Thursday 23 May 2013

Song of parting

May this love neither blind me nor follow me.
And may it never notice me.
May it spare me from being pursued
And from torment.

Nameless Songs:   
-Brazilian poet, Hilda Hilst (1930-2004)

Come closer 
You say
And I do, my face 
breathing in your scent-
Put your arms
around me, You plead 
and I do -   
While hoping against hope -  
on bended knees-  
May this love neither blind me nor follow me.

For I am a wildflower
on your velvet lapel,
born to roam in the forest sky
blue as the sea
I will wilt in your little
crystal vase like a queen bee
without the vicious hive
May your gaze linger far
on tulips blooms, sweet as cherry tree -
And may it never notice me.

As I walk away
Spent from your kisses,
Burning like 
fire on my lips- 
bittersweet as plums.
As I glance away from your nude
desire,  I pray that you forget me quickly
As one tires of a turbulent sea, 
or a long winter storm,  not easily subdued-                             
May it spare me from being pursued

And broken 
Into a silky and fragrant bloom   
Because your love offering
even so pure
and true
will be the death 
of me, crushing my voice underfoot -
Let love pass by in anguished dissent
So I may never suffer from this enchantment-   
And from torment.




Posted for D'verse Poets Pub- Hosted by Samuel Peralta - Your feedback/ critique is appreciated as this is my first time to write in this form.   


Poetry form:  Glosa - This is a poetry form from the late 14th century and was popular in the Spanish court. The introduction, the cabeza, is a quatrain quoting a well-known poem or poet. The second part is the glosa proper, expanding on the theme of the cabeza, consisting of four ten-line stanzas, with the lines of the cabeza used to conclude each stanza. Lines six and nine must rhyme with the borrowed tenth. 

47 comments:

  1. The death from lost breath could sure weigh heavy when love breaks the levee. Nicely done, I'm number one!

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  2. so I'm puzzled - in the end you want or don't want love? :) Lovely images in the poem, Grace

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    1. Her ending line is:

      May this love see me only in parting.

      So no to the torment of love ~ Smiles ~

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  3. yep...wildflowers and little vases are just not really compatible...really like where you went with this grace and need to check out hilda hilst as well...never heard about her...that will be fun to meet all the different poets tonite

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    1. The link above will bring you to the whole poem. She is an amazing poet ~ Thanks Claudia ~

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  4. The melancholy in this is so beautiful Grace. A lovely poem and tribute :-) so nice with new poets to explore.

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  5. Grace - really loved this - such a bittersweet voice and wonderful imagery - K

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    1. This was fun to do K ~ Looking forward to yours ~

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  6. Stunning, Grace. I especially like nude desire.

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  7. very nice...in particular i really liked the second stanza, there is an honesty there....the wildflower that will wilt in the vase...

    hard to make that choice as well to let love pass at times, but sometimes it is the wisest, esp if we lose our voice...

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    1. A difficult choice but perhaps the wisest in the end ~ Thank you Brian ~

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  8. Nothing is worth losing oneself, especially not worth losing the voice. Lovely. Well done.

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  9. Heaven can I just say that you are so dang talented? Like seriously, every post you make is just music to my ears, it's sultry, it's mysterious, it's sensual, it's just absolutely perfect and I really feel like I've had a privilege to get to see your posts since I started following. I think that you're an amazing talent and if that talent doesn't make you a lot of money then that's really weird!

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    1. Thank you kindly for the support and encouragement Matthew ~ I appreciate them ~

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  10. I pray that you forget me quickly
    As one tires of a turbulent sea,
    or a long winter storm, not easily subdued-
    May it spare me from being pursued

    Pretty smooth complete with great rhyming, Grace! The content is a little on a sad note but it brought out the emotions. This easily can happen, quite common in fact,of a spent love about to end. Emotions provoked and wonderfully done!

    Hank

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  11. Flows like magic. Brilliantly put.

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  12. The voice of the wildflower needs to be heard as it cries its freedom. Lovely write.

