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| Galaxy as seen from the Hubble Telescope courtesy of NASA |
I.
That shape of stars blue hot born slow of gas
then cooled, space-swept to turn in galaxies.
A golden chain of order still so vast
it cannot yet explain the mysteries
that flourish in exotic rarities.
Revealed through pure celestial looking glass
reduced to microcosms, all disclose
That shape of stars blue hot born slow of gas
then cooled, space-swept to turn in galaxies.
A golden chain of order still so vast
it cannot yet explain the mysteries
that flourish in exotic rarities.
Revealed through pure celestial looking glass
reduced to microcosms, all disclose
the universal symbol as a rose.
II.
A line that seems a never ending mass
of unexpected curled simplicity.
The fragrance: delicate as breezes through the leaves.
The taste as acrid as a blade of grass.
The texture lush as velvet. Reveals itself
in essence, color, fragrance, spiral stance.
Within it wound in sensual dark folds
lies the universal symbol of the rose.
A line that seems a never ending mass
of unexpected curled simplicity.
The fragrance: delicate as breezes through the leaves.
The taste as acrid as a blade of grass.
The texture lush as velvet. Reveals itself
in essence, color, fragrance, spiral stance.
Within it wound in sensual dark folds
lies the universal symbol of the rose.
(c) Gay Reiser Cannon * 2011 * All Rights Reserved
love the unexpected curled simplicities and the golden chain of order, you managed to capture some of the magic out there. i love roses gay - but not the nice, decent ones - i love the ramblers that climb up my pear tree and have their wild ways up the branches, wrapping me with their untamed and recklessly surprising magic...ok - getting off-track...will stop here...smiles
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Love how you merged the macro and the microcosm into the rose symbol. Very powerful and profound.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great comparison! Nice write!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Gay. Is there some form at work behind the scenes? The rhyme scheme is very balanced and adds to the imagery of cosmic consistency, galaxies swirling in the rose bud opening out.
ReplyDeleteI was playing with personal variations of Ottava Rima I think. 8 lines, iambic pentameter with a,b,stanza of 6 lines which change a little from I to II and a c/c couplet. It's always fascinated me that everything from religions to kingdoms; also, in all kinds of literature, the rose has been used as a symbol. It has a huge range of symbolic meanings. But it struck me as more than co-incidental when Hubble images, as well as microscopic images biological and chemical structures were also formed in this interesting spiral.
ReplyDeleteIt made me smile and put me in mind of that justification of Kings that things are "ordained" from heaven to the smallest things. Who knows, maybe they "knew" something. Roses intrigue me and I have used them in a lot of my poems. Thanks all.
Sublime. Gorgeous words. Love the structure. It seems to duplicate the order of 'the rose.' I love your poetic description of the rose (second stanza) ... very seductive, like the rose, itself. I love all your work but this one has made me feel soft and liquid. I like it. xx
ReplyDeleteMarvelous!! Really liked how one almost led to the other... the transition was so smooth, it seemed natural!
ReplyDeleteReally beautifully worded, with hints of pure romanticism.. that's what I call perfect poetry!
Wow! Thank you Robin and Kavita. I enjoyed writing this piece making the rhythms and rhymes work was really fun. Appreciate your words!
ReplyDeletesimply beautiful... very soft poem, yet still ever changing!
ReplyDeleteWill you accept this rose?
ReplyDeleteAs always, you impress and delight. I could read your work all day.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. I especially loved the femininity your words exude in the second stanza.
ReplyDeleteAh yes roses aren't symbols of love for nothing. So much aching need in the unfolding of the pedals and so much passion in their colours; I believe every woman can relate and every man can feel.
ReplyDeleteBut that sensual feel can take us to a higher level of sensuous discovery. Not a surprise then that the rose resonates for so many; but Georgia O'Keefe showed us sex calls out from so many more kinds of flowers; and our Hedgewitch writes about the determined passion of weeds today. Uh-huh, it is all sex and sometimes (yeah) drugs, and rocknroll!
Wonderfully crafted. The word choice and imagery are excellent!
ReplyDeleteand though an ordered pair there is still that winsome, energy - the unexpected
ReplyDeleteThanks Gay
Gay...
ReplyDeleteYour poetry is off the charts.
What a beautifully descriptive work of Art!
To you though, this is quick and easy!
Thanks.....G
Beautiful, beautiful poem with wonderful truth wound deftly throughout. Truly, what compares to a rose? It is as though the heart of God in creation is centred there. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteDone very beautifully indeed! Your words are equally complimenting (to) a Rose..
ReplyDeleteHugs xox
Rilke's eptiaph was ""Rose, O pure contradiction, desire /To be no one's sleep under so many / Lids." Such yearning is as celestial and infinite as its proximal and calyxed: How sweetly you marry the realms here, as if the heart was chambered with loves great and small, exempla too big for the mind or too small to warrant notice. You paint both poles with masterful images and sounds. - Brendan
ReplyDeleteyou are good, anny :) I wish I shared your abilities of insight into nature's inner workings. now. the formalist in me stands both humbled and awed at your talent in from. love the polysyallabic end rhymes :)
ReplyDeleteMonty / bummy
I love this comparison. The universal patterns are recreated in so many things around us that we do not even see. Your words bring a lovely knowing to the mind. A beautiful write Gay, much enjoyed ~ Rose
ReplyDeleteDear Gay
ReplyDeleteA lovely rose... from the universe to the smallest part of beauty... I could relate both in the wholeness of it all.. thanks
Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/05/whispers-buddha-and-life.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay
A galaxy as a rose and the sacred beauty of it and the flower.... Lovely.
ReplyDeleteWhat a phenomenal comparison of spiral beauty - the galaxy as rose, rose as galaxy. I loved it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful comparison of macro-microcosim. I think you've captured a deep reality in this one.
ReplyDeleteI like the relationship of the galaxy and star. Both are beautiful. very nice...
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to me how often patterns like radial whirlpools repeat in nature. Your poem makes me wonder if a galaxy is a rose to some magnificent being. :D
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful comparison of the universe to the simple miracle of a rose.
ReplyDeleteI have to set aside some time to read all your work! You are so inspiring!!! I love your poetry! Pls take a look at my blog: http://www.lilyspoem.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Lily xxx
Thank you everyone for coming by to read. Got stuck today for five hours when it should have been 30 minutes. I'll try to read all your blogs soon. Thank you Lily, I'll try to look at all of yours soon. Very pleased the rose poem found a receptive audience. Uh,G-Man, never quick and easy for me. Short poems often take longer than long ones. Since I don't "think" poems but sometimes they come in some shape or other. So free verse tends to flow longer and quicker than structured forms as I have to count and fiddle with rhymes and wonder if that's just what I want them to say. With this poem the rhymes came with the meaning though, and that made it a good deal more satisfying.
ReplyDeleteAll of you, so much appreciate your support. It's lovely having you in my world.
Stunning Gay ~ the appeal of the Rose unversal as someone commented whether the universe/galaxy was someones rose ~ and yes the Rose is a universe unto itself and yields it's beauty from within the core ~ captured and expressed with sublime eloquence ~ Lib @Libithina
ReplyDeleteGay, you make me want to be a rose.
ReplyDelete