Ghazal Of Saving

Ghazal Of Saving

In my dream I know that I can save

everyone, anything brave.

The heartburst stag, worlds between his horns,

 breathes again inside this spell-sung cave.

The locust green as bottleglass

fallen to a grave of ants still sings--

Fly up all wounded things,

into my hand the nave.

I can save you---I do save;

with this ink dropped sapphire wave

I  save your smile and so bewitch

death's slave and love you living--

Pulled spotless from the bloody ditch,

each cracked bird with bells of glass to ring.

Nothing dies here that can still be loved.

Dreamed joy rings each finger of the witch.

August 2020 

 

posted for

The Sunday Muse

and 

earthweal's

Open Link

Note: This is my attempt at a ghazal: " Traditionally invoking melancholy, love, longing, and metaphysical questions,...[t]he ghazal is composed of a minimum of five couplets—and typically no more than fifteen—that are structurally, thematically, and emotionally autonomous. Each line of the poem must be of the same length, though meter is not imposed in English. The first couplet introduces a scheme, made up of a rhyme followed by a refrain. Subsequent couplets pick up the same scheme in the second line only, repeating the refrain and rhyming the second line with both lines of the first stanza. The final couplet usually includes the poet's signature, referring to the author in the first or third person, and frequently including the poet's own name or a derivation of its meaning." Obviously I have not completely followed these guidelines, especially relating to rhyme, but did include my name in various forms in the final couplet.

Images: Photo © Eugene Kozhevnikov Fair Use

Photo, artist unknown  Fair Use

Heart's Light

Heart’s Light

Down in my dreams a man walks in the dark.
He has new skins for old souls in the dark.

Take my face in two hands, my eyes with yours.

What deepens your thirst quenches mine, wine dark.

Split the smooth noose, spit out the serpent gag.

Pull your heart up from the spindle of dark.

Feather your wings for this blue starry night.

We'll have the secrets of flight hatched in dark.

Who stamps feet, impatient with dawn and still

incomplete? Who do I meet in the dark?

Feed me with hunger, sharp, heavy and strong.

It's filling is sweet as song in the dark.

Light of my heart, the hot day’s long and bright.

Why is it joy is found best in blue dark?

August, 2011

Posted for    Form for All    at dVerse Poets Pub

This is my attempt at a ghazal.

Gay Cannon has invited John Alwyine-Mosley(@bookdreamer) to host this week's Form For All at dVerse, a look at the ghazal form. Here's an explanatory quote from his article:  

"..Stresses can fall wherever the quantitative pattern used suggests. Hence, in English you can write the couplet based on the number of syllables per line or in iambic pentameter keeping roughly the same pattern per line set from the beginning. It’s roughly, because what matters is the sounds and cadence when read aloud! Or even sang as Ghazals are important classical musical forms  throughout the middle east...

Traditional Ghazal rules of form are very clear. The opening couplet is called a matla, which sets up the rhyme scheme (qaifa) and refrain (radif) by having it occur in both lines. Then this scheme occurs only in the second line of each succeeding couplet for at least five additional couplets and in practice as many as needed. To end the ghazal, the poet has a signature couplet, the (makhta) in which they mention their name or refer to themselves..."

Image: Starry Night over the Rhone, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas
Vincent van Gogh [Public domain]via wikimedia commons