When the morning sun
Burns through the dusk
Of the night’s demise
And at last
The backside of the night
Is breached
A new day is born
And morning introduces its prospects
Promising a fresh start
A renewal of hope
Countermanding
Yesterday’s disappointments
And the night’s terrors
Now bringing a sense of peace
A stillness
Allowing strength to gather
And defy the uncertainties
Of a new day.
After my attempt at a cinquaine in a recent blog, I turn to another verse form, sounding rather similar but conforming to a different set of rules.
A Quinzaine is an un-rhymed verse of fifteen syllables. The word comes from the French word quinze, meaning fifteen. The syllables are distributed over three lines so that there are seven syllables in the first line, five in the second line, and three in the third line (7/5/3). The first line makes a statement. The next two lines ask a question relating to that statement. From: Wikipedia).
Below are 4 of my attempts at a quinzaine, each related to one of my own photographs
Look! The sun is coming out
Isn’t it home time?
Dog: Food time?
I just shot an albatross
Does that mean bad luck?
Isn’t life short?
Resting place for my ashes
Will I end up there?
Who can tell?
The owl is a wise old bird
Does a stone one count?
Can he hoot?
The sun’s open arms
Embrace the emerging day
Seeking lost sunbeams
Clutching at ripe fruit
Ever hoping to regain
Spent and mislaid strength
Hopeless task to set
Once spent never recovered
Now feeding our homes
Caught by our panels
Sustained by the human race
Lost to Mother Earth
The pen & wash sketches are by WHB (aka Roland). In order they are of …
Top: South Bishop Lighthouse, Pembrokeshire, Wales (1993);
Centre: An English Dawn . . . (1991)
Bottom: Lamlash and Holy Isle, Isle of Arran, Firth of Clyde, Scotland … (2001)
With my dog and my lunch and my wife by my side
I’ll go watch the cricket today I decide.
The sun it is shining, a book in my hand,
I’m ready to watch the lads make a stand.
In the trees now the birds, they natter and chatter,
Makes me feel sleepy but what does that matter.
I see deep square leg take a wonderful catch,
But then fall asleep for the rest of the match.
They missed my support, but I’m quite happy now,
I can go back to sleep ‘cos we won anyhow.
. .. and talking about Cricket, I am reminded of that great joyful Calypso – all the rage in my youth! (now you know how old I am!)
You can join me in enjoying it once again in this YouTube video . . .
What we once had before we split
I never will regret one bit.
It was a joy I can’t repeat;
It was my fault, I do admit.
Regrets do not a prison make
But time will ever keep awake
That spark of love, which, withered now,
I watched with horror envy take.
Your gain, my loss, I can agree;
Despite your vow to cherish me,
I lost you when I gave you space;
I knew I had to set you free.
It helps to keep my life on track,
To plaster over that cruel crack;
To be with you in dreamland now
I’d give up all to have you back.
You fill so many of my dreams
And memory runs amok it seems.
Tonight I take you with me, there,
Where gleam our sun and our moonbeams.
As the seductive sun appears
Dispensing its joy in generous rays
The air I breathe is warm yet fresh
And the world awakes from its malaise.
Content to soak up all the warmth,
The earth, the grass, the trees are still,
Suffused with morning’s cooling calm
Sharing a taste of earth’s goodwill.
The elfin stream is placid too
Reflecting back the sunlight’s heat
Tending the water’s life below
Coaxing us all the sun to greet.
Oh, make the most of this fair day
Before it melts and drifts away.
I composed this sonnet inspired by an early morning scene in The New Forest, Southern England, which is also the subject of my pen and wash sketch above.
In the verses below, I attempt to express Clytie’s plight when she finds her love for the Son God, Helios, rejected, and she is committed to watch his daily flight across the heavens in his winged chariot . Eventually she is transformed into a sunflower or heliotrope , condemned for ever to follow the sun’s movements across the sky.
C L Y T I E
As dusk takes over from the day
I stand on Helios’ shore and weep.
