deeper rooted than red leafed maple
further than their
helicopter seeds
helix spin
and flip
longer
wider, thicker
than Choctaw cane brakes
much, much later than Asiatic lily’s
beauty fades how can you doubt
unraveled love spirals
down a smooth
curve of
doubt
until it
germinates
rooting deeper
and deeper into grief
image credit: D. Lentink, Wageningen University
For the incomparable Shawna
Shiteki Na Usagi 
just wow
sweetie,
Welcome and thank you for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the poem. Happy poetry month to you.
gorgeous! I love the shape of it, the philosophy and, for me, unexpected healing, even if the words do end on “grief”
Ruth,
🙂 It is a form of healing. I hadn’t thought of it until you pointed it out. It is a bit like the death before life idea of the plant cycle. I’d rather have a long beautiful life, say like a tree, but perhaps some of us are more like the the lily, blooming magnificently only die back then bloom again. You’ve given me a new way of looking at my own writing, not to mention life. Thank you.
Good Read. Thanks for sharing Nonoy Manga
nonoymanga,
Welcome. Happy to have you here and to share with you. 🙂
Beautiful!
mareymercy,
😀 Thank you. Glad you came by and read a bit.
Very moving piece and cool “layout”….nice job.
New View From Here,
😉 Thank you for the comment. I appreciate your visits and wit.
You’re welcome for visits, comments, and what little wit I can add…always a pleasure to see you at my place too 🙂
A beautiful line of thought in this one. Very nice. 🙂
Misky,
Thank you for reading, commenting and allowing me to share this poem with you. Sunshine and spring weather to you.
Misky,
I tried to visit your site, but it just won’t load. I’ll try again soon, but I wanted you to know. 😦
The new list is up:
http://rosemarymint.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/monday-melting-week-10/
Ahem, don’t think you can ignore me. I expect a poem from you. 🙂 You cannot hide from me, princess.
Shawna,
😉 Not truly ignoring you. I’ve just been trying to work out another poem, and it is not cooperating. I guess I’ll give it another day to come around. I’ll tackle your list in the interim.
Unraveling love definitely starts a downward spiral. This one literally does melt. K.
K,
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
Your poem and picture complement each other perfectly.
James Rainsford,
Welcome and thank you for both your visit and comment.
Beautifully done!
Madeleine Begun Kane,
Thank you. It’s been a while since I visited you so I’m headed there now looking for limericks. 😉
This image/your words…amazing! Thank you!
Hannah Gosselin,
Welcome. Thank you for your reading and comment. They were a cheerful way to start my day. Glad you enjoyed the poem.
I just adore “Asiatic lily’s” and “rooting deeper and deeper into grief.”
I loved the format, too, and the helicopter seed image. I was completely into the unraveling portion. Thanks for a great poem:)
Jennifer,
It helps as a writer to see the different areas readers respond to and enjoy. Welcome here and thank you for your visit, reading and comment.
ugh…really like the second part of this starting with unraveled love….it is def emotive and plays well off the first part….i love playing with helicopter seeds too…cool picture…
brian,
Thanks. I kept wondering what to do with that word “helix” (bless Shawna’s soul) and when that picture came up the bells and whistles went off. Wonderful feeling that. The picture is the coolest one I’ve ever seen. Thanks for sharing the poem and pic with me.
I loved seeing the image after the poem. This gave it a really cool after-effect. It makes me so happy that I inspire you a little bit (the feeling is more than mutual); you are the sweetest thing ever, and I send you so much love. “Helix” was a tough one. The whole list was, really. Why do you think I jumped off the deep end with “helium x”?
Shawna,
😀 Tough is a mild word, my dear. Still I often like a challenge, and that word dared me to use it boldly. Wasn’t that image perfect? I was thrilled when I found it. Yay internet! I agree with the post-reading effect. It reinforces and echoes the poem. I’m glad we’re symbiotic. I’d started to think myself a bit of a leech (yuck). Here is to feeding, growing and nurturing each other through writing. 🙂
We are absolutely symbiotic! I love encouraging and influencing one another. It’s like having someone to swing with on the playground. 🙂
Shawna,
Yes! And to wind up the merry-go-round up to quantum speed and see who flies off first. Wheeeeee! You rock. (My youngest read all this and loved it.)
