Song to Seasons by Paula Grenside

Song to Seasons

I sing with your petals in my throat, Spring;
you, with roses as antithesis to snowdrops, vibrate
in your glass menagerie of birds twittering
to pet-clouds morphing in the wind. You teach
me to scratch off the melancholic light
of dead hours still stuck under my nails.

Then ragged clouds come from the ocean
and the sky, forged by lightning,
dresses days’ hips in lemon trees
and brazen spikes of wheat. I am your child,
Summer; as fast as thunder, I absorb
your lightforce that flows in my fingers.

When you, Autumn, come, you show me
he contiguity of flame and ice.
In a vertigo of red and chants from vineyards,
you harvest grapes and leave
nakedness that tastes of salt. I start
forgetting the flavor of sun in my body.

And you, Winter, make me lose myself
in the opium of your shapeless monotony.
In the white abyss that is a poem to burials,
tenacious cobwebs entrap solitary boats
full of rotten fish. I raise my hands
to wave goodbye, but they’re a frozen sculpture.

Paula Grenside’s questions:

1: Is this line: “in your glass menagerie of birds twittering” a bit too precious? I liked
the image I associate with it, but maybe it is not that clear for readers.
2: Is the tone suitable for the topic?
3: Is the sensory imagery effective?

Thank You,

Paula Grenside

Reply directly to the poet: arrigo.boer (at) fastwebnet (dot) it

2 Comments

  1. Fendall  •  Oct 2, 2010 @4:32 pm

    Hi, Paula. I enjoyed the imagery you’ve employed. I think the line w/ “glass menagerie…” is good b/c it is delicate and fits w/ the 1st stanza. The tone is suitable. The imagery is effective for the most part. I feel that in some places the poem is wordy, possible b/c of structure, the order of lines and line breaks. If you want, you can try cutting out some words and playing w/ breaks. The first stanza in particular could use some clarification. I like the relationship between the speaker and the subjects. I like the visceral quality of the relationship via the imagery. What would happen if you omitted the names of the seasons alltogether? What if the reader had to infer what season is being adressed? Thanks.

  2. Alex in Denver  •  Nov 26, 2012 @6:56 pm

    I agree with Fendall. The ‘glass menagerie’ is a create use of imagery. In fact, the use of imagery is seen elsewhere to, including in the line I enjoyed: ‘Then ragged clouds come from the ocean’.

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