Blood and Sand
Blood in the sand where no waters run;
words grow tall where crops all fail.
God hides behind a burning sun.
Robbers go and robbers come,
centuries turn in the hot wind’s tail;
blood in the sand where no waters run.
centuries turn in the hot wind’s tail;
blood in the sand where no waters run.
The desert eats what the heart’s begun.
Blood is drawn like oil from shale.
God hides behind a burning sun.
God hides behind a burning sun.
The crow will pick when the jackal’s done
and leave the bones to mark the trail;
blood in the sand where no waters run.
and leave the bones to mark the trail;
blood in the sand where no waters run.
Prayers come from the end of a gun.
The dervish whirls and women wail.
God hides behind a burning sun.
The dervish whirls and women wail.
God hides behind a burning sun.
It ends and then it’s just begun.
The crop of words will never fail.
Blood in the sand where no waters run;
God hides behind a burning sun.
The crop of words will never fail.
Blood in the sand where no waters run;
God hides behind a burning sun.
April 2011
Photo by Rosa Frei
Posted for OneShootSunday at the inimitable OneStopPoetry
This poem is written in the villanelle form.
Superb!
ReplyDeleteStark, majestic lines—many of which I believe would make great stand-alone quotes. "The desert eats what the heart’s begun." Love that line, though I'm also partial to "It ends and then it’s just begun." ...the beginning arising from the end among our seemingly random existence. Deep and fine-tuned, as always. Thanks
ReplyDeleteblood and sand...what a mixture...love your villanelle hedge...strong rhymes..give the poem an epic feeling
ReplyDeleteI really resonated with what you wrote and was grabbed by the line, "Blood is drawn like oil from shale." To me that was quite impacting, especially with all the pillaging and damage being done to our bio-sphere! Someone once wrote, "Oil is the life blood of our planet!" and I agree with that. PS: Love the feel and look of your blog! Roger ☺
ReplyDeleteI love this, "God hides behind the burning sun" - a great line and really seals the sense of hopelessness of it all.
ReplyDeleteHedge....?
ReplyDeleteFuckin Brilliant!!!
(I bow beforest thou)
Excellent villanelle today my friend. You use form so adroitly that I'd read it twice before I realized what it was. The repetition drives home the foolish decisions of leaders in our time. Well done, you!
ReplyDeletedang vicious write hedge...the blood on the sand and god hiding behind the sun...picking the bones...we are sick people, sick i tell you...31 days and counting...smiles.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful subject for a villanelle - your repeating lines carry such power especially as the concluding lines.
ReplyDeleteFave stanza:
The crow will pick when the jackal’s done
and leave the bones to mark the trail;
blood in the sand where no waters run.
So beautifully done! I love the weaving of your words, reminds me of a musical instrument from that part of the world, "blood in the sand where no waters run." Love it!
ReplyDeleteand you beautifully take this hurdle as well. A thoroughbred you are. xxxj
ReplyDeleteThe repetition of the "God" line just really brings it home to me. No let up. Burn, baby, burn.
ReplyDeleteOn a different subject, I love the pictures you post on your sidebar of your flars.
Many thanks, all. Your comments are always appreciated.
ReplyDelete@Chasing Tao Thanks for the compliment on the blog--means a lot coming from someone with your eye.
@G-Man: Thou art welcome.
@Gay: Thank you, Gay. Villanelle seemed to suit this one.
@brian: I cheated a tad. This was my plan B spare for a bad day last week and happened to fit the prompt.
@FB: I'm glad you like my flars--they help keep me sane, and also give my camera a reason to exist. It will probably be daylilies next.
Love to see a form poem done so well built on such powerful political/ religious themes
ReplyDeleteWhat a stand-out line is "The desert eats what the heart's begun"! Wonderful cadence through rhyme; vivid imagery. Clearly political but not overbearing. So very well done!
ReplyDeleteThis is so well structured, and so haunting in its lines Joy, Prayers come from the end of a gun, makes me wonder if the way of the world will ever change, the bullies and malitia men will always claim their pound of flesh. Very enjoyable, and heady in metaphor. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete"The dervish whirls and women wail.
ReplyDeleteGod hides behind a burning sun." This is the burning core of a poem beautiful. The theme of desperation and of the desert covering up the trails. Loved it.
Great villanelle! These are difficult to write without sounding stilted (at least for me!) so I give you kudos! Stark and vivid imagery-I can feel the burning dryness and harshness of the desert.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. "The crow will pick when the jackal’s done" is breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonderful writing, Hedge. Some killer lines and images in there.
ReplyDeletewhat an amazing villanelle...you've used the form so beautifully. Many lines stand out..."The dervish whirls and women wail" is simply brilliant. I read in awe ~
ReplyDeleteWonderfully vivid.
ReplyDeleteAnother masterful piece from you! And all the depth of thought in each line. I love this the most:
ReplyDeleteThe desert eats what the heart’s begun.
Blood is drawn like oil from shale.
God hides behind a burning sun.
...love how each line is a poem in itself, how it resonates beyond the lines beyond the images of the desert to the desolation of the spirit.
Thank you for another great experience, Joy!
"God hides behind a burning sun."
ReplyDeletestunning!
Excellent, prompt-veracious piece.
ReplyDelete