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Amaze

General Poetry - post, comment, review, critique
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Dave
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:07 am

Amaze

Post by Dave » Fri Sep 30, 2022 7:38 am

Attempted alternative

Amazed

I cease to barrel headlong. 
Stop, watch 

an ant haul a beetle through sand
as they are wont to do.

Later I kick bed clothes away
let my skin cool into the night

until I draw you closer, feel
your thoughts seep into my breathing.

Original

Amaze

my mind has ceased to barrel headlong 
given this gift

this ant hauling a beetle through sand
driven by zeal.

I do cry still at simple generosity,
astonished people care

folding and unfolding themselves
and their better valour and worst doubt

as I do at night wrapped in bed clothes
then kicked free of entrapment

as I cool and warm to life and its wonders.
 
Last edited by Dave on Sun Oct 09, 2022 5:54 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Kate
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2018 12:11 pm

Re: Amaze

Post by Kate » Fri Sep 30, 2022 1:22 pm

Dave,

I really love this poem. The first seven lines are absolutely perfect. I get foggy at "and their better valour and worst doubt." I think it is a little vague/lofty. Maybe you could be more specific as you are with the rest of the lines.

The last lines are just as perfect as the first lines. Great analogy: "wrapped in bed clothes
then kicked free of entrapment." I can relate to the night entanglement.

And I especially love "as I cool and warm to life and its wonders." Very succinctly written with excellent word choice.

Kate

Dave
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:07 am

Re: Amaze

Post by Dave » Mon Oct 03, 2022 2:35 pm

Hey Kate
Thanks for the comments. First of all, I am happy that anyone at all is here on the sight. Secondly, I am delighted to see you back here again it has been a long while. Thirdly, I ma so happy you like the poem and totally in agreement about the weak line you picked out. That needs fixing. I hope we see your writing here very soon.
Dave
 

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Tracy Mitchell
Posts: 3586
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 3:58 pm

Re: Amaze

Post by Tracy Mitchell » Wed Oct 05, 2022 12:22 pm

Dave,

What a wonderful writing.  I also hung up at S.4, but for perhaps different reasons.  It unexpectedly departs from the engaging form of the first three stanzas.  A simple change you may not like would be to substitute for S.4 L.2 these words: "as they are wont to do". That may tie the thread to the last stanza more tightly in several ways.  Maybe that's not a good move, I don't know, but it is what occurred to me.  

The poem is engaging on many levels.

T

Dave
Posts: 2132
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:07 am

Re: Amaze

Post by Dave » Sun Oct 09, 2022 5:55 am

Thanks Tracy
For the moment I have tried to shift the emphasis of the poem in another direction to see what happens
 

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