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.

14 June 2015

Twelve American Sentences

First dark; lichen breathe after water — no wind; dawn on seed tendril.

Garden bough, bird can listen summer, the sun ancient and animal.

Warm vine when you cycle, happy gentle wild spirit: behold my bright.

River like light; lonely life with only winter cloud shade secret blue.

Quiet watch, grow shine above soft wild — feel fresh fall, to thrive how squirrel.

Soon spring, beneath deep almost air that will let cold blossom climb rock, root.

Sweet rose always why insect walk through leaves, tree breeze, thick mountain mosses.

Deep dawn blankets gentle flower garden; how shine stone or river rock.

You wander that summer sanctuary, grow happy — wet mountain moon.

Cover for love make prairie night sweet secret they see above wild cloud.

Bee murmur give bloom a soft rustle, as thick sun colour rose vivid.

Almost dusk here, bird watch — this daffodil and grass rest: green harmony.


The Sunday Mini-Challenge at 'imaginary garden with real toads' asks us to be inspired by the poetry of Marilyn Chin. Among others of her extraordinary poems, we were directed to her Twenty Five Haiku. I noticed they were in fact American Sentences, a form of haiku devised by Allen Ginsberg for Westerners — but with a vivid intensity I had not seen before in any American Sentence. 

Mine are not haiku (or even American Sentences) as I'm used to writing them — i.e. in-the-moment observations of the external world — and they are not meant as imitations of Chin's remarkable work. I am sill exploring the Magnetic Poetry site, so these are composed by selecting random words and using scenes from my imagination. This time I used the Nature kit.

12 comments:

  1. I love American sentences.. Immediate observations or little scenes.. I need to check out the magnetic poetry site,

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  2. I specially like these American Sentences:

    You wander that summer sanctuary, grow happy — wet mountain moon.

    Bee murmur give bloom a soft rustle, as thick sun colour rose vivid.

    Thanks for linking up with Real Toads and wishing you Happy Sunday ~

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  3. You have an amazing command of this form, Rosemary. I especially love the tranquil mood of the final line.

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  4. Auughh...these are almost--*tremble, shiver*--haiku. I must really like you to come and read them. They are so peaceful. *runs away* ;-)

    ps--loved your comment at Toads.

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  5. Bee murmur give bloom a soft rustle, as thick sun colour rose vivid.
    Almost dusk here, bird watch — this daffodil and grass rest: green harmony.

    So peaceful and serene..! Beautifully done :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  6. Really nice stuff, thanks for sharing!

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  7. Brilliant creation :D Images redefined and stretched outside their boundaries = pure heaven

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  8. These are magnificent, Rosemary - I can feel the Chin influence in the lines.

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  9. They are very cool, Rosemary--tranquil, but playful, imaginative, wonderful little leaps--thanks. k.

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  10. Wonderful way to take a prompt and make it you!

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  11. I love how each breathes an image and how they settle in together to create magic of nature. Beautiful work, Rosemary!

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