day”
“Percy (Nine)”
“I Ask Percy How I Should Live My Life (Ten)”
“Percy at Breakfast (Twelve)”
This is not my first cento poem. I find I can still be surprised by the process and result. Of recent I’ve felt akin to Mary Oliver’s poems, strong, without apology, and with a certain sense of place in life. Strength of meaning can come by richness of phrase or by a greater whole of meanings meant. The later seems more the case for her poems, at least the few I selected for this prompt. That’s rather counter to what feels more my usual when I write. Makes me wonder how much I might be using “phrasing” instead of story meaning. Fair challenge certainly.
bearly audible 