On a pyre of sandalwood and aloes,
My heart burnt with bitter tears
Perfumes and dreams dwindling in smoke
In the consummation of my deepest fears.
The fire exhausts itself at last
Unable to believe in burning again.
All the brilliance of our love
Turned to ash-caked tears and pain
Yet somehow one crystal tear
Strikes fire from the vanishing sun
And in a rainbow of sudden life
A fledgling life breathes, ember-spun.
New life arises, gold and scarlet
With strength hard won from the heart of pain
Amber and indigo feathers reborn
Wings remember how to fly again.
And I awaken to glorious day
A life where hopes outshine fears.
My heart knows a mystery old as life;
I was weeping phoenix tears.
This poem was inspired by the monday mural at poefusion. Do visit the site and have a look at the poems other people have written based on this picture.
8 responses so far ↓
mariacristina // April 8, 2008 at 9:12 pm |
Beautiful. I love the words like amber, aloe, ember-spun. The flow of sound is lovely. Have you ever thought about recording your poems? Maybe that would take away the anonimity you are now enjoying, but I would love to hear you recite.
I’m glad to hear the note of hope at the end. Heartache is the worst, no doubt.
Michelle Johnson // April 8, 2008 at 10:23 pm |
Beautiful. Intense. Loss. Hope. Just a few words to describe what this evokes in me. You have such a grounded view of what poetry should be and execute it well. Thanks for writing your beautiful words for everyone to share. Have a nice night.
paisley // April 9, 2008 at 10:47 am |
tears of rebirth.. what an amazing concept… i will have to remember that the next time life reduces me to tears,, maybe it is a form or renewal or rebirth every time…. very lovely write…
blissfromtheabyss // April 9, 2008 at 11:17 pm |
“Strikes fire from the vanishing sun”
Excellent verse. Tastes good to my mind!
gautami tripathy // April 10, 2008 at 9:43 am |
Marvellous! It has the grace of a phoenix!
signs of truth
Katia // April 10, 2008 at 5:05 pm |
Beauuuuuuutifoul!!!
lirone // April 10, 2008 at 6:39 pm |
Thank you all for your lovely comments! It was one of those poems that seemed to write itself without much tweaking!
I looked at the image, and the ideas of phoenixes and tears just sprung out at me, and before I knew it they had become the parents of a poem!
You leave us, our muse: Patchwork poem for NaPoWriMo « Mariacristina // April 24, 2008 at 8:40 am |
[...] Muse, by Lissa at Just Writing Words. Pheonix Tears, by Lirone at Words that Sing. Pit of your spit, by gautami tripathy at Rooted. Sinking Ships by writerwoman at Shores of My [...]