Magpie Tales (91) – Villanelle to Wandering Mind
I am posting this in response to the prompt of Tess Kincaid at Magpie Tales. Tess posts an interesting photo each week. Because I like to use my own art work (except the current header landscape by Jason Martin), I’ve redone the photo (more or less).
In this case, due to the chaotic conditions of this particular November day, I’m cheating a bit, in that my poem below does not completely fit with the photo, and is also a poem that I have posted before. (But what’s cheating in love and poetry? Ummm… not a great thing. Sorry.)
Still, it is an interesting poem, and although I think it belongs to the image of an older female–i.e. one about my own age–it does describe a certain twilit mental crossroads (one without clear signposts, and perhaps, several empty chairs.)
Villanelle to Wandering Brain
Sometimes my mind feels like it’s lost its way
and must make do with words that are in reach
as pink as dusk (not dawn), the half-light of the day,
when what it craves is crimson, noon in May,
the unscathed verb or complex forms of speech.
But sometimes my mind feels like it’s lost its way
and calls the egg a lightbulb, plan a tray,
and no matter how it search or how beseech
is pink as dusk (not dawn), the half-light of the day.
I try to make a joke of my decay
or say that busy-ness acts as the leech
that makes my mind feel like it’s lost its way,
but whole years seem as spent as last month’s pay,
plundered in unmet dares to eat a peach—
as pink as dusk (not dawn), the half-light of the day.
There is so much I think I still should say,
so press poor words like linens to heart’s breach,
but find my mind has somehow lost its way
as pink as dusk (not dawn), the half-light of the day.
Tags: Karin Gustafson, Magpie Tales 91, ManicDDaily poetry, villanelle to confused brain, Villanelle to Wandering brain
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
ManicDDaily 
November 13, 2011 at 11:18 am
Lovely lovely write, and an excellent refrain!
November 13, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Your poem is in the same frame of mind as mine this week…love the villanelle form…it’s trickier to write than it seems!
November 13, 2011 at 5:56 pm
Thanks, Tess.
November 13, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I also love what you did with the visual here.
=)
November 13, 2011 at 10:53 pm
You write out beautifully the only fog that frightens me.
November 14, 2011 at 3:56 am
lovely poem – and love what you did with the image
November 14, 2011 at 5:09 am
Thanks, Jo.
November 14, 2011 at 11:12 am
very nice….villanelles are great when well done..as yours is…smiles. press the poor words like linens to hearts breach…like that…
November 14, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Thanks, Brian.
November 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Good stuff, MDD, well worthy of a repost, (and i don’t say that just because it’s a villanelle, which form I could read all day. ) I love the rhyme scheme, which has pulled out some great words, like breach, beseech, leech, giving the piece a really unique feel, and the ideas in it couldn’t be more perfectly expressed. Actually, I think it fits the pic very well, with that sense of something/someone lost amid empty constructs.
November 14, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Thanks so much, Hedge.
November 14, 2011 at 1:18 pm
PS – I too really like villanelles. They have such a lovely music.
November 14, 2011 at 2:29 pm
What a blessing you presented us with another opportunity to read this fine poem ….
November 14, 2011 at 3:42 pm
you did say it a lot, in many ways.
lovely magpie.
November 14, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Your interpretations of the images are are always intriguing!
November 14, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Nice one! I like how the language gets all messed up in “and calls the egg a lightbulb, plan a tray, and no matter how it search or how beseech
is pink as dusk (not dawn), the half-light of the day” and your charming borrowing of daring to eat a peach, plus the gentle peach tones of your ever-lovely images. I’m not Magpie-ing myself this week, but clicking my name will take you to my latest if you’d like a look
November 14, 2011 at 5:40 pm
Brilliant!
November 15, 2011 at 3:25 am
Oh but it so does fit with the image! I love your sketch (I am a fellow tamperer of Tess’s images!).
Villanelles are wonderful and yours works very well, underlining as it were the multiplicity fo chairs!
November 16, 2011 at 7:11 am
Dear Manicddaily: The villanelle is a most excellent vehicle of departure to the stars! Definitely feel the angst in the duality here! As we get through the fog, by fogless new ways and the mud by muddling through! Inspiring art and lit!
November 16, 2011 at 7:14 am
Thanks so much. My ways are pretty foggy though! K.
November 17, 2011 at 5:38 pm
I try to make a joke of my decay
or say that busy-ness acts as the leech
that makes my mind feel like it’s lost its way,
Love this in it’s entirety! Beautiful Villanelle my friend and some brilliant images come to mind. Great take!
November 17, 2011 at 8:41 pm
Thanks so much< Kellie.
November 19, 2011 at 12:35 pm
amazing as always.
keep it up.