Friday, June 29, 2012

CCCXXI - The Jonquil



Done in the same rhyming pattern as Wordsworth's Daffodils.

 
The Jonquil

The earth has passed the furthest tip
Of its broad arc around the sun;
Winter still maintains its grip
On a garden, dormant and undone.
But there, a harbinger of spring, unfurled:
A jonquil beams upon the world.

While all else is sleeping, or in decay;
The  jonquil foreshadows what is to be.
As I greet the lengthening of the day,
The jonquil speaks of hope to me.
There’s a freshness in its presentation
That evokes a sense of warm elation.

Dubbed Narcissus, after the Greek
Who flaunted his own perfection,
The jonquil would only have us seek
Heartfelt pleasure in its detection.
While self-love we should all forswear,
It doesn’t mean that beauty is not there.

So, to the jonquil, I give my thanks:
A most welcoming, mid-winter, jewel;
With beauty and sweet grace, it is the start
Of a season of rebirth and of renewal.
When life is cold and drab and still
I can but thank the sweet jonquil.
.
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© 2012   J Cosmo Newbery
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23 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 29, 2012

    Such lovely words!

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  2. So beautiful are your words dear J Cosmo, you really are a great poet.

    xoxoxo ♡

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  3. Lovely poem.
    It's only a few days on from the Solstice but already it's getting noticeably lighter earlier in the morning. It won't be long before we're all baking again :)

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  4. This is quite beautiful, Cosmo.

    But I am also musing about the weather ...here for me the temps are well past 100 Fahrenheit by mid-afternoon since the solstice has passed. We dig in to long shadows, the overhead whispers of fans and the omnipresence of air conditioning (would I have survived Texas in the summers of the 1800's??? I'm not certain ...)

    And for you, well I suppose it is your 'winter'. And I have absolutely no idea what sort of weather an Australian winter brings!!

    I shall google it now.
    xxx

    ps. Little Donkey ??? I MUST read first!

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  5. AnonymousJune 30, 2012

    And only $4 a bunch. Jonquils are worthy of poetry.An unusually cold one this year

    Signed
    Sydney Jonquil Lover

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  6. Thank Sydney Jonquil Lover!

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  7. RDG: currently about 8deg C over night and 13deg C during the day (±). (46-55F, in the old currency)

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  8. I love it when I see jonquils back in the shops. It's such an encouraging sign that we're moving out of winter and into the better seasons xx

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  9. It was an interesting poem to write - I wanted to parallel Wordsworth's Daffodils but not mimic or parody it ("I meandered lonely as a stream..."?).

    It has the same number of verses, in ABABCC pattern, but goes its own way beyond that.

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  10. So you DO have a proper 'wintry' season! Jonquils / Narcissi need a certain amount of 'wintering' below freezing temps. (In my former life I was a landscape architect ... who knew??) This winter we only had one night below freezing - as a result, I can plant narcissi in late fall; they will bloom in February; and then never return again ... :(

    xxx

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  11. It is clear that you have put a great deal of thought and effort into writing this lovely lyrical piece. Mid-Winter jonquils are one of my favourite things.

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  12. J Cosmo, I would say that this is one of my favorite poems of yours, if not my 'all-time favorite." What a beautiful tribute to a lovely flower. You wrote SO well in this form.

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  13. This left me with a very happy mood to start the day with. Thanks :)

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  14. AnonymousJuly 02, 2012

    Peaceful feeling just came over me. Lovely

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  15. This is very beautiful and your replication of the form is perfectly done.

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  16. What a lovely write! And how lucky you are to have a winter so mild, that flowers still bloom.

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  17. A lovely write for a beautiful flower. I think you managed really well to mimic Wordsworth's 'Daffodils' without stealing his work.
    This was a lovely write all of your own.

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  18. Beautiful piece. In mid-winter, the sight of a beautiful flower brings a breath of summertime warmth to one's soul.

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  19. Australia, sounds like? Here in America, I'm in Wisconsin, up near Canada, in the midst of a heat wave and drought. This poem was a breeze for my soul, a balm.

    The comment about not "showing off," but still having beauty, I loved. Nice comment on self-esteem, humility, and love vs. hubris.

    Peace, Cos. Amy

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  20. Sorry, that last comment was from the name below! Amy

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  21. AnonymousJuly 04, 2012

    Great Poem! I'm taken by the form...you know...it's really difficult for me to write like this!
    Enjoyed!

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  22. Sharp Little Pencil: The 'Amy' gave it away! Thank you for your comments.

    Kolembo: Thank you to. I guess it is the devil you know. All bar about three or four of the things I have written are in some form of rhyme structure.

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