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Monday, January 3, 2011

HEARTS AND FLOWERS


                      Love,
                      We're valentines of blood.
                      Lying like the hearts of blackbirds
                      Dropped in the snow.


                      Your frozen desire unwinding
                      Beyond the winter,
                      Erect as bluebonnets;
                      A blue nude by a stone.


                      Indifferent objector resisting
                      My repressed passion.  This
                      Sealed desire in mysterious facets;
                      An odalisque hot as red petals
                      On the flowers of despair.


                      Surrounded by greedy creepers.
                      Tenacious jasmine belles
                      Yearning for their season,
                      Girls releasing crimson agonies.
                      With their ivory fingers
                      Cruel desire ruptured
                      In spurts of yellow juice.


                      These invitations to destruction
                      Are transferred through thoughts of
                      Sapphire and topaz, and become
                      Splinters of fractured rubies
                      Thrown to the black night sky--
                      Bleeding stars of tortured doubts.

             
                      © Gay Reiser Cannon All Rights Reserved 1/3/11

31 comments:

  1. Emotionally-acute, starkly and occasionally desirous-effect work. Oustanding, stark.

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  2. From opening to close, this one just builds in intensity and image. What an excellent, excellent poem, Gay. "...An odalisque hot as red petals/On the flowers of despair..." And the ending is killer--wistful, mysterious and cerebral. You're raising the bar for all of us here, my dear.

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  3. omG. What was on YOUR corn flakes this morning, Gay? Every word of this is sensational. Just. sensational. Wowwwwww.

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  4. Every line sharp as a pointed stick...and really wonderful.

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  5. Full of emotion and some great lines.

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  6. This was not meant as a curse to the beautiful redwing blackbirds who occasionally fly through. I wrote it before word of their mass death. May the poor singing birds rest in peace.

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  7. Thank you for all the comments everyone. Appreciate that you like it.

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  8. Ah detect sumthin bout SEX in there! (Thet's cuz ah know some of them there words have a double meaning!)

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  9. Well captured Timoteo my friends..sex given and sex deprived too.

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  10. Wow, such emotional turmoil in the garden of love. This is very powerful, Gay.

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  11. So emotional,Poignant Rising images are dancing within your lines dear Gay :) very powerful! i can't get enough of reading this..you just left me speechless and loving it :))

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  12. Lying like the hearts of blackbirds
    Dropped in the snow.

    beautiful photo, complimented by your poetry.
    I can envision that black night sky.

    Very visual, engaging poem.

    I can see the bright red on the snow, red from the hearts of blackbirds.

    beautifully written!

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  13. that last stanza my favorite...all those colors and jewels thrown onto a night sky...beautiful...bkm

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  14. for me, this elicits a sense of fear yet excitement and also confusion - like a young girl being tempted to, but advised not to, give her sexuality away, no matter how beautiful the offer appears. Mysterious, I like it!

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  15. Pardon the pun, but this is a real jewel of a poem, Gay.

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  16. wow gay...this is excellent...the emotions tight...and great imagery

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  17. got to say it...this was one of your best yet...amazing poem...really damn good gay..cheers pete

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  18. Beautifully written, strong metaphors, imagery...

    flows without a stumble.

    Gorgeous, Gay.

    Lady Nyo

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  19. Very powerful metaphors throughout. It floats and flows yet has strength in prose.

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  20. Raw, powerful and very touching. Wonderful lines...

    Here is my one shot:
    musical whirlwind

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  21. Invitations to destruction - this poem moves from life to death and back again until they become the same. Great poem, Gay.

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  22. very straight yet complex.... I thoroughly enjoyed this!

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  23. Oh my my!!! What a metaphoric representation of emotions... absolutely delightful to read!! Left so much for the mind to read into... a superbly colorful work, Gay!!!
    A very happy new year to you!!!

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  24. Fantastic and emotional...have to keep reading like the words used are faceted to many levels. Then there is the contrast of black and white in the photo that draw it in even deeper/ your words are warm still on the ice and snow of it! Excellent writing! ~April

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  25. OMG Gay! I'm almost afraid of meeting you...what a tight and sensual write ...Lying like the hearts of blackbirds Dropped in the snow...my goodness that was passionate. thanks for the lovely birthday card - i'm looking forward to meeting you :=)

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  26. Claudia, I promise I'm not scary. Really. Actually when I wrote it, it was a response to a few people saying my poetry was all "hearts and flowers" not thrilling and cutting edge. I just thought, I'll show them some 'hearts and flowers' and this is what I came up with.

    Thanks everyone for the praise. I really never knew if it was any good as it was a response to a little negative criticism. Seems like I do that. If someone says one thing, I set out to show them! So I'm glad it resonated. I looked out my window and talked about the hard life of flowers and dark nights of stars.

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  27. vivid visuals, quite evocative. You don't disappoint :) Extra marks for getting 'odalisque' in there!

    Warmest Salad

    Luke @ WordSalad

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  28. Gay, passionate and very vivid. I appreciate all of your works. They are striking and your word usage is always fantastic. Thank you for sharing.

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  29. last line - ouch
    love can fracture

    really profound piece Gay

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