Saturday 17 August 2013

my letter to the sun

Dear Sun,

What must I do to
burn myself everyday ?

Not palest flicker 
Nor fluttering grasping glow 

But the deep flare,
spiralling fire like tentacles 

rooting from every cell
waking up each molecular grain

That deep hunger
That straddles the everyday

Free of regrets & shame
Without shape & numbers       

Do I take this pale skin and color it 
golden wheat, bursting of bird seeds   

Do I curl my feet into a giant snowball
& hurl myself over the edge of a mountain

Do I leave my lover to
feel the deep ache & hollow of love

Must I lie alone in my bed
to pine for passion, knotted wild & fierce

Must I live in the desert
to treasure my footprints, both steady & faint       

Must I cut my tongue, walk with a limp 
& become blind, to savor each dewdrop

Each bloom, each burning kiss 
a blue sky, a thunderstorm, a moon swell

What must I do to
burn myself everyday  ?

                                                        





Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - We are writing letter-style poem or epistle ~   Hosted by Mary

Happy weekend ~














Picture credit:   Tumblr.com

59 comments:

  1. How to understand the sun and get the best of fun. Yes, making friends with the sun to get lots of returns. Nice thoughts Grace!

    Hank

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  2. Well you can feel the burn, as thing churn and just lie in its embrace, but you may end up hurting all over the place

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    1. Feel the burn, ouch on that ~ Happy Saturday Pat ~

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  3. curl my feet in a giant snowball and throw it over the mountain...ha...really a wicked flow...love the question, and passion with which you write this one.....

    happy saturday

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  4. A letter filled with passion and beauty, Grace, as you implore the sun! I enjoyed savoring your images, and I especially like the second last stanza! Ending with the same couplet you began with is very effective, taking the poem full circle.

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    1. That's my favorite part too Mary ~ Thank you for the lovely challenge ~

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  5. Free of regrets & shame
    Without shape & numbers


    To burn it all away like the sun... I love this, Grace.


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  6. How grateful we must be for sun in our north places...interesting imagery and always so attractive to me your nurturing essence...:)

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  7. Do I take this pale skin and color it
    golden wheat, bursting of bird seeds

    - the best description of sun tan/burn ever!

    a haunting epistle, Grace

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    1. Thanks M ~ But don't take me literally ~ I don't like sunburns, ouch ~

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  8. I read this as a wish for the passion we can never feel... (unless it's absent) ... who better than the sun can know how to burn without ever be consumed... ? really wonderful read.

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    1. To burn and burn without being consumed, yes ~ Love your insights Bjorn ~

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  9. I couldn't understand the meaning of burning in the poem, until I read Bjorn's comment above. I like that explanation :)

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  10. This makes me appreciate the sun so much Heaven, and this poem is perfect, in fact the more I read it the better it gets, some of your recent poems have been pieces of genius, pieces of absolute pleasure, I have to bookmark this, just out of this world good.

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    1. Thank you for the lovely words Matthew ~

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  11. Replies
    1. Consumed but not totally burnt I hope ~ Thanks ~

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  12. Oh, I traveled with each word, fixated on a few exquisite ones, and loved the journey

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  13. A wonderful letter & analogy, rife with symbol & passion. I sensed the stanzas dealt with the internal fires of creativity, to keep them stoked, stirring the magma of memory, stirring the hot lava of love for a world that craves, that needs more poetry; and you are a primer server; thanks.

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    1. Your comments are just poetic as my post Glenn ~ Thank you ~

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  14. I read it as a sad song of being so hurt that burning would be but a new mark on the dead skin.
    That was about my personal reading experience.
    I liked the questionnaire form of the poem and the words tingled at my tongue.

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  15. Very powerful and evocative letter!

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  16. this i think can be called a literally burning desire....

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  17. Must I live in the desert
    to treasure my footprints, both steady & faint ...my favourite lines... the idea of being alone but still getting on with it... I like that...strong poem!

