Beshadowed

Forever is black, black is forever,
moon disappears, changes black into moon–
nowhere is lost, afraid, travels nowhere,
soon returns itself to shadow–too soon.

Pretend to be endless, and then pretend
time is a circle without any time–
wind-condensed twilight rides currents of wind–
alive, passing through everything, alive.

Become the orbits as they now become
adrift, sepulchral echoes adrift
among whispers, a stillness caught among
shifts of always and evermore, dark shifts.

Trees grow into night silhouettes of trees–
mysteries surrounding life’s mysteries

I decided to take up the challenge Laura provided at dVerse to write a shadow sonnet. I admit, I started with an old sonnet I had written, but by the time I was done, it barely resembled the original. It needs more work, but it’s time to let it go for now.

40 thoughts on “Beshadowed”

  1. This a most wonderful attempt – and you’re use of the repeat shadow words really works so well here. I know you’ve said it’s not wholly complete, as per the challenge’s directives, but so far, more than so good. I like how you’ve used concrete imagery with the metaphorical – it’s a fine balance and is most lovely. There is a lovely mystical quality to this sonnet – it’s very circular and (directed) wandering – it reminds me of an “infinity” symbol.

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      1. how curious – and interesting – when I write, it’s about images, not the sound(s) …. fascinating how process works so differently for us all … and from subject to subject, art form to art form (i.e. I presume your approach to collages, painting etc. is far different, more visual, naturally etc.).

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        1. It does. Collage is all about layering, but it’s always just playing with the forms. I never plan it out except occasionally, and then it’s just a vague idea. I mostly paint watercolor now, which always has an element of surprise. I actually never know what’s going to happen with what I do, let’s be honest. Even a drawing–you can’t control it, really. At least I can’t.

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          1. That’s very true. About the lack of control. We think we will X, Y, Z – but within the process, magic happens, and the project takes on its own life and breath. And maybe that’s really what is so beautiful about creating art – a sort of easing into and letting things happen, with only our minimal interference, planning or direction.

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  2. That small figure in the image I imagine is you, beholding your world and seeing what inspired your words. The poem is mystical and wondrous, K. I know what you mean about having to let it go at some point and that’s the beauty of poetry, it can be revisited by the muse at any time…

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    1. Thanks Muri–no tissue paper on this one, though I often use it. I just went into the collage boxes of images I’ve collected and took out what fit together. It’s all serendipity. Every collage is.

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  8. It’s funny, but the repeating word doesn’t give me a sense of circling, it’s more like pressing the reset button at the end of each line. I’m impressed at how much you made this a ‘shadow’. I’d like to read the original sonnet though.

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    1. That’s a very good observation about the feeling of this form. It has a hard time flowing.
      The original sonnet was unfinished and needing work, which is why I never used it for anything. But perhaps I’ll try to make a proper finished one out of it and compare the two.

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      1. It’s counter-intuitive. If you can’t use enjambment, which is part of the mechanics of the classical sonnet, it means you have to have a phrase that starts and ends with the same word. Exactly the kind of repetition that’s edited out of prose because the ear picks it up and tells you, you’ve already heard that once.

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  12. there’s something about the ‘moon’ line that really speaks to me, Kerfe; the whole sonnet is just lovely – but that ‘moon’ line… I think it makes me truly imagine the cycle of the moon, the way the line has it on both ends… makes me think of a diagram of the moon at different stages, ya know?

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  14. Pingback: Beshadowed — K. – Ungroovygords

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