Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Life Cycle of a Lotus (Pantoum)

Life Cycle of a Lotus (Pantoum)

The gesture of water in water is
like a white lotus rising from mud,
its blossom emerging pure and unsoiled
in deep silence, standing up to the light.

Like a white lotus rising from mud,
we climb out of our dark beds
in deep silence, standing up to the light,
the seeds of our fruit now sown.

We climb out of our dark beds,
awakened. After three days,
the seeds of our fruit full-sown,
we see a pod floats, face down, petals fallen.

Awakened after three days,
we redress the path for next spring.
We see the pod floats face-down — petals fallen,
the lotus dying to be reborn.

We redress the path for next spring,
minding moon's light, wind, our life's cycle —
the lotus dying to be reborn
as the gesture of water in water is.

© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas

17 comments:

Elisabeth Zguta, Author said...

I truly love this poem.

Elisabeth Zguta, Author said...

I truly love this poem.

Laurie Kolp said...

Beautiful pantoum, Maureen.

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful - both the imagery and the craft of the pantoum. I'd love to be able to write a pantoum, but I haven't managed to come up with a good theme that will provide lines worth repeating.

emmett wheatfall said...

This poem makes me think its a metaphor for birth and life. It's powerfully express by a poet who work I greatly admire.

Brian Miller said...

really cool repetition in this maureen...and my fav stanza by far is...


Like a white lotus rising from mud,
we climb out of our dark beds
in deep silence, standing up to the light,
the seeds of our fruit now sown.

esp that last line of it...

Kimolisa said...

Beautifully written.

Grace said...

A beautiful pantoum, the refraining lines are well done ~ The theme of a life cycle works well with the pattern ~

Janine Bollée said...

The flower emerging unsullied, becomes visible.
To think that the seeds can remain viable for up to 100 years. That is some cycle.

Katharine Thorpe said...

Really good! Was this for the pantoum challenge on WD? I read a few that were posted there, but this is the best, I think.

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, this is gorgeous. What fantastic imagery!

-sir face

Maureen said...

Katherine, I post a poem every Tuesday. I decided to write a new pantoum as that is the theme at TweetSpeakPoetry this month. I didn't know of the challenge on WD.

Maureen said...

Many thanks to all the readers and for the generous comments!

dragyonfly said...

Wonderful Pantoum! I love the lotus theme, such a lovely subject!! Being a natural rule breaker, I have trouble with form and formality for my own writing but you pulled it off beautifully.

Marina Sofia said...

This made me remember the Lotus Sutra, from nearly a lifetime ago. Beautiful beat and melody to this poem, it also has a soothing, lulling quality, with 'lotus-eaters' thrown in for good measure.

Seth said...

Dang.

That is all.

Ruth said...

This poem is absolutely gorgeous. I don't know pantoums, but this works abundantly well, with vivid imagery and luscious words repeated. Very well done.