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.

19 May 2016

Not the Big City

It’s a small, calm town,
leafy even in autumn
with native evergreens.

No-one living here
can walk down the street
without meeting neighbours
or old friends from school.

Today I watch 
a quietly beautiful girl 
sit with her laptop 
in a sunny café, safely.


A second poem for Quadrille–9: Green at dVerse. 

My first described a young girl sitting alone in an internet café, unconscious of her own graceful beauty. Had I been an artist, I'd have wanted to paint her; but my art is with words, so I made a poem. I became startled and then horrified as reader after reader commented that she seemed vulnerable and ought to be more careful about sitting there alone and/or using the internet. 'She must beware,' they said. What – in the middle of the day, in a public place, doing nothing out of the ordinary? (I did mention that her top had slipped off one shoulder, but that's not an unusual look in contemporary fashion, at least in our warm climate here.) Can so many of my readers really be so prurient? Or is it that they live in cities where such dangers are commonplace? Perhaps the title I gave that poem was open to misinterpretation? Anyway, I was moved to write another poem, giving my subject more context. 

8 comments:

  1. Ah.. Safe froM
    thE DancE
    aNd SonG
    oF DOinG
    LiFe..
    saD
    trUth
    dArk
    liGht
    oF aN
    ElectroniCK
    ReaLiTy
    seT
    aS TwiliGht
    zoNe eNd..:)

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  2. I love the small town with native evergreen ~ Nice, she is enjoying the warmth of the sunny cafe ~

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  3. I like the sense of such a peaceful day.

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  4. It sounds lovely and peaceful where you live. I adore small places where everyone is so friendly..........

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  5. I love that she is safe... i guess it was something in the tone of your first that made her seem vulnerable.

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    Replies
    1. I have now added the word 'Portrait' to the title of that one, which I hope may make the mood and intention clearer.

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  6. I really like how you are able to draw me into your world in a few well-chosen words. This is one way I practiced description when I first began to write prose.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Victoria. I am glad to know I was able to do that.

      Delete

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