Friday, April 27, 2007

If you would be at peace...

It helps to find beauty in simple things.
In daily life is the joy we seek. Here,
in our expanse and not our lessenings,

in the unprotected margins, we are
made whole through our own imperfection.
In daily life, the joy we seek is here:

the lover’s touch, the child’s smile. Connections
weave the cloth of which serenity is
made. Wholly through our own imperfection

we admit the divine - such blessings
with abandon gather. Your faith within
weaves the cloth of which serenity is,

luminous and bright. This is how we begin
to touch the sacred. Heart of God! To love
with abandon, gather your faith. Within

your grasp is grace. Do not rebuff
its help: to find beauty in simple things,
to touch the sacred heart of God, to love
in our expanse and not our lessenings.

3 comments:

Clockworkchris said...

I really liked your word choice. "lessenings" is very different from what I am used to reading. This poem is both un-afraid and terrified, happy and sad at the same time. Very enjoyable read.

Jessica said...

I really enjoyed this poem -- I agree with Chris, lessenings is a great wordchoice. I also love second stanza.

Sasha said...

Hi Chris and Jessica,

Thanks for the feedback! To be completely honest, I'm not certain 'lessenings' actually is a word. But it ought to be. :-)

I have to admit, I found the terzanelle a harder form than the villanelle. It felt more intricate; the interlocking trickier. This isn't a poem with which I am completely pleased, but I think I took it as far as I could. I will be doing more with this form, though.

I think the thing I'm enjoying most about forms is the surprises they present to me. For instance, the second stanza (interesting that you picked that out, Jessica!) and the idea of 'the unprotected margins.' I'm really not sure where that came from but it is a concept I've been mentally playing with ever since - how to live more in those spaces.

Anyhow, thanks again to you both for the feedback, and especially on a non-PT post.