Terracotta Heat

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

Comments

Dave King said…
This engages on several levels. The penultimate stanza particularly,very moving.
April 17, 2012 at 5:56 AM
Other Mary said…
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'
April 17, 2012 at 7:30 AM
Maude Lynn said…
Wow! I love your take on this!
April 17, 2012 at 8:53 AM
Silent Otto said…
Terracotta Virgins Burning Passions , shall never be mere ashes
April 17, 2012 at 9:20 AM
Anonymous said…
gorgeous your poem echoes the
surreal, dreamy quality of the
painting.
April 17, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Tess Kincaid said…
Yes yes yes. Excellent. The third stanza is especially striking.
April 17, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Helen said…
Your Mag is playing out in my mind ~ somewhere in the Tuscan countryside. I loved this!!!
April 17, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Sherry Blue Sky said…
Whoa! Fantastic! A wedding wilting in the sun, and a prayer that passion hasnt burnt into ashes. I love it.
April 17, 2012 at 11:33 AM
Margaret said…
the ending is powerful and I love the use of pomegranate... They are a poetic fruit!
April 17, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Carrie Van Horn said…
This is beautiful Susie!!
April 17, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Anonymous said…
that roof does look like it could be part of hell's furnace
April 17, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Brian Miller said…
i hope that passion lingers just a bit...the heat though will surely suck it out of you...
April 17, 2012 at 3:29 PM
Laurie Kolp said…
I love the sound of terracotta heat... and I'm ready for it.
April 17, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Claudia said…
Pass the wine,
the blood,
the tears....just love the intensity in this...
April 17, 2012 at 3:46 PM
Mark Windham said…
excellent take, mine went much darker. Very good.
April 17, 2012 at 4:38 PM
Daydreamertoo said…
Oh, I hope passion is never burned to ashes, what would we do without it ;)
Lovely interpretation of the pic.
April 17, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Beachanny said…
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!
April 17, 2012 at 5:44 PM
Scarlet said…
Wow, such a powerful take on the picture...I like the third stanza ~
April 17, 2012 at 5:45 PM
Helena said…
Deep and passionate. I felt the red soaring through the read.
April 17, 2012 at 6:17 PM
Zouxzoux said…
Strong and bitter - the way I drink my coffee. Well written.
April 17, 2012 at 7:19 PM
henry clemmons said…
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.
April 17, 2012 at 7:53 PM
hedgewitch said…
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.
April 17, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Semaphore said…
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.
April 17, 2012 at 9:24 PM
Unknown said…
Oh what a marvelous piece. Love how the inspiration from the painting found you here. The sentiments ended on is especially strong. Thanks
April 18, 2012 at 3:28 AM
Ginny Brannan said…
You have captured the image quite well, putting your own unique spin on it with your words. Well penned, Susie!
April 18, 2012 at 6:33 AM
Yvonne Osborne said…
I like the pomegranate red and white tulle. Rich in colors is the painting and just as much so your poem. Passion lives!
April 18, 2012 at 7:06 AM
Hannah said…
Such color and emotion spilling forth from your words, gorgeous interpretation of this, Susie!
April 18, 2012 at 11:36 AM
Anonymous said…
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!
April 18, 2012 at 3:18 PM
hyperCRYPTICal said…
Excellent take on the prompt - penultimate stanza magnificent.

Anna :o]
April 18, 2012 at 4:17 PM
PattiKen said…
Interesting take on the Chagall painting. The final stanza is is particularly powerful.
April 18, 2012 at 4:18 PM
Tigerbrite said…
I could feel the heat. Well done. Reminded me of August here in Spain just as the pomegranates are ripening.
April 19, 2012 at 4:06 AM
Jinksy said…
Raise a toast,
say a prayer
that passion
has not been
burnt into ashes.

I'll second that!
April 20, 2012 at 3:21 AM
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