Magpie Tale (Pantoum)
The drawing above is based on the prompt of Tess Kincaid at Magpie Tales, which was a photograph from a cemetery. The photograph offered a lot of possibilities; my poem is a pantoum about a funeral, the differing feelings (from numbness to grief) that go through one’s brain at such an event.
What Funerals Are For
I worried that I might not be able to stop
the posturing that shaped my busy mind—
all I’d see, all whom I might know,
imagined encounters over funeral supper wine.
The posturing, the shape of busy mind,
dwarfed the Jesus-coated windows, babes in stone,
(imagined encounters over Last Supper wine)
when fingers touching lid, they led it down.
Dwarfing the Jesus-coated windows, babes in stone,
a block of wood, of over-polished grain,
as fingers touching lid, they led it down,
pulling with it, a winding sheet of weighty pain.
A block of wood, of over-polished grain—
I knew she couldn’t breathe there, that she’d no more breath
pulling within a winding sheet of weighty pain,
weeping without will, without relief.
I knew she couldn’t breathe there, that she’d no more breath,
and all I saw, all whom I might know,
weeping without will, without relief.
I worried that I might not be able to stop.
Tags: Magpie Tales, manicddaily, ManicDDaily poetry, pantoum, poem about funerals, Tess Kincaid
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ManicDDaily 
November 6, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Gorgeous write…this made me cry…
November 6, 2011 at 2:54 pm
nice…lovely use of the form…and def emotive…
November 6, 2011 at 3:49 pm
I liked your form choice very much. It fit well with your vision.
November 6, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Lovely.
November 6, 2011 at 5:16 pm
A rich and tactile write.
November 6, 2011 at 8:32 pm
well penned… love it!..
JJRod’z
November 6, 2011 at 10:30 pm
Great choice of form for this poignant piece. It’s wonderful.
November 7, 2011 at 3:08 am
fine example of the pantoum with the repititions working for the poem
well done
November 7, 2011 at 4:19 am
Each of these two elements is a real triumph in its own right. The drawing is sensational. I thought the poem would not be able to live up to it, but it did, wonderfully well.
November 7, 2011 at 11:22 am
Compelling and beautifully crafted! xxxxj
November 7, 2011 at 11:24 am
Not a form of poetry I am aware of, but I see how it works. The picture reminds me of an angel, the background being its wings.
The two combine so well with each other in my humble opinion.
November 7, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Drawing + poem = fantastic!!
November 9, 2011 at 9:24 am
Excellent stuff.
Anna :o]