Tile roofs glow
in terracotta heat.
Summer, an oven
set on broil,
burns skin
to a pomegranate red.
A fairytale wedding
of bouquets and white tulle
wilts in the August sun.
Pass the wine,
the blood,
the tears,
fantasy has been
the virgin sacrifice.
Ever after has begun
in hell’s furnace.
Raise a toast,
say a prayer
that passion
has not been
burnt into ashes.
©Susie Clevenger 2012
34 comments:
This engages on several levels. The penultimate stanza particularly,very moving.
I'll pass, then.
Oh Susie, you've really hit the mark - all the storybook romance story expectations that are in large part responsible for our epic divorce rate. And you've done it so artfully. Love the lines, 'fantasy has been the virgin sacrifice' and 'Ever after has begun/in hell's furnace'
Wow! I love your take on this!
Terracotta Virgins Burning Passions , shall never be mere ashes
gorgeous your poem echoes the
surreal, dreamy quality of the
painting.
Yes yes yes. Excellent. The third stanza is especially striking.
Your Mag is playing out in my mind ~ somewhere in the Tuscan countryside. I loved this!!!
Whoa! Fantastic! A wedding wilting in the sun, and a prayer that passion hasnt burnt into ashes. I love it.
the ending is powerful and I love the use of pomegranate... They are a poetic fruit!
This is beautiful Susie!!
that roof does look like it could be part of hell's furnace
i hope that passion lingers just a bit...the heat though will surely suck it out of you...
I love the sound of terracotta heat... and I'm ready for it.
Pass the wine,
the blood,
the tears....just love the intensity in this...
excellent take, mine went much darker. Very good.
Oh, I hope passion is never burned to ashes, what would we do without it ;)
Lovely interpretation of the pic.
The poem unwraps and reveals in each line. The sense of an Italian village occurred to me, and then came the universal applications - fantasy to heated reality. Marriage at best is no realization of that fantasy, but at best it is something more fulfilling. Sadly most are not "best" and many are the "worse". Wonderful work. Loved it!
Wow, such a powerful take on the picture...I like the third stanza ~
Deep and passionate. I felt the red soaring through the read.
Strong and bitter - the way I drink my coffee. Well written.
Nice arriage of verse and image. I love that paricular painting. And your strokes with perfect word choices and line work were/are just as masterful.
Whoa--dark and smashingly alive little tale. I often have these kind of thoughts at weddings, having watched that red roof burn the house down so many times. Excellent and original poem.
You mined that Chagall painting for every bit of ore and precious metal that you could find, and you've fashioned that metal into a fine ornament of a poem.
Oh what a marvelous piece. Love how the inspiration from the painting found you here. The sentiments ended on is especially strong. Thanks
You have captured the image quite well, putting your own unique spin on it with your words. Well penned, Susie!
I like the pomegranate red and white tulle. Rich in colors is the painting and just as much so your poem. Passion lives!
Such color and emotion spilling forth from your words, gorgeous interpretation of this, Susie!
Susie- this was really interesting - on ozone hand I got the celebration of the wedding, on the other, I got a notion of love and passion fading too quickly, burning out almost- this was clever word trickery! See i love poetry like this- engaging, thought provoking- I might be missing the point- but great that words can create such challenging thoughts- nicely played!
Excellent take on the prompt - penultimate stanza magnificent.
Anna :o]
Interesting take on the Chagall painting. The final stanza is is particularly powerful.
Love this!
I could feel the heat. Well done. Reminded me of August here in Spain just as the pomegranates are ripening.
Raise a toast,
say a prayer
that passion
has not been
burnt into ashes.
I'll second that!
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