I’m sharing a poem today on the theme of light. Recent news events have been so sad and scary. I sometimes feel guilty that I don’t follow them more closely, but I find my best way to combat them, to try to change the world, is by focusing on the light. By finding joy, one friend, one poem, one kindness to a stranger at a time. When today’s Poetry Friday host, Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe, invited me to post a poem about light, I decided to do a take-off on a triolet. I thought about icicles–I love them, and I think they’re gorgeous. But, really, they are kind of empty and alone. It’s the play of light and colors upon them, from other sources, that give them their beauty.
Icicles, Cold and Waiting
The roof drips daggers, icy, clear,
dark, shadowed stories devoid of light.
They long for dazzling points of cheer.
The roof drips daggers, icy, clear.
Candles, stars greet newborn year.
Icy blades beg, Make me bright!
The roof drips daggers, icy, clear,
with points turned stories, spilling light.
–Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved
Happy Holidays! And don’t forget to check out the?Poetry Friday roundup!
44 Responses
Wow, Laura, that’s lovely! And ominous at the same time. Nice!
Thanks, Kate–I didn’t start out to make them ominous (the icicles), more like empty and hollow, but much more beautiful when reflecting the light of stories and cheerful things. Buuuuutttttt, well, that’s just how it turned out!
Wow, Laura, that’s lovely! And ominous at the same time. Nice!
Thanks, Kate–I didn’t start out to make them ominous (the icicles), more like empty and hollow, but much more beautiful when reflecting the light of stories and cheerful things. Buuuuutttttt, well, that’s just how it turned out!
Fabulous, Laura. You turn an ice stick into so much more with this.
Thank you, Catherine!
Fabulous, Laura. You turn an ice stick into so much more with this.
Thank you, Catherine!
Hi, Laura. I’m a big fan of the triolet form. It’s like a box or container, great for the little stories contained in your icicles. My favorite line is “Icy blades beg, ‘Make me bright!’ ” — a longing for sparkle at this time of year.
Thanks, Laura–that line was initially “Icy blades hiss, ‘Make me bright!’ ” When Kate (rightly) remarked on the kind of ominous tone of the poem, I realized that word hiss was overtaking it. I loved hiss more for its sound, but I decided I wanted the icicles to be willing participants in turning into light and stories…Anyway! Thanks:>)
Hi, Laura. I’m a big fan of the triolet form. It’s like a box or container, great for the little stories contained in your icicles. My favorite line is “Icy blades beg, ‘Make me bright!’ ” — a longing for sparkle at this time of year.
Thanks, Laura–that line was initially “Icy blades hiss, ‘Make me bright!’ ” When Kate (rightly) remarked on the kind of ominous tone of the poem, I realized that word hiss was overtaking it. I loved hiss more for its sound, but I decided I wanted the icicles to be willing participants in turning into light and stories…Anyway! Thanks:>)
Love the way your poem turns from dark daggers to stories spilling light. Hope your holidays spill light, too! (And now you’ve inspired me to try a triolet.)
Have fun with it, Buffy. Their gentle insistency is fun to play with. Merry 2013!
Love the way your poem turns from dark daggers to stories spilling light. Hope your holidays spill light, too! (And now you’ve inspired me to try a triolet.)
Have fun with it, Buffy. Their gentle insistency is fun to play with. Merry 2013!
Beautiful, Laura — and the triolet form serves the lyrical nature of the imagery well.
Thanks, Matt. I do love a triolet–though I’ve only written a couple of them.
Beautiful, Laura — and the triolet form serves the lyrical nature of the imagery well.
Thanks, Matt. I do love a triolet–though I’ve only written a couple of them.
Beautiful. I love the rhythm, & “Candles, stars greet newborn year.” Thanks Laura
Thanks, Linda!
Beautiful. I love the rhythm, & “Candles, stars greet newborn year.” Thanks Laura
Thanks, Linda!
Hi, Laua–“the roof drips daggers” is really a phrase worth repeating, and that’s what makes a form like the triolet work, I think. I love your idea that there are objects which don’t just reflect light from elsewhere but suck it in and transform light into something more–even a whole story. Thanks for joining in the Solstice edition of PF!
Thanks, Heidi! I hope you had a lovely celebration!
Hi, Laua–“the roof drips daggers” is really a phrase worth repeating, and that’s what makes a form like the triolet work, I think. I love your idea that there are objects which don’t just reflect light from elsewhere but suck it in and transform light into something more–even a whole story. Thanks for joining in the Solstice edition of PF!
Thanks, Heidi! I hope you had a lovely celebration!
Lovely — the juxtaposition of daggers with the beauty of light and ice is stunning and so unexpected.
Thanks, Tara–I appreciate that:>)
Lovely — the juxtaposition of daggers with the beauty of light and ice is stunning and so unexpected.
Thanks, Tara–I appreciate that:>)
We’re all a little like icicles, needing some light to bring out our best.
So very true. And you’re a light-shiner:>)
We’re all a little like icicles, needing some light to bring out our best.
So very true. And you’re a light-shiner:>)
Love the alliteration of the d words, drip daggers, devoid, dark…such a hard, yet determined sound. It will not go unheard.
Thanks, Margaret!
Love the alliteration of the d words, drip daggers, devoid, dark…such a hard, yet determined sound. It will not go unheard.
Thanks, Margaret!
I love the repeating line that keeps taking us back to the formidable icicle. I like how you combine the danger, coldness and aloof beauty of the icicle with cheery light, stars, candles, and stories so that they are changed into something I can enter into.
Thanks, Violet:>)
I love the repeating line that keeps taking us back to the formidable icicle. I like how you combine the danger, coldness and aloof beauty of the icicle with cheery light, stars, candles, and stories so that they are changed into something I can enter into.
Thanks, Violet:>)