Free Verse
Lost: An Ekphrastic
Poem*: poem by Karin Anderson and painting by Frederick
McCubbin (1855 - 1917)
*An Ekphrasic poem
is a writing, a poem, that comments upon another art
form, for instance a poem about a photograph, a film or a
painting. "Lost" is a painting by Artist Frederick McCubbin
1855-1917 - many children were lost and perished in the bush
in Australia's early days of settlement).
**In this poem
Karin Anderson has fused poetry with a painting and in doing
so, she extends the appreciation of another artistic person's
creative work, in this case a painting. Frederick McCubbin's
painting,
"Lost", can be viewed on line.
View other
paintings by
Frederick McCubbin
Note from
Karin Anderson about the poem "Lost"
The McCubbin
painting, "Lost" was produced in 1886. It depicts a girl
in the Australian bush; there is a patch of sky on the left
hand top corner. The girl seems quite lost in the middle of a
blue-green thicket. She is wearing an apron, and although it
can hardly be seen, she is clutching mistletoe in her apron.
The painting portrays a real historical event. The lost girl
was Clara Crosbie; she was found alive in Lilydale, Victoria after
spending three weeks in the bush, where she apparently ate
berries and found water. Today, the legend of Clara Crosbie's
survival, depicted so 'true to life' by McCubbin's masterful
painting Lost, graces many homes and hearts with its
sensitivity and bittersweet beauty..."
Breakfast
It lifts knife's
gut wrenched
stomach pangs
stabbing sky
until crimson sunrise bleeds morning
onto the blue gum kitchen table.
My eyes absorb red light
through holes of yellow crumpets
eyelashes blink buttery sleep
to jolt into consciousness
with sunup's disintegrating dazzle.
Toast celebrates the new day
with a swim in strawberry jam
its scent rises and shines
to tea's aroma
like the couple who stay together.
Milk obligingly drowns rice bubble's
snap, crackle and pop
like a cow's udder pouring warm milk
into dawn's crispy yawning crack.
Cat purrs barramundi breath
into husband's fresh orange juice kiss
as leadlight pierces a bowl
of sumptuous plump purple plums.
Knife sits red blood and purple
as breathless blushing day comes.
In a
Cardboard Box
In Sydney, we too
were blossoming.
My sister and I dizzy with heady youth
knew how to pick and assemble
these fragrant yellow, cream flowers.
We used our hands as velvet gloves
picking them as unbruised maidens
allowing them
to breathe, tremble, spread
one on one
touching, not touching
row on row
until bathed in water spray
they layered frangipani mystique
in a cardboard box with cotton wool
each bloom worth one penny
until flying
scudding skyward to Adelaide
captured in a florist's magic
they garlanded, paraded, petaled
bridal bouquets
quivering, spawning, flaunting fragility
until they were virgins no more.
You
A Waltz Wave
Poem*
Each
night you
pour
gloss on
my necklace of stars.
Dark
shadows
fall from edge
of reason as
dawn wakes Spring.
Your hands
rest
on me
as flute's love.
Eye lids
whoosh
flutter
waltz.
* The Waltz Wave
poem is an invented form created by
Mary Margaret Carlisle, Webster, TX.
The form is named for Leo Waltz, the Web Manager of Sol
Magazine. The form is a one-stanza titled poem,
with nineteen lines; each line has the following set number of
syllables: 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1,
2, 1
Love Poem
Summertime
A Tri-Fall
Poem**
Before you hued my
way
life nipped cold
no scudding clouds to sweep sky blue.
Pages of Winter grey
did not hold
the treasured story line of you.
I tossed the book aside
in repose
soon inhumed under Autumn leaves.
Lonely rock lichen cried
as love's woes
blew mocha leaves on my heart's eaves.
Yet peach tree shook with Spring
warm flesh blushed.
Summertime birds supped and called me.
Branches parted to bring
with you, flushed
wind-shift smile of our destiny.
**The Tri-Fall is
an invented poetry form created by Jan Turner; it contains
three six line stanzas, a total of eighteen lines. The rhyme
scheme is a,b,c,a,b,c; lines should meet the following
syllable requirement: 6/3/8/6/3/8 (Shadowpoetry.com).
Wishing Well
Ottava Rima
Poem***
Don't remove the
wishing well from your heart
as when in dreams you hear howling wind cry
Let perfume waft and spiral to depart
your heavy heart too soon could drop and die.
There's a well that echoes a brand new start
where coins wink and flash to yonder blue sky.
Secret pleas echo in its dampened walls
as the tossed coins change tears to joyous calls.
It's on vineyard's edge where wild daisies grow
and you'll find the curved path a well tramped one.
It's bustling past seeks fame rightly so
where love's dream-wishes are mystically spun.
Sometimes, you'll see the apple blossoms blow
as showers of pearl petals lift hope's flow.
Follow the path to the wishing well's place
and there you will find your heart's secret space.
When the sky has changed to ultramarine
and the zephyr air fans your yearning soul
With mingled resonance of 'morrow's sheen
you may make a wish and again turn whole.
The coins are proudly piled in sleek moss green
But before you take this glorious stroll
I'll meet you with your coin to take a look
as red rose bursts Spring from wishing wall's nook.
***Ottava rima is
an Italian eight line iambic pentameter verse form employing
an abababcc rhyme scheme (Lewis Turco, The Book of
Forms, p. 220).
Double
Etheree****
Warm
colors
winged with gold
play center stage
on rose's red heart
theatrically soaring
with a wild swish of wind suite
to dance the air, encore and bow.
Soon to rest limp, lost, tiny wings torn
cold, backstage from glutinous cat-teasing.
My garden fairy granddaughter play acts
to see rose heart weep butterfly dew
waving a wand of sunlight shine
she spells dew to find star dust
sprinkling butterfly's
soft gossamer wings
so they rise sky
high magic
zoom then
fly!
****Double Etheree: The
etheree is a ten line verse; line one contains one syllable,
line two contains two syllables; subsequent lines each add one
additional syllable. Additional verses can be added as in the
example above where the process is reversed. There is no
particular limit to the number of verses that can be written.
Diatelle
Poem*****
Light
fades time.
In my prime
I dye grey hair
but days speed like plane's climb
splicing clouds melting ice cream air.
I escape in dreams to find lost youth where
it is fleetingly found and my hair is so bright
but I wake, diamond-dull and worse for wear
my grey hair soon peeping to tear
my heart in two and I'm
crying cloud's prayer
ice cream slime
my time
plight!
*****The Diatelle
form, created by Bradley Vrooman, has a syllable counted
structure. It contains fifteen lines with the following
number of syllables in each line:
1/2/3/4/6/8/10/8/6/4/3/2/1. The set rhyme pattern is
abbcbccaccbcbba. It is generally printed with the lines
centered on a page creating a diamond image (Shadowpoetry.com).
About Karin
Anderson
Karin
Anderson: I live in beautiful Australia; I am 64 years
old and am married as are my children. I have been writing
poetry for twenty years and have qualifications in
copywriting and writing for public relations. I belong to
a group of poetry writers called Wordweavers and we have
published three poetry books, my favorite being
Ocean to Moon, where we used the moon's cycles as
chapter headings. I enjoy river walking, folk dancing,
interior decorating, listening to music, and going to
cinema. I write for others to enjoy my journey through
life and to discover the beauty and power of words...
This is Karin
Anderson's first appearance in Sketchbook.