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  18. This really captures how I've been feeling of late. My favourite lines have to be:
    Do I take this pale skin and color it
    golden wheat, bursting of bird seeds

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  19. Very good. Each of the many questions suggest the strong desire for an answer that has eluded and might never come. They intensify the yearning. I really appreciate it more after each reading, seeing new meanings in the images and symbols.

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  20. ...now maybe you know why i look pale Grace... accounting holds responsible...ha... aside from weekends i guess the only time the sun could touch my skin was every lunch break when i got the chance to dine in somewhere other than the office canteen... but ye know... sun's rays isn't that much safe for the outer layer of our skin cells these days... the UV rays are much more harmful today than it were yesterday... so somehow, ok na rin na di maiinitan... hihi... love love love this... & hey... your blog is now 'Scarlet Verse'.... what happened to 'Sweet Lust'....? hmmn... smiles...

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    1. Its the same but I have changed the title ~ I had always wanted to change it but couldn't think of new one ~

      And I am paler than you, & much more during winter time ~ Smiles

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  21. Nice write Grace.>KB

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  22. Grace, you truly are the Queen of Passion. this is marvellous... i feel singed reading this - but in a good way. wonderful, wonderful work.
    ~Miriam

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  23. No, no! Don't cut your tongue, whatever you do... We would all miss your voice. :)

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  24. I read this as burning passion...

    As always, thank you, Heaven.

    Have a beautiful weekend.

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  25. such a strong write - do love the lines
    'Do I take this pale skin and color it
    golden wheat, bursting of bird seeds

    Do I curl my feet into a giant snowball
    & hurl myself over the edge of a mountain'
    Beautiful, Grace - K

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  26. each molecule
    of your kiss
    leaves footprints
    on my heart

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  27. Gosh! I was led astray, I think by the word "burn" because as you describe the sensation and the gratitude of those who really live, I felt you might mean ignite as in the ignition on the car which sometimes can be jump started when it doesn't provide enough juice. And O, that fired up PASSION! A thing of youth and innocence! And it does burn--it burns the candle of life from both ends, consumes, loves, gives--and afterwards the sleep is deep.

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  28. A glorious write......I especially loved the snowball feet and hurling yourself off a mountain.........inspired!

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  29. beautiful description... so love the warmth of the sun

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  30. The passion of your poetry always blows me away - perhaps this one most of all.

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  31. Almost a palindrome twisting from the burning sun of the sky to the burning sun within the heart and spirit. Delicious descriptions.

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  32. I love the new title - Scarlet Verses.

    And the poem, my dear, burns its way right to the core.

    But the deep flare,
    spiralling fire like tentacles

    I loved the whole poem, and the image enhanced the experience.

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  33. I have read through twice and I cannot chose any line that I love, that I haven't dwelled on, that hasn't given me a visual, for they all have - and I thank you Grace.

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  34. This was absolutely gorgeous. So rich in questions and emotions.

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  35. Lovely way to question why/how can we take our days for granted instead of being burned passionately with the opportunity of life. I like the energy in this poem. It is like a little glimpse of the sun. Have a great day Grace. Enjoy the sun.

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  36. what an opening 3 lines ... beautiful work, as always

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  37. I love the passion in this. It's aggressive, demanding. It is fierce, actually. Rereading it a few times, so you know I think it's great :)

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  38. This is a wickedly wild write, Grace. Wanting to be burned by the sun is like tempting fire, donning the wings of Icarus... it's almost as though the narrator craves abuse or failure, but doesn't see it as such for love of the sun. I don't think this will end well...

    But that's just me! Supremely interesting poetry! Amy

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  39. Oh, don't we all want to feel the burn, that sense that we are experiencing something supreme! I love the way your poetry can be read both literally and metaphorically. It's cleverly done, with beautiful, sensuous imagery.

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  40. what they said ^ smiles and a hearty, "LOVE IT!"

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