Sunday, November 18, 2012

IGWRT's Sunday Mini-Challenge "Alone"


Alone

Beneath a cranberry canopy
I linger, replay words of love
once crooned beneath spring's canopy
of roses; love in full bloom.  Love
has drifted, this canopy shelters
only me.  Yet I find I'm not lonely
beneath fall's golden light, this shelter
where I embrace alone, beholden lonely
to the blight of winter's questionable grace.

by Margaret Bednar, 11-18-2012


This is for Imaginary Garden with Real Toad's "The Sunday Mini-Challenge based on a poem of William Butler Yeats (click for a reading of that poem by Anthony Hopkins).  It uses repetition of end words in place of rhyme and has repeated that word within the lines of the poem itself with the addition of other words rhyming throughout.  It also has a specific syllable count.  Click on the link above for further details.

(I did take liberty by adding one extra line to finish my poem - artistic license AND am off one syllable on line 8, but whose counting, right?)

I think these photos (which I took today) will soon be the last of any fall color I capture as they are quickly falling to the ground and the air is getting chillier each day.  

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great great photos, Margaret, and just a lovely poem. My husband (who is thrilled whenever it snows and spends much of his time where it snows pretty often) would disagree with you re winter's questionable grace. But your poem is certainly graceful. Thanks. k.

Margaret said...

Oh, don't get me wrong. Sometimes winter is delicious and I miss the fresh feel of "crunching" snow, miss the way snow settles so gracefully on everything, the reflected light so bright, that sound carries across the neighborhoods.... But, snow can be so harsh, so unforgiving as well. I always felt a "warm" winter with lots of snow was a kind one. I remember ones that were not so kind. I guess that is why questionable made sense to me.

Thank you for your kind comments. :)

Marian said...

hah! i am with you with the questionable grace of winter. :)

Brian Miller said...

hard to feel lonely in all that beauty eh...smiles...cranberry....cool use of color that...i would love some snow this year....lots of snow...smiles...that would be grace to me...

Hannah said...

Every time I see your images I'm always in awe of just how much beauty surrounds you and your ability to capture just the right angle. Wow.

Images aside the poetry unfolds as a story...not in the least clunky as one would suspect with repetition.

Excellent post, Margaret, much enjoyed!! :)

TexWisGirl said...

these photos are just fabulous!

Maude Lynn said...

Breathtaking!

Susan said...

Pretty!
O that old summer love, lifelong love, it is good that we know it for how ever long and no matter what color the leaves.

Margaret said...

Thank you, everyone.

Hannah - sometimes (umm, often) one has to "commit" to looking rather foolish in order to get the "perfect" shot. I've been flat on my stomach and twisted sideways, leaning waaay over a railing ... :)

Sherry Blue Sky said...

SPECTACULAR photos, colors leaping off the screen. A lovely note of serenity and wisdom in the words.....you worked the form wonderfully.

Amrit Sinha said...

I loved the spiritual take on these words :-)

Lolamouse said...

Those photos are absolutely gorgeous! Fabulous job with a difficult form. I didn't even attempt that one! Yours flowed so gracefully, not at all contrived feeling.

Kerry O'Connor said...

This is sumptuous, Margaret. The 9th line rounded off your lines perfectly too.

izzy said...

Have a great Thanksgiving ! and you may have all my snow if you like...

Ginnie Hart said...

How perfect to have a "cranberry canopy" this Thanksgiving week, Margaret! Gorgeous.

Laurie Kolp said...

This is really beautiful, Margaret!

Far Beyond The Ridge said...

I love winter's questionable grace.
It's lovely, Margaret, but not sure i could embrace the form.
But you nailed it.
Really pretty pic! I could easily embrace that bench

Grace said...

Stunning pictures dear ~

I would love to linger long under the cranberry canopy ~

hedgewitch said...

One of my instant favorites of yours, Margaret. Cranberry canopy is just a perfect phrase(and visual) and the whole poem uses repetition very musically. And of course, it goes without saying that your photographs are breathtaking--like the poem, full of both brilliant color and the sense of sparseness ahead.

Janine Bollée said...

Oh what colour you have been granted this season. You've captured it both ways.

Unknown said...

Amazing photography, all the photographs have awesome look, he is really a great photographer who has taken these beautiful photographs, both pictures have great attractive look, and nice information about it. Thanks for sharing.

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Kay L. Davies said...

How delightful the words "cranberry canopy" are, Margaret. They just pull the reader into the poem.
K

my heart's love songs said...

gorgeous words and photographs, Margaret! stunning!