when the showlights are blazing bright
its time to put on cryptic smile
your inked arms are love letters, sight
on your fighter's stance. this trial-
your art, your music are your knights
to knock down the rumors with style-
your band is the greatest- that's right
(&) you're the best - chameleon with guile
waxing the theatre floor with green
grass, crooning to sky of shadows
there's a mirror of you, not clean
shaven, but stark naked, no prose
to mask real fear, loss, the scene
to question our life's highs and lows
there are no answers in the screen
we left, beating hearts, with caws from crows
In response to the poem, When I'm among the Blaze of Lights
by Siefried Sassoon
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub - Dead Poet's Society, hosted by Kim M. Russell.
Join us when the pub doors open by 3pm EST.
It is amazing how different all our responses to the same poem came out. I love the way you weave in the story of the frontman in the theatre: waxing the theatre floor with green grass
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeously composed, Grace! I echo Bjorn's sentiments... one of many things that I love about poetry is how each of us shed new light on a subject that resonates with us. I am especially moved by; "there's a mirror of you, not clean shaven, but stark naked, no prose to mask real fear, loss, the scene to question our life's highs and lows." ❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteThat’s three very different, very unique poems in response to Sassoon. I love the brightness of your poem, Grace, with the ‘the showlights … blazing bright’, in which ‘inked arms are love letters’, and the change to ‘stark naked, no prose / to mask real fear’ and those cawing crows.
ReplyDeleteIt took me to an outdoor amphitheater… I heard the birds ☺️
ReplyDelete"your inked arms are love letters"... "waxing the theatre floor with green grass"... Such beautiful imagery! The last line is amazing. What an interesting response poem to Sassoon... I really enjoyed this. Wonderfully crafted, Grace!
ReplyDelete"your inked arms are love letters, sight
ReplyDeleteon your fighter's stance."
Bravo!!! Nice one.
Much💛love
Well written Grace, I enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteA very different take which it took several readings to get my head around Grace, but a strong and novel response to Sasoons work...
ReplyDeleteWow. To me the whole poem reads as "a cryptic smile," one that reflects the corrosive effects on the soul that tries "to mask real fear, loss, the scene/to question our life's highs and lows" under showlights. Love this sharp response to Sasoon's poem, Grace!
ReplyDeleteI love the expansive imaginative voice of this, the metaphors call heart and emotion into play.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful response to the prompt. Grace!
ReplyDelete