Cactus Flower
Under that barnacle eye,
dawn and sunset are one light
in the union shop of the sky.
Sand is hazed into growing
blazing flowers, dusty fruit;
bright lame colors hopping
on a desiccated foot,
steamed cloud-melt to water
needle thorn and starry bloom;
but sand's a giver of glass
the sun's tribe breaks too soon.
~March 2013
posted for real toads
Challenge: Out of Standard with Izy
(Chew Through Your Chains)
The incomparable and tortuously-minded Isadora Gruye asks us to envision the worst job we ever had, list three words that we associate with it, and write a poem that is nothing about work. (!!!)
My three words were : union shop, hazing, and tribes.
My three words were : union shop, hazing, and tribes.
Hover mouse for image attribution, or click on pic to go to photographer's flick'r creative commons page.
This is just spectacular, from that awesome opening image to the mind-bomb of a poem. Pow! Kaboom! Sheer brilliance in 55 words.
ReplyDeleteMoonbat...
ReplyDeleteYou bring out the little known beauty that a desert provides from time to time.
As you point out it's MUCH more that blowing sand.
Loved your arid 55
Thanks for playing, thanks for another reflection of Natures Glory, and have a Kick Ass Week-End
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr............
ReplyDeleteunder the barnacle eye...really cool...the union shop of the sky, ha like that too...some cool pairings too...the bright lame jumped out at me...steamed cloud melt was a cool pairing too...enjoyed your 55 words hedge...smiles...there is life among the sand...
ReplyDeleteyeah, sand IS a giver of glass. i wouldn't have thought this was a response to the work-words prompt, so other-wondrous are your images.
ReplyDeleteLike Marian, I didn't recognize the work challenge in this beautiful poem, but "union shop" made me suspicious with its incongruity.
ReplyDeleteK
So beautiful -- and all from a hated job! Love the ideas in this and the unique images.
ReplyDeleteThis is excellent! Smiled so much when I got to "union shop," yet so well woven in there. Loved the dissonance in that. And this line? "but sand's a giver of glass" FANTASTIC.
ReplyDeleteThe hearty cactus that somehow gives a delicate bloom.
ReplyDeleteThe harsh desert that crushes life becomes delicate beauty.
Really great images here. Both in the picture and the poem!
ReplyDeleteneedle thorn and starry bloom;
ReplyDeleteWow, something so beautiful out of a hated job! Gotta love Izy.
What beautiful photos...I love "union shop of the sky" It is amazing how beauty can come out of something so disliked.
ReplyDeleteYou described that scene to perfection.
ReplyDeleteHot stuff!
ReplyDeleteWow great piece! doesn't let up- thanks!
ReplyDeleteLoved this, hedgewitch...especially the glass reference! Very neat!
ReplyDeleteReally, really pretty picture. I love union shop of the sky and the last two lines are so nice. Great 55!!
ReplyDeleteYou used some really great word pairings in this one! Reading it, I couldn't fathom what the job was because the poem was so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love how you used union shop (of the sky) in this. Very original. And I am laffin hard at poor G Man losing his top spot to Kerry by a mere two minutes. He's got to be cheesed!
ReplyDeleteBoy - not a word wasted here - so jam packed and very wonderfully original similes and word play. I especially like the bright lame colors which I first read as lame with an accent that I don't know how to put it in a comment, but also works so incredibly well - as there's a metallic edge to these colors. So cool. (Hot.) And Sand being hazed is just so funny as well as so accurate - it really is terrifically put together. k.
ReplyDeleteps - I have done, but not yet posted, a very silly 55 - have to work on work! but will try to get it up, as it is one I rather like. But this exercise -the 55s work so well for you, forcing a kind of distillation. Your work is always very distilled, but seems to get really to the point of angels on a pin. k
DeleteThanks, k. Look forward to seeing yours, and lame with an accent is a cool inference I didn't anticipate, as always with your insightful readings. When I first started doing these 55's they drove me crazy, but it was with the express purpose of whittling down my verbose adverbial tendencies and wandering digressions-now I find them still challenging, but really rewarding to do.
DeleteThis is word perfect gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHedgey: better start blushing now girl, cause I am about to heap piles of praise upon you for this offering. I know I havebeen away from the Toads for a while (nothing personal! just some very bad things shaking down), and I have not been to verse scape in sometime. Reading this poem reminds me why your blog should be the first place i go to. Your work is exact in it's delivery and stunning in it's depth which is a very hard balance to achieve. I find it a height to inspire to.
ReplyDeleteThe piece above oozes with examples:
Sand is hazed into growing
blazing flowers, dusty fruit
within that one line is a new world, and the wording is so precise and clean it makes that world worth knowing.
I also like the theme you have invoked, a little labour dispute between the sand and the sun. Your last lines made my jaw drop in utter poem jealousy. I am glad the out of standard prompt got to contribute in some small way. Thanks for participating and viva la, lady. Viva la