Thursday, June 24, 2021

A Poet & Her Quilled Lines

 
—Poetry and Photos by Carol Louise Moon, Placerville, CA
 
 
 
MEMOIRS OF A LONELY EAR

A house cast in shadows
A stuck door
A cold doorknob
A sad dove song

Molded memories linger
in my inner ear
Your voice whispers
through satin cobwebs

I long for your
mournful embrace
And fall inward toward
a mantel of dusty bricks


(prev. pub. in Poetry Now, 2008)
 
 
 

 
 
LUCK-OF-WELSH BLUE

I wonder how a painted sky
remains a see-through mist
reflecting luck-of-Welsh blue.

And pillow clouds that seem
to bob in crystal porcelain.
I wonder how a painted sky

does not explode in daystars,
with splash of periwinkle down
and luck-of-Welsh blue

retaining such a vibrant tone.
Looking up past woodland trees
I wonder how a painted sky

recoils into nighttime black,
to be reborn in morning light
with luck-of-Welsh blue—

to welcome birds and scores
of Cardiff rainbow kites.
No wonder the painted sky
reflects a luck-of-Welsh blue. 
 
 
 

 
 
HERBAL SYMBOLISM

Bright poppy is a note of consolation.
Hollyhock inspires us to ambition.

For me, chamomile speaks of patience,
Rosemary gives me some remembrance.

Goldenrod I’ll share for bonds to strengthen,
while green mint tea is given to enliven.

Violet is, of course, for loyalty.
Valerian says I’m ready and alert.

Aloe for my healing and protection.
Angelica, alas, for inspiration.   

 
 

 
 
TIMELINE

The calendar date, red-inked into alpine
white vellum, a blood-letting, a quilled line.

Old ducks (politically incorrect) featherless,
waddling like myself, fall neatly into line.

It is time, I say to my left-brain, my right-
hand, to auto-write in couplet line.

In my excitement I look toward newborn
paper, and begin reworking a new line.

My face softens, my fingers relax. Another
deception blotted off the eternal timeline.

Time marches on… or, onward and upward!
Upward? the poet asks. Oh, what a line.  
 
 
 

 
 
BLUEBIRD BLUE

I will not mention a bird
although you know I have
just mentioned a bird, but not
a blue jay—until now.
It’s a lighter shade of blue,
but I’ll leave that up to
your imagination
which is a very odd
sort of light,
not unlike a bluebird
in flight.


(prev. pub. in Brevities and Medusa’s Kitchen)
 
 
 

 
 
Today’s LittleNip:

BEYOND
—Carol Louise Moon

Blood-red as if the ears from
Barn owl eyes. These large onyx
Black eyes are penetrating—
Beyond—through your soul. Best not
Beseech him, this owl with his
Blank stare. A barn owl perching
Beside you, snow white, round-faced.

 
(prev. pub. in
Brevities, Vol. 97)

_______________________

On Fridays we feature poetry forms, but Carol Louise Moon is well-versed in such things, also, and today she sends us a Ghazal/Ars Poetica (“Timeline”); a Free-Style (also known as Unrhymed) Villanelle (“Luck-of-Welsh Blue”); some Trochaic Couplets (“Herbal Symbolism”); and a Pleides (“Beyond”). On tomorrow’s post, you’ll see two of her Tankas. Thank you, Carol Louise, for your poetry and photos!

_______________________

—Medusa
 
 
 
—Public Domain Photo




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