Sunday, December 30, 2012

CDXXXIV - Transformation



Imaginary Garden with Real Toads challenges us to write a poem
using the quite intricate syllable and rhyme pattern
used by Robert Herrick in his poem “To Daffodils”.


Transformation

A many legged eating machine
Receives a gardener’s curse
As it reduces living things
To skeletons.  Or worse.
But hold!
As wond’rous things unfold:
What springs,
Refashioned and refreshed,
So far removed from what its been,
Forgives it for the rest.

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© J Cosmo Newbery 2012
---
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Originally I called this 'The Butterfly' but realised that
I have another poem of that name, so changed it.
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22 comments:

  1. I just love this poem, J Cosmo! So very true. All is forgiven when the butterfly emerges.

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    1. Thanks Mary. The structure gives it a real lilting gait.

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  2. Tis good, J.C., and not a bit moth-eaten.

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  3. Bravo! You nailed the form and what a gorgeous poem and subject!

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  4. I love how you achieved this and how you transformed this creature for us :D Well Done!

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  5. This is excellent! You have achieved the flair of the original and the choice of 'Transformation' for your title gives the whole description the added level of meaning: what is true for caterpillars could be true for people too. I would have liked to see a second stanza, because this flowed incredibly well.

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    1. Thank you. I was pretty happy with it too.

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  6. lovely play on decay and rebirth

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  7. A beautiful poem ... loved it !!!

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  8. You're a poet alright and an all right one at that ;)

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  9. Ha! We had a garden this summer - I'm not sure my gardeners (my daughters and friend) were as forgiving as you. Very charming. k.

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  10. hah! good one, wonderful.

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  11. Love this. You are right, to redeem one's self only (!) a more surprising beauty suffices.

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  12. A beautiful example of the Herrick stanza form in "Transformation", Well Done !

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  13. I really like this. Beautifully done!

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  14. I like the refashioning and refreshing ~

    Good take on the form ~

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  15. Oh yes, what once was a pest is now almost a pet. Well done, J. Cosmo, and beautiful rhythm in your Herrick stanza.
    K

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  16. I'm late, but glad for the smiles this gave me.

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  17. And what a transformation it is! Lovely poem.

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