Wednesday, November 30, 2005

The Piper's Gift

Flame in the wind
Entwined by night,
The hills beyond shadowy panes,
A flickering gaze
The failing light
Beholds a gathering rain.

Yet, in the dark,
Enchantments green
A forest embraces the trees.
And faintly descends
The salty seed
of misty, thundering seas.

Listen. Be still.
A distant voice
With curious harmonies weaves
Like memories weep
From broken sleep
The piper laughs while he grieves.
at

21 comments:

  1. TerriNovember 30, 2005 1:53 PM

    Beautiful!

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  2. AnonymousNovember 30, 2005 2:04 PM

    The first comment comes from Ireland!! How fitting! Thanks Terri. :)

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  3. UnknownNovember 30, 2005 2:05 PM

    I love it!

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  4. BernitaNovember 30, 2005 3:14 PM

    "The Great Gaels of Ireland
    Are then men that God made mad
    For all their wars are merry
    And all their songs are sad."
    G.K. Chesterson

    Thank you, Jason.

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  5. Kelly (Lynn) ParraNovember 30, 2005 5:06 PM

    Jason, that's one of my favorites of your poems. =)

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  6. AnonymousNovember 30, 2005 6:59 PM

    Robin, :)

    Bernita, that's a beautiful verse from G.K. Chesterson. I knew you would understand the sentiment.

    Kelly, thank you! I put extra effort into this one.

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  7. JeffNovember 30, 2005 7:22 PM

    jason- well done :)

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  8. anne frasierNovember 30, 2005 9:25 PM

    beautiful, jason.

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  9. mermaidNovember 30, 2005 9:41 PM

    Lyrical and natural. I can see you rolling the words off you tongue before you even composed them in your mind.

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  10. AnonymousNovember 30, 2005 10:19 PM

    This is one of your best pix... Beautiful... All of it!

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  11. AnonymousNovember 30, 2005 11:26 PM

    Jeff, I appreciate it!

    Anne, thanks!

    Mermaid, I do enjoy the flow of language. And I always value your poetic eye.

    Farzad, are there any particularly solemn musical instruments in Persian culture? Just curious.

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  12. AnonymousDecember 01, 2005 12:33 AM

    Dude...this was awesome, as usual! I LOVE reading your work, man. It's dark, but has a certain "light" to it.

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  13. BernitaDecember 01, 2005 8:08 AM

    Jason, when your images and rhythms evoke echos of other interpreters, you may be sure you have touched the essence of music.
    I very much like your choice of rhyme and meter in this.

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  14. AnonymousDecember 01, 2005 11:00 AM

    Allen, what a great description! I'm going to have to save that one.

    Bernita
    and Forgottenmachine, I actually create a meter for each poem by humming it without words first. That's probably why they have a lyrical feel to them.

    Bunneh, thank you! I was inspired to write it when I saw that amazing monument in the picture.

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  15. mysfitDecember 01, 2005 11:07 AM

    lovely and i dig the title (and that another commentor quoted G.K. chesterton - and so i feel i must follow suit)

    Now, there is a law written in the darkest of the Books of Life, and it is this: If you look at a thing nine hundred and ninety-nine times,
    you are perfectly safe; if you look at it the thousandth time, you are in frightful danger of seeing it for the first time.     - G.K. Chesterton; "The Napoleon of Notting Hill"

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  16. AnonymousDecember 01, 2005 2:31 PM

    Oh yea... these are some of the major ones:

    TAR
    SETAR
    BARBAT (UD, OUD)
    KAMANCHEH (KAMANCHE)
    GHEYCHAK
    SANTOOR (SANTUR, SANTOUR)
    GHANOON
    NEY
    TONBAK
    DAF

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  17. AnonymousDecember 01, 2005 3:04 PM

    Mysfit, thanks for the visit, and thanks for the quote! Very true. Chesterton wove amazing insights.

    Farzad, I looked up pictures of several of those instruments. Now I have to look for a sound file of the Ney. Thank you!

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  18. JoanneDecember 01, 2005 11:18 PM

    Very nice, Jason!

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  19. ShesawriterDecember 02, 2005 10:33 AM

    It just keeps getting better and better, my friend. WOW.

    Tanya

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  20. Mary LouisaDecember 02, 2005 6:16 PM

    Jason, great work, as usual.

    I have tagged you on my blog for a book meme. Hope you have a minute...

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  21. AnonymousDecember 03, 2005 9:31 PM

    Joanne, thanks! How have things been with you?

    Tanya, glad you're back from hiatus. We missed you!

    Sarah, welcome! I love to see new commenters. The last line hit me out of the blue. I thought it was a fair description of the character of bagpipes.

    Mary Louisa, sorry I've been away for a couple of days. I'll get right on that meme! (Kelly tagged me too.)

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