Sunday 21 August 2011

Love or Something Like it . . .


Graffiti stained granite,

daubed with the markings of life.

Incendiary slogans shout for freedom,

there's a revolution in the making.

The too handsome stranger

has words that spin like plates,

and sparkle like screw top bottles,

all fizz and wasted glass.

Straight backed, he will not slouch,

though fervant desperation

spills from the cracked

cheap vessel of him.

She sweeps up the cold ash

as it falls from his burnt out life.

Cleansed of all her preconceptions,

she is taken by his strange beauty,

enchanted by the wild shine of his eyes,

and the way that the afternoon light

falls gently around his shoulders,

like a cloak.



Written for The Sunday Whirl using all of the words.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Susannah -
Loved the line: "words that spin like plates, and sparkle like screw top bottles..."
~Paula

Mike Patrick said...

From the title to the last line, you filled me with hard hitting metaphors. This is a wonderful poem. If I hadn't known it was from a wordle, I never would have guessed. Brilliant.

cj Schlottman said...

Susannah,

This poem is rich in concrete images that make it very visual and strong. That is one of the marks of truly good writing!

Namaste..........cj

Scribbler said...

Painted a picture as clearly as if I'd been standing right there in the scene. It was beautiful and deeply poetic, very thought-provoking and an absolutely joy to tuck away in my mind :)

brenda w said...

Strong images carry the reader through this poem. I love the closing image most of all. It is beautiful.

Daydreamertoo said...

It starts off so strong hitting and then ends so gently with the comfort of his cloak upon the shoulders.
Lovely use of the wordle words.

Anonymous said...

Susannah, a solid write. Your metaphors glow, and the woman's preoccupation with sweeping up the granite crumbs sounds like Nancy Reagan to me! Amazing take on the Wordle. Amy

http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/escape-can-be-forever-amy-winehouse/

Mary said...

You definitely made the most of the wordle words! Wonderful images: "The too handsome stranger has words that spin like plates..." is perfection.

flaubert said...

Well concealed wordle words, Susannah.

Pamela

Deborah said...

I loved this, and 'words that spin like plates' and 'spills from the cracked cheap vessel of him' are just brilliant!!

Nanka said...

Great imagery Susannah!! The second half is typically the romantic you, in contrast to the first half which is powerful, and loved it immensely!! It is so soft gentle and could have lasted forever but suddenly ends like does a dream.
Strangely I pictured this in a desert land. :)

Elizabeth said...

Vivid and wonderfully creative. A roller coaster ride from sharply defined edges to that soft light of a cloak. A love poem of acceptance.

Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

wow. your poem reminds me of the
movie - The Rainmaker with Burt
Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn.

You have the quality of the shaman
and his zeal, its power down pat.

Kerry O'Connor said...

I liked the way you spun out the story, and the overall shape of the poem is very interesting. As others have noted, your imagery is superb.

Thank you for sharing your work at Real Toads.

Liz Rice-Sosne said...

No nonsense about these images! I saw and felt them with such clarity ... I loved it!

Marianne said...

Brilliant writing, Susannah! I loved "words that spin like plates, and sparkle like screw top bottles, all fizz and wasted glass."

irene said...

Love the title and the way you ended it was beautiful.

Lolamouse said...

I love the images you create in this poem: words that spin like plates, all fizz and wasted glass, afternoon light that falls gently around his shoulders like a cloak. So descriptive. Wonderful.

vivinfrance said...

This is such a WOW poem! I was swept along in the emotion of it.

Susannah said...

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Isn't it wonderful when the wordle words lead to a story and just fall into place?

I still find the wordles so exciting for that very reason, they take you out of your normal groove and pull other things out of the hat! :-)

Good to see you all and thanks again. x

Willow said...

I love how this builds in excitement and descends in the the gentle fall of light like a cloak…wonderful.

Susannah said...

Thanks very much Willow. :-)

Traci B said...

Terrific contrast in POVs, Susannah, first showing us what the skeptic/cynic sees in the man, and then what the woman who loves him sees. Beautifully wordled.

Susannah said...

Traci, thanks very much for your great comment. You summed it up beautifully! x

Anonymous said...

A tremendous poem, full of some wonderful imagery. Great use of the wordle words.
My favourite bit has to be, "She sweeps up the cold ash as it falls from his burnt out life." Love indeed.
Thanks for a great read.

Susannah said...

Thanks very much MJ. :-)

Mr. Walker said...

Susannah, an amazing portrait. I sense charisma that draws her in, even though his words are "all fizz and wasted glass". Love that image!

Richard

Susannah said...

Thanks very much Richard.

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