• one free verse poem
• one tanka
____________________________________
•
the moment of not-spring
has no bold herald
save a passing notation
on one’s calendar
easily missed
there is not a disruption
in the earth’s crust
there is no disturbance
in the air
the planets
do not misalign
the moment of not-spring
is a non-moment
as can be the moment of not-love
it can pass by unnoticed
no disruption
no disturbance
but the realization
of not-love
is a storm
more fierce
than even the worst
of spring’s fury
it can break the earth
wide open
leave one gasping
for the next breath
as all the stars
fall from heaven
• • •
•
fresh-placed flower scent
feel of soft grass under knee
memories still grip
more and more are sweet recall
hard tears turning to soft smiles
• • •
Your free verse poem is wonderful. The idea was well worth exploring, and resulted in some lovely consonance, assonance. It also made me think about “non” anything – absence rather than presence.
Your tanka is delightful, though difficult to read “flowers’ scent” aloud without a stumble. Could it just be “flower scent”?
Thank you Viv for the very kind words – and it can be and is now “flower scent”… appreciate the nudge once again…
…rob 😉
I enjoyed these, especially the stanzas beginning “at the realization of not-love”: you’ve captured that well.
Your tanka has special meaning for me as I near the first anniversary of my brother’s death from cancer.
The scent of bittersweet clings to your tanka Rob. Impossible for it not to leave a mark.
And that moment of not-love… yes, the stars do seem to fall. Until you realize that what you’re seeing is just their light refracted through the tears. It still doesn’t hurt any less though. Thanks for this.
So not-perfect-but-really-wonderful.
Enjoyed Not-Spring.