It happened in the moonlight by Catrin Welz-Stein
Old Moon, New Year
He waits by moon’s light ever crescent;
another year sizzles, then fades.
For hundreds of years he has tended
the gold key in his vintage hands.
Fire cones dance in a jeweled sky;
a crystal ball drops in Times Square.
Auld Lang Syne is the saddest of songs
for the guard of a captive moon.
MLydiaM ~ December 2011
At dVerse Poets Pub, Gay Reiser Cannon is hosting FormForAll--Couplets for the New Year. What an enchanting, instructional, and fascinating post she wrote about couplets in various forms. I am grateful on a regular basis to D'Team at dVerse for the remarkable professionalism and personal creativity and care each member gives to the different writing prompts there. What a treat it is to think of a new year full of discovery via dVerse Poets Pub!
Ms. Cannon, in her essay about couplets, described a couplet form I had never heard of before--the form I selected to try here--Crystallines. This is an excerpt: Crystallines are small poems, limited to 17 syllables, whose primary focus appears to be to match the Japanese clarity of image with the English harmony of sound. It was inspired by the Haiku and like the haiku it may be at its best when written in present tense. Any reference that can place the verse in context much like the Japanese kigo (season) or kidai (symbolic seasonal reference) is recommended.
She gave several examples of Crystallines including a Crystalline Sequence, in which each stanza in the longer piece is a Crystalline, i.e. 17 syllables. So, I wondered, can I compose a Crystalline Sequence comprised of 55 words to satisfy the requirement for a Flash Fiction 55 (works of fiction in 55 words)?
Well, I did it.......but I will never ever admit how many hours it took!
Links to more of this week's FF55s
are at Mr. KnowItAll, the G-Man.
to read couplets written by other poets at dVerse.
Have a Safe and Happy New Year.
I am looking forward to another year of blogging with all of you.
.
25 comments:
Lovely couplet form. I specially like the last verse:
"Auld Lang Syne is the saddest of songs
for the guard of a captive moon."
Wishing you Happy New Year ~
(aka Heaven)
very cool...i appreciate the storytelling that you put into this...the key...the captive moon...nice couplets...and thanks for the kind words on the wonderful team...they are awesome....
beautiful poem love it
Lydia...
What a pleasure it has been this past year to be priveledged enough to have your support and following.
Your posts are always so deep and profound.
Loved your 55
Thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass New Year
Your hours of work while not visible in the seamless ease of your writing pay off in the depths you plumb in your couplets here. A perfect accompaniment in your illustration, too. What makes these crystallines so shiny and brilliant are your verb choices that are so perfectly apt. You have drawn the nightwatchman so exquisitely and so eloquently that it almost moved me to tears. Wonderful, quite wonderful!
Definitely a keeper, lovely!
I love this section:
"For hundreds of years he has tended
the gold key in his vintage hands.
Fire cones dance in a jeweled sky;"
~Shawna
(rosemarymint.wordpress.com)
I love moon poems.
I loved your poem even before I learned it was written in a particular form. The imagery is vivid yet subtle.
Naturally, I also admired the painting so went by and had a quick look at some of her others. Nice find.
I hope all good things come your way in the New Year.
'the guard of a captive moon'
what a closing, lydia. how sad is that!
i am very impressed with your syllables! i don't know if i could do it. you inspire me. i hope in the coming year i join you in writing along. if you don't mind. :^)
happy happy new year. i hope it's a great one, with abundant surprises
♥
kj
Gosh, Lydia I can only imagine how hard this was--I puttered about with crystallines a bit then just wrote some rhymed couplets as my time ran out. And then to count the words on top of it--tip of the witchy hat and the Extra Mile award for that! This is exquisite, a beautiful piece that stands both on and above its form.
Happiest of New Years your way, as well.
Grace~ So you have changed your moniker for the New Year! Thank you for your visit, all your visits this year...and Happy New Year!
Brian~ You team members sure are marvelous and deserving of so much thanks for creating the Poets Pub.
Thanks much for your comment. Happy New Year to you and your family. :)
Frosty Duncan~ Hi! Long time! Thanks for your visit and Happy New Year. :)
Mama Zen~ I am so glad you liked this. :) Happy New Year to you!
G-Man~ Thank You for creating and hosting such a marvelous place. Writing FF55s has been like vitamin shots for my muse. She is your biggest fan. :)
Happy New Year.
Beachanny~ I was so pleased and humbled to read your lovely comments. If I had a "Comments Bank" I would deposit yours there. Instead, I will remember it and thank you. Happy New Year. :)
izzy~ Ah, thanks. And Happy New Year. :)
Shawna~ I appreciate your commenting on the parts you liked best, and enjoyed your visit so much. Happy New Year.
Fireblossom~ Yup, and you've been know to write a few of them yourself, I'd wager an easy guess! Happy New Year, Shay.
susan~ That tickles me that you liked the poem even before the form info. So pleased you visited the artist's page at imagekind. I became a "fan" of hers there because I really loved her work.
Happy New Year from Oregon for a great 12 months ahead.
kj~ I look for you every week at the writing prompt sites and keep hoping you will join. Knowing you are planning on doing so is another reason I look forward to a new year! Thank you so much for your comments and Happy New Year.
hedgewitch~ You are so supportive and kind! If you hadn't run out of time you would have made the most awesome crystallines imaginable, I am sure of that. And I can't wait to come read your rhymed couplets!
Thanks so much for the tip of the witchy hat and the award. Happy New Year!
A beautiful poem, as always Lydia, hope you have a wonderful new year xxx
Kiitos kuluneesta vuodesta...
Hyvää ja Onnellista Vuotta 2012.
Eko
Deborah~ Thank you so much for your sweet comment and wishes. A most Happy New Year to you and yours. xo
Eko~ Oh! Thank You for your friendship and beautiful photography this year. I wish you and your family a Happy New Year!
A lively, happy and enjoyable poem.
stunning moon imagery in your couplets, well done.
Happy New Year! Best wishes for you!
Lovely poem! Love the fire cones and the captive moon. Great picture, too.
All the best, Lydia, for that year ahead! Looking forward to a lot of blogposts and lots of comments in this community here! Happy New Year to you all!
Well, I tried to post on Safari but got the feeling it wasn't working. So here is my comment, and if it shows up redundant, please delete previous efforts.
I see the moon and think it sees me too. In the night I think it talks to me. Its a silly idea, but I like it. Goodnight Moon! As a child, my son looked up at a half-moon and said, "The moon is broke, but daddy will fix it." (As if I didn't have enough on my hands already!)
I agree with Heaven the last line is great, I just love how it explains the picture. wow.
Dave King~ Thank you for your comment and Happy New Year.
Taylor Boomer~ I appreciated your complimentary comment!
Olga~ Thank you for your kind wishes. Happy New Year to you, too!
francessa~ Happy New Year! I am looking forward to posts at your blog, too.
Thanks for your comments on the poem, and for your great assistance in translating the old postcard in the previous post. What valuable help!
mythopolis~ Only got the one comment and enjoyed it immensely. That sweet comment by your son when he was little is truly priceless, and speaks volumes about what kind of dad you were/are. The moon should talk to a guy like you!
zongrik~ How nice of you to visit and leave such a kind comment. Thank you.
even if you had simply put the pic as the only thing in this post it would have been awesome...but with the lines...it becomes more so... just liked every word of it..and still gazing the picture...
happy new year...may all your wishes come true...
Muhammad Israr~ Happy New Year to you! Thank you so much for your comments. I agree about that picture; it is truly wonderful. :)
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