“Villanelle to Glasses”
Another week beginning, and here’s a new picture prompt from Tess Kincaid of Magpie Tales. The real photograph by Uzengia Aleksander Nedic is somewhat blurry; my version (not blurry enough) is above, and my poem below. I am also linking this poem to “Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads” for their Monday Open Link Day.
Villanelle to Glasses
Without glasses, the edges of my world are furred
like the ending of an echo, crush of shale.
Ideas are seen as if through water, blurred,
trooping muzzily through head, not shaped by word,
as if mind’s eye can’t make out thought’s detail
without glasses, the edges of my world so furred.
Then, too, I find my verbal memory’s slurred:
I’ll say this “peach” for onion, “kite” for sail;
ideas are seen as if through water, blurred,
and though I tell myself I’m quite absurd–
my mind’s still good, it’s only eyes that fail–
without glasses, the edges of my world are furred.
Even corrected vision’s not assured,
each type of lens its own peculiar jail,
where ideas are seen as if through water, blurred,
and I must make a choice between page or bird,
eternal grain of sand/horizon’s trail.
Without glasses, the edges of my world inferred,
ideas are seen as if through water, blurred.
Have a nice (fully-lit and clear) Sunday. And, if you get a chance, check out: comic novel,NOSE DIVE, book of poetry, GOING ON SOMEWHERE, or children’s counting book 1 MISSISSIPPI. )
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, Uncategorized, villanelleTags: can't think straight without my glasses poem, manicddaily, Villanelle about Blurry ideas without Glasses, Villanelle to Glasses, what you can't see might hurt you
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ManicDDaily 
March 11, 2012 at 2:59 pm
each type of lens its own peculiar jail,
where ideas are seen as if through water, blurred,
while this is all very real on the loss of vision this also i think speaks well to the lens through which we look at the world, which can be quite containing….
March 11, 2012 at 3:12 pm
… clear vision ~ more folks should make it a priority. Brian is right!
March 11, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Oh I can certainly relate here…I’m as blind as a bat…I like the way you brought it around at the end with ideas…nice write…the villanelle form is a little trickier than it might seem…well done…
March 11, 2012 at 3:29 pm
the distortions here seem to bring …clarity…almost as if , wrong is right…..well written, for sure
Peace ☮
March 11, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Beautiful! I mean it. So much simbolisme with regard to seeing, inferring, furred, blurred– reliance on inner sight, inner braille– hope you’re well and thanks for stopping by — mine are up per usual at http://parolavivace.blogspot.com … xj
March 11, 2012 at 5:37 pm
great choice of words within!
March 11, 2012 at 7:45 pm
Those graduated lenses are hard to get used to–I need new ones, but I think its my brain that’s furred. Love it when you slick out a villanelle like this that seems so effortless, on an everyday topic, that looks at things just a little deeper than it seems.
March 11, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Ha. Haven’t been able to manage the graduated ones at all. Afraid I’ll fall down! Just go around half (three-quarters) blind taking them on and off! (Which makes computers such a mixed blessing.) K.
March 12, 2012 at 4:16 am
This suggests so much and is brilliantly contrived within the villanelle framework. Excellent work.
March 12, 2012 at 7:46 am
LOL…am getting there…soon will have my glasses too.
March 12, 2012 at 2:12 pm
I love a good villanelle. This qualifies.
=)
March 12, 2012 at 5:19 pm
I love “trooping muzzily” and “I must make a choice between page or bird.” So creative, Karin!
March 12, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Oh I so admire this poem, the lovely lilt of the villanelle, and the repetition of the lines about edges being furred and blurred. I COMPLETELY relate to the eyesight dilemma which actually makes looking in the mirror a trifle kinder these days, hee hee. Great writing.
March 12, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Very nice form…I specially like:
Without glasses, the edges of my world inferred,
ideas are seen as if through water, blurred.
March 12, 2012 at 10:05 pm
I like your rendering the pic with the artistic blurs. It brings it to another level! The repetitions put it into better effect too. Great verse!
Hank
March 13, 2012 at 7:26 am
Hey cool poem. ” what you see s reality is merely electrical signals interpreted by your brain “- Morpheus.
March 13, 2012 at 1:07 pm
An outstanding villanelle. It relates beautifully to eyesight and mindsight!
March 13, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Villanelles are both simple and frighfully difficult to write, but you’ve pulled it off here with a unique take on the picture. Bravo!
March 14, 2012 at 6:36 am
I admire this poem and can relate to the failing eyesight. The picture is excellent too.
March 14, 2012 at 3:12 pm
what a wonderful villanelle
depth of field
March 15, 2012 at 9:16 am
Love this too! Without contacts I exist in a very fuzzy, blurred world and it is true – can’t think straight without clear vision.
Anna :o]