I climb my thoughts of you
into skies that are forever
into air that leaves me gasping
Into a dizzy unconsciousness
that transforms itself endlessly
into not me but someone else
Who has grown wings, who floats
on waves that go through me
and drown me and carry me
everywhere all at once—
Who are you? What is this song
that vibrates through my being
and paints all of my surfaces
with continuous magical surprise?
Laura at dVerse is highlighting the questions of poet Pablo Neruda, asking us to take one of the selected lines from his work “The Book of Questions” and make it our own. My poem (which was inspired partly also by Neruda’s love sonnets) is a reworking of one rejected by The Ekphrastic Review for a piece of artwork by Barbara Danin (which you can see here, or by looking at the poems Jane Dougherty posted for Danin’s painting here).
The collage is a combination of Danin and Neruda, one of my favorite poets.
K. 
Love.
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Thanks Ken. High praise indeed.
Have you read Neruda’s love sonnets? Another poet who knows all about love.
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Only a few, so I’ll make a point of correcting that.
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I like this. The words give a sense to the painting that I hadn’t seen, a searching rather than a simple acquiescence. Perhaps your woman in the water has more of an air of wisdom that Danin’s woman.
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She’s been transformed as well as overwhelmed.
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Transformed for the better.
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a wonderful collage of questions that soar with the collage – the poem ran with Neruda’s questioning so well especially in the last two stanzas. It feels like the narrator is the abandoned lagoon moving between water and air. Thank you for making much of this prompt
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Thanks Laura. Now you are sending me back for more Neruda.
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I like your poem, Kerfe, but I love this artwork. It is marvelous.
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Thanks Robbie. The more wings the better!
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I love your questions and the rhythm sounded like a dance to me. Lovely x
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I love the idea of a dance. Thanks!
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I esp. love that last stanza
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Thanks!
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Beautiful collaging of images and words, Kerfe! The opening stanza grabbed me by the throat and left me gasping and the rest of your poem drowned me in wings and waves. I love that you ended with questions, especially:
‘…What is this song
that vibrates through my being
and paints all of my surfaces
with continuous magical surprise?’
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Thanks Kim. Neruda is such a rich resource. And questions always beget more questions I find.
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This is a wonderful collaboration, Kerfe. You, Neruda, the art, the questioning. . .really wonderful.
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Thanks Merril. You know how I like questions. And something about Neruda really strikes a deep chord with me.
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I like Neruda, too, though I can’t say I know his poetry well.
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Last year I spent a few months with the love sonnets. I also have his collected works–my daughter got it for me as a gift a few years ago.
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