    Anna :o]

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  13. stunning! to enjoy the sweetness—savor the scent—but to remain free as the wild flower unhindered by the shadow of love...

    I apologize for my psychobabble above, but ... did I mention, "stunning."

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  14. Ah, this is among the most beautiful of your poems. Not knowing the poet of your cabeza, I read with anticipation, and with those opening lines "Come closer / You say / And I do", you had me, all the way to the incantatory musicality of the verses - almost a prayer - the entreaty to fate that you never be enchained by a smothering love, what can I say but beautiful?

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    1. Thank you for the lovely words and challenge Sam ~ The Glosa is a beautiful form ~

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    2. The requirements of the glosa definitely bring out the best in a writer, doesn't it?

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  15. you portray the torment so beautifully here..

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  16. Quite sensual. Very nice.

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  17. You've woven it all together seamlessly, the borrowed lines and your own. Excellent result.

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  18. Beautiful--lots of lines here that are simply exquisite. The "vicious hive" and wanted the "lingering gaze" not "to notice me" are my favorites.

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  19. This was sad but beautiful. To let love pass so you don't lose yourself in it. Well done, Heaven. As always, thank you. Have a beautiful weekend!

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  20. Loved the facets you played here, of pain in love, much beyond the physical confines and desires. You have a way of making words dance to sweet sense of loving fragrance much to your name...sweet lust!

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  21. "For I am a wildflower
    on your velvet lapel,"

    Loved the visuals of these lines and how you brought us to a moment

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  22. Grace, I think Semaphore described my feelings exactly...exquisite in its beauty, elegant in its depth, profound in its message.
    Deep bow to your ability of utilizing a prompt with such...well....grace.

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  23. This form was/is a wonderful challenge, for the tone of the cabeza must color the poetic path we take to arrive at each borrowed tenth line; and this bittersweet piece surmounts the form as the glosa works wonderfully in your own voice; really enjoyed it, Grace.

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  24. I pray that you forget me quickly
    As one tires of a turbulent sea,
    or a long winter storm, not easily subdued.

    Brilliant images--I wanted this poem to go on for a few more stanzas! Wonderful writing here.

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  25. I don't know Hilda Hilst, but the second stanza with the flowers made me think of Emily Dickinson. Superb writing Grace.

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  26. What an incredible quote to begin with! Your poem is excellent. I especially like the opening:

    "Come closer
    You say
    And I do, my face"

    The rhythm and flow, the sound ... I love it all, throughout the poem. Beautiful work, my dear, as always. You are a lovely writer.

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  27. This just sings! Wonderful use of the form even if the speaker is torn... but of course, that's what makes for good poetry, yes? You write with lovely confidence and I quite like this...thanks also for the intro to another poet...always a bonus...

    http://thepoet-tree-house.blogspot.ca/2013/05/table-for-four.html

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  28. Beautiful writing, Grace. It has a lovely flow to it. And it's so fun to meet another new (to me) poet.

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  29. what an amazing poem. the second stanza is my fave - so delicate.
    beautifully sad - wonderful form. great work, Grace!

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  30. Beautifully written.
    "May this love never blind or bind me." These words struck me deeply because I've been holding that chant inside my heart recently. I don't want be blinded by feelings and not be able to see what's truly there. I don't want to be bound and dependent on someone that I can't stand on my own two feet.

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  31. O! Wow! I have not read her poem yet, wanting to speak to yours first. I felt Hilda Hilst's lines as a chant that compresses multiple specific histories into their essence that is so necessary for ritual. Then you expand one story so I can feel both the passionate desire and the experienced mind who is the only caretaker of the self. (Read Emily Dickinson's "Heart we will forget him?) If there were not such desire, the victory would be a small one. (This reminds me of Jesus--It is easy to love a friend, but love an enemy ...) The tension in the poem is vibrating with me still!

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  32. You own this form, my poet friend! Your glosa is stunning, my favorite so far.

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  33. What Lydia said. :) Just, wow! ( don't know how you do it, time after time coming up with such lushly sensual imagery.)

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