Light for my soul,
Lust for my life;
These no more can I strive to keep.
Yet there is hope because the night
Is followed by expectant day.
The sun will rise
With hope intact,
And I’ll revive my destined way.
The languid sun will lift at dawn
Over the shimmering tranquil sea.
It is my dreams,
My Holy Grail,
And promises new hopes to me.
The sun renews its daily task.
As Clytie, I still strive to meld
Lovers’ aubade,
Their serenade.
With this till dusk my life is held.
Time’s chariot, its path I trace;
Helios arcs across the sky.
Till evening ends
In blood red gore,
And once again I die.
But then again the cycle breaks
When dawn extends to dusk its kiss.
It’s carmine clinch,
Crimson caress,
Herald again life’s feud with bliss.
In the verses below, I attempt to express Clytie’s plight when she finds her love for the Son God, Helios, rejected, and she is committed to watch his daily flight across the heavens in his winged chariot . Eventually she is transformed into a sunflower or heliotrope , condemned for ever to follow the sun’s movements across the sky.
CLYTIE
As dusk takes over from the day
I stand on Helios’ shore and weep.
Light for my soul,
Lust for my life;
These no more can I strive to keep.
Yet there is hope because the night
Is followed by expectant day.
The sun will rise
With hope intact,
And I’ll revive my destined way.
The languid sun will lift at dawn
Over the shimmering tranquil sea.
It is my dreams,
My Holy Grail,
And promises new hopes to me.
The sun renews its daily task.
As Clytie, I still strive to meld
Lovers’ aubade,
Their serenade.
With this till dusk my life is held.
Time’s chariot, its path I trace;
Helios arcs across the sky.
Till evening ends
In blood red gore,
And once again I die.
But then again the cycle breaks
When dawn extends to dusk its kiss.
It’s carmine clinch,
Crimson caress,
Herald again life’s feud with bliss.
Clytie is a figure from Ancient Greek mythology. She was a water nymph, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys in Greek mythology. Clytia loved Helios in vain.[ My Poem was Previously published – Sep., 2016 ]
‘Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.‘
King James Bible . . . Matthew 6:34. ‘Sermon on the Mount’
Yes … Tomorrow is another day
One more locked-down day to bear
While for me the world outside attempts to hide from view
Yet I know that
Somewhere The sun shines,
while elsewhere snow’s warmth blankets the tumbling hills
The rain is working its vernal wonders in the forest
and the world’s waves beat upon its brackish shores
My life’s sideshow cowers in lockdown’s shade
The life I once learnt to live fades
And a new one awaits
Granted by science and by human endeavour
A new path to wend – to explore
A road less travelled
which I must learn to love
The old well-tbeaten ways no longer lead to certainty
only to danger and distress
And so
amidst a tangled understanding of right and wrong
The future lives on in uncertainty’s haze
Catch the sunlight
Enjoy its clutch
Keep its warmth
Savour its touch
For soon it will die
Its purpose served
Its welcome embrace
Was unreserved
The title is taken from Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline’.)
Politics. Humour. Stories. Philosophy. Poetry. And all in randomness within this universe and the next, because why not?
This blog is my creative outlet where I can share my photos, my travels, my random thoughts and a bit of myself.
welcome, welcome, welcome to the world of my perspective.
We're all human here, don't ever forget that. Human-Kind, be both.
thoughts, essays, research and fun from a research librarian
There’s never a right time but always a write time....
A Melange, a Miscellany, a Mishmash - of memories, reflections and comment
Where The Eagles Fly . . . . Art Science Poetry Music & Ideas
Ramblings
At a loss for words, i leave myself on paper.
Here and now, with all of it.
A combination of things created and things lived
This is Your Quest - Your Mission to Find Happiness
Dare To Write | Get Wise
Breaking news and thoughtless commentary on the world.
"Life past, present, thoughts about the future, and ever changing world."
Talking with Buddha
Life in words
Roland's Ragbag 