It has been forever since I tried to write something for a prompt over at dVerse – one of the most wonderful places to find talented writers who seem to write effortlessly, words flow like magic out of their (virtual) pens and enrich our lives. I consider myself lucky to just make an effort and to be inspired by others in dVerse land!
Today, the challenge is to write in a form used by Frost in one of his most famous poems ‘STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING’ – this was a poem I recall reading as a child. And I also remember this fact – the words of the last stanza of this poem were found on a scrap of paper
on the desk of Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru when he
died – presumed to be the last words he saw.
My attempt at this form is inspired by events of two recent evenings spent with my little girl (who just turned nine) and her friends.
Chaos is All Right
Balloons – they showed up everywhere
Chairs, tables, and up in the air
So glad they did not go pop, whoosh
For sure I would have had a scare.
Trying hard, trying to shush
the zillion girls who pulled and pushed
jostling for prime spots; as for me
– wished myself safe in a barouche
The girls, there were only twenty
Seemed like more as they screamed yippee
Prime spots forgotten in delight
They had learned their steps perfectly!
‘Pop’ went the balloons! Smiles were bright
Cameras flashed their twinkling lights
As for me – everything seemed right
The place, the time, the moment – all right!
Oh so sweet.. The energy of those little girls celebrating.. still after a while I guess 20 girls can be a little too noisy.. 🙂
ha. you pull off the form very naturally….there is a nice energy in it as well…
of course i love balloons…i would love to go up in a hot air balloon again as well….
sounds like someone had a nice party…
good to see you….
Lovely – so gratifying to see how you "worked" the form. I see you used the caesura as did Barry in the last poem I read. I am finding this form to be freeing rather than restricting. The beauty of the fours doesn't give it a square or cubic feel at all – it makes it feel like a long braid, or a babbling brook, or an exciting party of teenage girls having fun, playing games, opening presents, telling stories, making wishes. That's what "growing up" is all about and you have captured it perfectly.
Oh I miss the time when my little girl was nine! She still held my hand then. Smiles! I enjoyed this poem, and am most struck by your note about the last words Nehru read before he died. Wow.
Oh twenty little girls, how brave you are! Your words – sweet delightful and full of energy. Lovely.
Anna :o]
20? whoa… I know with little kids, it can easily seem like more… energetic write and very sweet… did well with form, too.
a lovely time to cherish