skin they understand, but they have no arms,
and so, in jealous anger, will do what it takes
to see you come to bitten harm.
Use every skill, every charm
to remind them of their low degree,
and then, carrying their empty skins, ride on untouchably.
Peacock feathers in your hair
denote the flight of thought and dream,
with beauty a posing passenger there,
mere shade to what you are, and seem.
The leopardess, that lonesome queen
bestows her outer cloak enchanted
to help you leave the snakes laid low, their venom weak, destroyed, recanted.
______
A rhyme royal for Fireblossom Friday at Real Toads, featuring the art of W.T. Benda.
beautiful.
ReplyDelete'Beware of snakes!' ~ powerful poem and so caring! ~ thanks for hosting and sharing :)x
ReplyDeleteNo fear of snakes here! This is a bold, beautiful portrait all wrapped up in solid form.
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating to read, and to unfold piece by piece, Shay. The dynamic between your usual loaded for bear style and the demands of the form make for a stunning juxtaposition, and some wonderful images. I love so many lines in this(the snake ones!) but I think that Poe-like second quatrain really does it most for me. Thanks for a wonderful challenge, and for the intro to Benda.
ReplyDeleteLove the storyline...
ReplyDeleteYour words are well suited to the form and rhyming scheme. A powerful write. My favorite bit: "...with beauty a posing passenger there..."
ReplyDelete-HA
really. really? you don't do form poetry, you hate haiku, and then this?
ReplyDeletebleeping perfect. I've already deleted two efforts. ~
Jungle Love......
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful in form and message. I especially liked the third stanza. That image is so cool too.
ReplyDeleteNow, THIS is how it's done!
ReplyDeleteThis almost made me lose my lifetime aversion to snakes. Well done, Shady Lady
ReplyDeleteWell damn, Shay, you pull of both both challenges in one piece with efficacy and aplomb. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteO my comment disappeared because I double licked. Unfair. But I still feel the power ad passion. I said ending with recanted changed my understanding of the whole to a venomous hatred and destructive jeolousy that she--who is wiser than beauty-can stay above. She is protected by being fore-warned and thus pre-armed--but more by being inoculated by previous experience. I see all of this in the picture now that I have read the poem. Peacock feathers! Leopard skin! Snake poised to strike! No fear.
ReplyDeletePerfection!
ReplyDeleteSuperb, my friend.
ReplyDeleteLuv, K
Love your rhyme royal ..(can't get the image of an ice cream sundae out of my head when I see the words rhyme royal .. which I would pronounce Rhyme Roy-AL if it was dessert) smiles?
ReplyDelete