LOL … good 🙂
dang…esp. the last stanza i found very strong…hard and sad when that happens..but can happen so easily if we’re not careful..
claudia,
I like that last part too…as a piece of writing. As a part of life, it’s harder to see beauty in it. Thanks for sharing it with me…Stateside, right?
Reblogged this on Just another wake-up call and commented:
absolutely loved this poem.. the words are beautiful and the use of space gives the poem such elegance. Re-blogging it, for my indiblogger friends. Hope you like it!
Very clever!
Fergiemoto,
I get one clever a week if I’m lucky. Glad I could share this one with you. 😉
That was such a brilliant visual you created with your words…I could see the seed all the way to the ground…very much enjoyed this one.
slpmartin,
I’m pleased you liked it so well. The bit of research I did definitely informed the structure of the poem. When I found that photo online, I knew it would shape the piece and had to include it in the post. Thanks for letting me share it with you.
Loved every word, specially .. “deeper rooted than red leafed maple”, “helicopter seeds” and the perfectly framed ” unraveled love spirals down a smooth curve of doubt until it germinates rooting deeper and deeper into grief” .. perfect . The placement and spacing is giving the poem amazing appeal. I have never re-blogged anything but may I re-blog this?
justanotherwakeupcall,
If you’d like to re-blog it, I would be honored. You’ll be my first. I’m just glad that’s two poems of mine you’ve enjoyed. Best and brightest of the day to you.
thanks:) my honour
I am completely in love with this poem! Seriously, I want to lick it along all its beautiful and sensual curves of sadness just to lift its spirits.
Thank you!!! I know I am way behind on reading and commenting on your blog. I’ve been on writing sabbatical since I’ve been over-blogging lately. I’ll post a new word list today and catch up on your blog as well. I adore you, love. 🙂
Shawna,
You’ve got similar tendencies to Claudia (I think she kisses hers first, then sticks in the tongue) 😉 . Don’t worry about when you catch up. I know the feeling. I have a few hundred emails to read through before tomorrow’s batch of weekly updates from blogs I follow. Wait…there is such a thing as over-blogging? Huh, maybe that’s why a certain man suggested a choice between full-time poet hobby and being a wife/mother. I’m leaning toward the first one because it pays the soul better. I look forward to the new words. Doing Mr. Linky this time? Thanks for all the smiles and nudges you give me.
Oh my goodness, it does pay the soul better! But I guess life isn’t about how we feel. Yes, I’ll do Mr. Linky. LOL.
Wow….I was just about to post about my appreciation for this poem, but it certainly pales in comparison to Shawna’s.
New View From Here,
😀 I suspect you’re usually a beat or two behind her. Keeps things hopping and full of surprises, neh? I enjoy her enthusiastic and thorough comments. I usually have to read them a few times to glean all I can. That last one brought me needed smiles. Thank her again for me.
She does provide quite a bit of incite & smiles 🙂
New View From Here,
Ooooo … clever. 0_0
Are you comment-stalking me again? 🙂
Actually just happened to be “driving through” the neighborhood and there you were licking a computer screen…how could I not notice that? 😉
LOL … How indeed? 🙂
And I wasn’t literally licking anything. But her poem is deliciously curvy, like an ice cream cone. And you know how crazy I am over ice cream.
Lovely poem. I followed your link to “cane brakes.” It looks related to bamboo. Hm, read your comment above. I have terrible problems with Word Press and wish that I had never left Blogger. Actually I am thinking of placing my haiku back there.
Raven,
Indeed it is related. Apparently it is the only species of bamboo native to the United States. Unfortunately it has been terribly reduced to something less than 10% of its habitat 100 years ago. Formatting is my only real problem with WP. I’ve tried Blogger and had a harder time with it. Not sure what that says about me, but I’m certain it reflects in some fashion. You do what you need to do. The article I thought might help on layout is here On the Road . Let me know what you decide to do so I can follow you there. 😉
Beautiful poem. Lovely.
Ellen,
Thank you. Bright sunshine and shade to you today.
Very nice. Good use of space in the poem to achieve the effect.
fiercebuddhist,
Thanks. I still haven’t worked out formatting on WP, though I saw something that will help me with it the other day. I’ll get around to studying up on it eventually, but I don’t usually need it, so…. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the visit and comment.