I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

5 August 2015

Riverwalking Moon Poets Escape the City

I thought I'd try a spine poem. It took a lot of spines! And I added some words and phrases of my own to connect them (as well as playing with what I found). These are a few of the books in my bedroom, some partly read – who reads only one book at a time? – others waiting.











Steering the Craft / Riverwalking / Moon Poets / The City of Words / God is no Laughing Matter / Finding Water / A Fig at the Gate
















The Habit of Art / Novels of Yen-Ching / Ordinary Genius / Rent or buy me / Bringers of the Light / Modern Magic / The Celtic Shaman's Pack / Tarot for Grownups



















Hiroshima / Birds of Passage / You've Had Your Time / Subhuman Redneck Poems / Affluenza / Fred Hollows: the updated autobiography / Myths and Legends / Yours etc / Cry Ma Ma to the Moon / The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart / Duty / The Plays of Oscar Wilde / Marlowe The Plays


Riverwalking Moon Poets Escape the City

Moon poets
finding water,
steering their craft
through the sleeping
city of words,
don't give a fig 
at the gate of escape 
that God
is no laughing matter.
They are intent
on riverwalking.

Riverwalking poets
dressed in the habit of art
are Celtic shamans,
in a pack like wolves.
You can't rent or buy
these bringers of the light.
Ordinary genius
and modern magic
don't cut it. This is
Tarot for grown-ups, as told
in the novels of Yen-Ching.

How novel, this yen they have!
They are birds of passage,
these poets. They tell duty:
'We are not yours, etc.
You have had your time,
you subhuman redneck.
You are as annihilated
as Hiroshima.'
They play, wild
in the hollows.
And again play.

And in the city a gain
reeks of affluenza,
that illness of greed.
Myths and legends,
updated, masquerade
as autobiography.
The poets know
the way forward
is with a broken heart.
'Ma!' low they cry,
'Ma, Ma!' to the moon.
By -
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29 comments:

  1. Sherry Blue Sky5 August 2015 at 12:20

    I am SPEECHLESS at how magnificent this poem is, Rosemary! If I ever host I Wish I'd Written This, THIS is the poem I'd use. No way to say how many lines and phrases and ideas and images I love - I love them all. When you write a poem, you dont mess around. This is a brilliant write, kiddo! Wowzers!

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade5 August 2015 at 13:59

      Goodness gracious! Thank you, and I'm so glad it worked for you. I am laughing with surprise and delight, because really it was a game — but then, those are the very things which tap into our unconscious, aren't they?

      Delete
  2. Mobile App Developers8 August 2015 at 15:03

    This is the precise weblog for anybody who needs to seek out out about this topic. You notice so much its almost arduous to argue with you. You positively put a brand new spin on a subject that's been written about for years. Nice stuff, simply nice!

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade8 August 2015 at 15:13

      Leaving this here (at least for now) because it is such a hilarious example of the total inapplicability of spam to what it purports to be commenting on!

      Delete
    2. Truedessa10 August 2015 at 03:04

      ha - I received this one the other day as my friend Pat Hatt says hit the spammer with a hammer.

      Delete
  3. Mary9 August 2015 at 09:08

    What a wonderful spine poem. I really like what you did with the titles of the books. I like the idea of 'moon poets' and 'river walking poets.' And I find myself nodding as I read the last stanza. Indeed poets know the way forward moreso than most, I think!

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  4. Sumana Roy9 August 2015 at 14:53

    What a job you've done Rosemary....It's fantastic...I simply want to tell the insufferable politicians "You are as annihilated / as Hiroshima.'...

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  5. Sanaa Rizvi9 August 2015 at 19:33

    Wow!! I love this form and how well you have executed it :D such lovely images here.. specially "birds of passage" and "city of words." Beautifully penned :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  6. Old Egg9 August 2015 at 20:02

    This is indeed a great read and filled with great lines and words such as "affluenza" that is a sickness indeed.

