essence roots itself
in a trace of breath—silent,
ephemeral, runed–
essence roots itself
without location, time or
juxtaposition–
in a trace of breath, silent
universes take
hold, as if infused by clouds—
ephemeral, runed–
needing no gods, no hourglass
to spell out what is
I’ve written a troiku for Muri’s scavenger hunt which comes slant at the NaPoWriMo prompt to “describe something in terms of what it is not”.
K. 
This is hauntingly beautiful, Kerfe. Runed (as in runes) is really a powerful message!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Colleen. I am always trying out different words. I liked both the sound and the image of it.
LikeLike
I see worlds in the image. The troiku is gorgeous. The last stanza started my scalp tingling (and it still is!) You jacked into something with this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jade. The poem I started with was very different, but I think troiku helps focus and evolve the original thought.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome and agreed! I was working on a sestina for a local competition this weekend and was happy with how it morphed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you post it! One of these days I’ll post the completed sestina from the kick about prompt where I did the first stanza. I’m way behind on separate posts for the kick abouts. And everything else in my life for that matter…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will once the contest is over. Yes, please do when you get time. I hear you on way behind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The essence of everything. Love this approach, repetition really reinforcing the message. And the painting has everything in it, bird, insect, and two women looking out of something’s (rabbit?) eyes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Troiku is a wonderful form. It has both structure and flexibility. This painting is one of my favorites. Rorschach is especially unpredictable but everything worked in this one.
LikeLike
The Rorschach is such an intricate painting. Those shawled women…
I had a go at a troiku this morning but it didn’t work out. The third stanza that starts with a long line threw me. I turned it into a trimeric so all the stanzas could be free form..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes I just shorten the seven syllable line to five, but in this case I inverted the stanza to make it 7-5-7. But I really like the trimeric too. Often the words determine the best form.
LikeLike
For some reason, I balk at the 5-7-5 syllable structure and prefer an approximate number of syllables per line, but keeping the middle line as the longest. It throws me out when a stanza starts with a long line.
Yes, it’s always best to let the words decide the form. Shoe-horning doesn’t make a good poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Einstein talked about this you know – folded space! : )
LikeLiked by 1 person
Space and time have a lot to say.
LikeLike
Kerfe. This. All of this. Most excellent, astounding, breathtaking…. ❤ ❤ ❤ !
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
I can’t get over ‘ephemeral, runed’. And the ghost of a luna month I see in the Rorshach.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sun. The ghosts we see reflect our state of mind I think. A luna moth seems like a good one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m echoing all the comments above–beautifully done–but really you hooked me with the first line.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Merril. This is a good form for me. It makes me examine each word.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome. You’re very good at that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It pleases me that you think so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Echo echo. It’s beautiful and yes the troiku works so well here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks D.
LikeLike
WOW kerfe! that painting is breathtaking! like the skeleton of some celestial being!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Graeme! What a nice complement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The universe has its own innate wisdom, it would seem…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It does, I’m sure of it. Thanks Ingrid.
LikeLiked by 1 person