Salutations, my dear digital friends!
This week’s poem originally started as an idea playing with 2 homophones: longing and ‘long (poetic along).
Emotionally binding the ethereal ache of love to the physical proximity of place.
In many of my poems, you’ll find this intentional connection to setting/place is designed to make the emotions more palpable.
With the concept developed, the line “lost in the fog ‘long a late autumn lakeshore” came next.
That was a yummy little bit of mouth candy (for me, at least). Say it a few times aloud.
Delicious. 😋
I adore well-placed alliteration in any writing. Including my own. Don’t get me wrong, it can be tasteless and grotesquely overused, too.
Hopefully not here. LOL
A lot of thought went into using these and other literary devices to enhance the core feelings and themes of the poem.
Please let me know your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to this poem in the ‘Leave a Reply’ comment section at the bottom of this page.
-PS Conway ☘️ ☘️ ☘️
☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️ ☘️
fog ‘long a late autumn lakeshore
search for the remains of our erstwhile love
lost in the fog
‘long a late autumn lakeshore
where Nature conspires to conceal lost things
and our eyes stay deceived by love’s phantoms
the groans and creaks of barren trees echo
the ever-ache
that age and wisdom belies
the cries which yet make Persephone quake
a longing, broken keen, “Eurydice!”
for we are all formed the children of Need
our inherent reliance
on one another
we gather and shudder afraid of the forest
‘til love’s tender seed takes hold in our hearts
then fades and departs
like tendrils of fog silent proceed
ominous and stealthy
‘long a late autumn lakeshore
What a deep, dark longing for nature to recreate and reform! Rich in imagery! We become sad or fear what seems gray and lifeless until we see signs of life and love in that dreary place. Great poem, P.S.!
I absolutely love these comments, PS. And so glad you enjoyed the poem, my friend. 🍃🍂🙏🏻🍷✨
Both Persephone and Eurydice are unwilling inhabitants of the underworld so it makes sense that they would become friends in your poem. I love your word “ever-ache” but, for me, the word belies should drop the ‘s’ here, since age and wisdom make a plural subject . Great work once again Pat. Lots of slippery sounds, as you say.
Ahhhh poop, Naomi. The final version changed to “and” to “or” exactly for the reason because I liked how “belies” bounces of “cries.” Guess I posted the wrong one. Thanks for the catch! 🙏🏻🌹💙🍷✨
Autumn, with its enduring rhythms of nature, transition, death and rebirth. A leaf falling leaves a bud in place.
A solitary walk on an autumn morn allows one to be lost in the mist of time, to be in tune with the natural world, in love with life.
Love the mythological link, so appropriate here.
A joy to read.
🙏🍀🍀🍀
So well said, Sandie! My absolute favorite time of year for reflection on exactly what you described. Thanks so much for the brilliant comment and kind words, my friend. ☘️🍂🍃🙏🏻✨✨
“the ever-ache” I like that phrase. Wonderful poem. ❤️
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks very much 🙏🏻🌹🍷✨