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  7. Jae Rose9 August 2015 at 20:03

    What a wonderful way to create a poem - and what a wonderful poem...moon poets and river walking poets...we do so want to join ;)

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  8. Kerry O'Connor9 August 2015 at 20:15

    How very well done, Rosemary! You have spun such an original portrait of the poet from the titles of your books.

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  9. brudberg9 August 2015 at 21:19

    Oh I love that, and how I would love to be part of that clan of poets...

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  10. kaykuala9 August 2015 at 23:54

    This is exhilarating Rosemary! It is such a feat to work the book titles to the group of poets. It came off so well!

    Hank

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade10 August 2015 at 07:32

      I was lucky in what books I happened to have piled up. But in the poem I did slightly rearrange the order occasionally, to fit my purpose. :-)

      Delete
  11. totomai10 August 2015 at 00:39

    I really love the first stanza , Rosemary - I would like to be lost in the city of words as I always run out of words :)

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  12. Magaly Guerrero10 August 2015 at 02:54

    You make Spine Poetry so alluring. I will have to try it (borrowing from your tweaking touch). These are my favorite lines:

    "Myths and legends,
    updated, masquerade
    as autobiography."

    They say so much...

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  13. Truedessa10 August 2015 at 03:11

    I remember doing a prompt where we wrote some Spine Poetry. It was really amazing what poems were created. I like how the first and second stanza are linked by riverwalking. I think I wouldn't mind doing some riverwalking with moon poets.

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade10 August 2015 at 07:27

      Actually each stanza is linked to the previous, and the last one back to the first. (But less obviously than the link you mention.) I had fun doing that.

      Delete
  14. C.C.10 August 2015 at 04:14

    I'm with Sherry....this is utterly MAGNIFICENT!!! Stunning, really. Makes me want to go back and try it again because you've made it look so effortless and, yet, I know that it is anything but! I see Julia Cameron's "Finding Water"--I just ordered that. Have you read it yet? I am currently working through "The Artist's Way"--very interesting.

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade10 August 2015 at 07:30

      I have done 'The Artist's Way' several times over the years, and even more often returned to the practices of the artist's date and the morning pages. I also love Cameron's 'The Right to Write'. ''Finding Water', I'm afraid, still sits there, waiting.

      Delete
  15. Gail10 August 2015 at 09:07

    Wonderful seems such an inappropriate word for this. Well crafted.

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  16. Wendy Bourke10 August 2015 at 10:01

    Riverwalking poets! Love this! Wonderful words, inspired images and phases turned to perfection. Awesome writing!

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  17. Matthew Henningsen10 August 2015 at 14:36

    Reminds me of a Dada poem, but with more meaning. Like words are being pulled out of a bag. Nicely done - evocative to read.

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  18. dsnake110 August 2015 at 23:13

    i think you have fun doing it. it's an amazing piece. :)
    reminds me of a dada poem too.

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  19. Anonymous10 August 2015 at 23:30

    Wonderful way to find a poem. I've done the same with book titles, song titles, even movies. It is definitely play and that may be the secret to why we enjoy them so much. They reach into dark and unexplored corners, daring us to follow. This one is tantalizing to the senses and the mind. Poets must be the original moon walkers. Thank you for such a satisfying experience,

    Elizabeth

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  20. Gen Giggles 11 August 2015 at 00:14

    Well put together. I enjoyed this poem.

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  21. Panchali11 August 2015 at 05:24

    Brilliant.... when one heart sings to another, magic materializes — poignant thoughts captured effortlessly in this book spine poetry. Great job, Rosemary!

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  22. Grace11 August 2015 at 09:57

    Lovely job on this spine poetry process Rosemary ~ It boggles me how you weaved all the titles together into this lovely verses ~

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  23. humbird16 August 2015 at 09:57

    Wow, how graciously you walked through the 'spine' of books you've chose... I felt the straggle of poets though hovering above... as ' birds of passage'... ~ Love.

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