to cut and lay the iris blooms;
in vase, by parlor's dying noon,
tasked to do the thing I ask it--
lift melancholy; move the moon.
Fool to love you, fool to miss you,
more foolish still to think a vase
--that plenitude of empty space--
could soothe my heart and keep the bloom,
or separated root replace.
_______
for Artistic Interpretations With Margaret at Real Toads.
image: Still Life: Vase With Irises by Van Gogh
The iris's history is rich, dating back to Ancient Greek times when the Greek Goddess Iris, the messenger of the gods and the personification of the rainbow, acted as the link between heaven and earth. Purple irises were planted over the graves of women to summon the Goddess to guide the dead in their journey. (source: www.proflowers.com)
i just love how you can change techniques so well! truly impressive!
ReplyDeleteInteresting rhymes!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely impeccable. Sigh. "Move the moon...."
ReplyDeleteDamn it, girl! This is outstanding!
ReplyDeleteThis form is like a flawless vase itself, that holds the uplifted flowers of your words, to let them breathe to us their fragrance of sweetness and hope, despite the severed root, despite the fruitless end of a cut flower--though your words can never be fruitless, but carry the seeds of so much that is renewing and beautiful. Very soothing to read this today in my tiredness. I am glad you met up with Ms Millay.
ReplyDeleteWow. It is always a small gesture for such a large space and meaning. Such a lifting! You have captured it and goddesses too.
ReplyDeleteOh I really love the end hear, how can the best of vases ever replace the root?
ReplyDeleteGorgeous. This is breathtaking (and not Seinfeld "breathtaking," either).
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and tender. Really lovely.
ReplyDeleteAn enchanting and lovely piece.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the title and some of the language in the poem makes it sound sexual. By the end, I gather that a relationship, perhaps a marriage, has been dissolved. (This is a symbolic funeral.) But you are still longing for its repair. I see you mulling over the possibility of inviting in a sexual relationship (maybe even with your "dearly departed"), but you know even before it begins that it will not replace all that has been lost or fill the hole inside you. You become the empty vase. But your partner has destroyed the roots you once planted together. So any "filling" would only be skin deep.
ReplyDeleteTerrific--wonderful use of some kind of form. k.
ReplyDeleteThis poem has a lovely lyrical quality to it. You change forms so easily it seems! And I even learned a bit about flowers!
ReplyDeleteI love the mood and alliteration in this piece, Shay. :)
ReplyDeleteShay, "move the moon," along with the "fool to love you, fool to miss you," wonderful wordcraft here. The addition of process notes, about the purple irises, only made me like it more. Thanks, Amy
ReplyDeleteLove the melancholic tone, smooth rhymes and peace in the poem.
ReplyDeletestunning, SP! beautiful but it makes my heart ache with longing....
ReplyDeletethat's one of my favorite flowers and favorite paintings.
♥
Your two verses are just so perfect in and of themselves - the balance you create rests on the hair's breadth of rhyme, rhythm and content. This is stylish poetry.
ReplyDeleteAh! Lovely rhyming.
ReplyDelete"lift melancholy..move the moon" We ask so much of something when grief comes, but if there is the slightest hope pain will lessen we must try. Beautiful
ReplyDeleteSitting on a porch swing overlooking the Great Smoke Mtns. Rest of family is hiking but my youngest son needed a rare nap so I volunteered to stay behind. just read 30 minutes of reading Seamus Heaney (whom i adore) and now am "in the Garden" and this poem thrills me with its style and content just as much. !! Thank you.
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