Sunday, April 18, 2010

A Hand . . . Is (Poems)

A Hand a Thing of Beauty Is

I

A hand a thing of beauty
is that slipped across a cheek
might tender joy for ever

II

Divine the mapping
of a hand slipping tender
from sleep's deep hollow
across a cheek unblushing
joy for ever colored I


© 2010 Maureen E. Doallas. All Rights Reserved.

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I wrote these poems for Carry on Tuesday's prompt for April 20: to use the opening line of John Keats' "A Thing of Beauty" — "a thing of beauty is a joy for ever" — wholly or partly in an original poem or prose piece. Links to contributions for all of the participants in Carry on Tuesday #49 are here.

It has been many years since I have tried writing to any forms other than haiku. For this prompt, inspired by my friend Rob Kistner, who has been writing several poems a day for National Poetry Month, I decided to try my hand at writing a tanka, a five-line form that requires that lines 1 and 3 have five syllables each and that lines 2, 4, and 5 have seven syllables each. The result is my "II" above.
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19 comments:

  1. Cassandra FrearApril 18, 2010 at 9:00 PM

    A thing of beauty it is.

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  2. AnonymousApril 18, 2010 at 9:14 PM

    this is joy to read.

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  3. GlynnApril 18, 2010 at 9:40 PM

    These remind me of another poem - Ode on a Grcian urn -- that fine delicacy, almost like porcelain.

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  4. Name: RobertaApril 18, 2010 at 10:45 PM

    I like this Maureen! I've had hands on my mind lately, so this caught my attention! I've been collecting hand photos for a video and promotional brochures for our upcoming Fund Appeal for the major renovations soon to be happening at our Church. I have all kinds of hands in ministry pics! It's been fun.

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  5. sarahApril 18, 2010 at 11:45 PM

    i agree with glynn - these are very delicate. lovely :-)

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  6. Robin ArnoldApril 19, 2010 at 8:04 AM

    Read backwards it's nice too. Not sure why I tried. Mentioning form and rules probably made me instinctively rebel.

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  7. gautami tripathyApril 19, 2010 at 9:10 AM

    Tender touches!

    a blow

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  8. HelenApril 19, 2010 at 10:03 AM

    Very beautiful.

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  9. S. EtoleApril 19, 2010 at 9:15 PM

    a gentle reminder of the hands of healing that have been involved in my life in one form or another ..

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  10. Kathleen OverbyApril 19, 2010 at 10:35 PM

    Sometimes my comments don't show up for some reason. I came back to visit to read what others had said. It is amazing the different forms I knew nothing about. Hands are healing Susan.

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  11. JanetApril 20, 2010 at 4:43 PM

    lovely wanderings :-)

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  12. George S BattyApril 21, 2010 at 12:57 AM

    Old Grizz admires your ability to write either style You are very good at it.

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  13. riffscookieApril 21, 2010 at 5:57 PM

    beautiful!

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  14. WhitesnakeApril 21, 2010 at 10:30 PM

    I .........LOVE IT!

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  15. LouiseJuly 1, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    Lovely ~ 'might tender joy for ever'

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  16. UnknownJuly 1, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    Maureen,
    You've taken the mundane and focused on it's true essence. We should so appreciate it all.

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  17. Laurie KolpJuly 1, 2011 at 12:43 PM

    A lovely poem... thanks for sharing!

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  18. BeachannyJuly 1, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    They say hands are the most difficult things to draw. Unique to each individual the art of it is tedious, detailed, and demands strict observation. I think the hands your words drew overcame all obstacles and the piece soars with joy and beauty.

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  19. Brian MillerJuly 1, 2011 at 8:46 PM

    nice. i find hands themselves to be so evocative...this is a well refined piece...

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