April's challenge was to write a poem to an image, any form, any topic. Such freedom! Too much, perhaps, so I sought refuge in a form I'd tried earlier: the clogyrnach. It's a traditional Welsh form, "rarely used by today's poets." Well. For special occasions, then? Like my birthday?
I love this photo (I'm on the right) but questions come to mind. Is my head really that rectangular...and who gave me that haircut? Why don't I always eat cake with a spoon? Why do I look like I've been caught stealing? I have no answers, but questions are always a great place to begin a poem.
On in years
Do you believe life boomerangs?
In old age, will Frankenstein bangs
feather my forehead?
Will I leap from bed
Arms outspread, greedy pangs
for crumbled cake to smash and spoon?
Close my eyes dark and warm as prunes
as the day’s end nears?
Sing through icing smears?
On in years... same sweet tune.
----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)
If you're curious, the form is below. You can repeat, as I did, the form in more stanzas, to tell a longer story.
8 syllables - x x x x x x x a
8 syllables - x x x x x x x a
5 syllables - x x x x b
5 syllables - x x x x b
3 syllables - x x b
3 syllables - x x a
(you may combine last two lines into one line)
My poetry sisters poems, written to images of their choosing, can be found here:
Tanita
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Irene Latham at Live Your Poem.
What an amazing photo and so many great questions! This form is perfect for this. Love it! Happy, happy birthday dear poetry sister. May you get to eat cake with a spoon.
ReplyDeleteI love these questions! I want a bumper sticker that says: Always eat cake with a spoon. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! Me, too!
DeleteGreat fun. Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteAdorable then, adorable now. When it comes to cake, who even needs a spoon? Happy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteIt is so funny to me that you thought you needed to point out which kid was you. Um... newsflash, you still look the same, I recognized you right away. And, no - your head is not that rectangular. I don't know why babies all have giant heads...
ReplyDeleteEyes 'dark and warm as prunes' has to be a weird line to love, but I do! I think that's the nicest description of what I consider (my) boring dark eyes that I've ever heard. And MOST THINGS taste better with a spoon, is my belief.
Happiest 🧁🎈Birthday!