Month August 2016

I am Lara – dVerse Poetics

freyathewriter 20 Comments

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You loved that damned book more than me

I defy you to look me in the eyes

and tell me another story

without blushing your lie on your indoor-pallid cheeks.

I suffered for you

and you let me.

And yet – I let you.

Let you wallow in Stalin’s favour,

allowed you to hide behind his protection of you,

you, the cloud-dweller.

Gulags, interrogations,

I suffered for your art,

you great, lumbering, weak-willed genius you.

Some comfort, in my last, disappeared days

that I,

yes I,

gave you all that you needed to write

the greatest novel of the 20th century.

I. Am. Lara.

 

Oh I am so very delighted that our guest-host Kim (welcome, welcome and thank you!) presented us with this wonderful prompt for tonight’s dVerse Poetics. She has invited us to write a poem about a person (real or imagined) from the viewpoint of their husband, wife or partner.

Having just listened to a fascinating interview with Anna Pasternak, who has written a book ‘Lara: The Untold Love Story’ about the inspiration for Lara in her great-uncle’s classic novel, Dr Zhivago, this is perfect timing for this prompt.

Boris Pasternak benefited from a bizarre protective order from Stalin (who described Pasternak as ‘the cloud-dweller’) and whilst the authorities couldn’t get at him for his anti-communist novel writing, they could get at his lover, Olga Ivinskaya. Boy, did she suffer for him, and goodness, did he let her! His great-niece said, quite frankly, that she believed that he loved the book more than his lover, but Olga accepted that because she in turn, believed in him so much.

Anyway, here’s my interpretation of that tragic situation – I suspect I’ll be buying the book when it comes out…

Please do head on over to dVerse for more writing and enjoy!

Ukigumo nights – dVerse Haibun Monday

freyathewriter 21 Comments

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Watercolour-whisp clouds, drifting as if the merest hint of Chinese White has been dabbed from sable onto Coeruluem Blue. The sky is a vast upturned cup, an endless realm. I stand and stare, transfixed for a moment, forgetting all that the day has laid at my feet.

a trick of the eye

ukigomo suspended

ethereal eve.

 

This week, it’s Haibun Monday’s turn over on dVerse (and yes, I am a day late, please forgive me!). The lovely Kanzensakura is our host for the haibun and we have been invited to write on the theme of sky.

I hope you enjoy my offering and please do head on over to dVerse to look up, up and away and enjoy what others have written.

 

Poets for Peace – a wonderful collaboration

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I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to take part in a poetic collaboration which I believe deserves a huge amount of support. Over at Forgotten Meadows, something truly beautiful is happening. A collaboration of poets are coming together to promote the cause ‘Poets for Peace’.

Each poet is sharing their thoughts and feelings on the escalation of violence and hatred that appears to be everywhere in the world, apparently more than ever before. No hatred of genders, races, political persuasions, religions or beliefs is expressed, just the hatred of violence itself.

This has been launched by Michael of The Poetry Channel and is hosted on Forgotten Meadows.

Even if I hadn’t been invited to take part, I would have promoted this cause anyway once I learned about it. I began my own poetic forays into expressing my fears of (government mandated) violence as a young teenager, so this is a subject close to my heart.

Praxis Magazine Online will be publishing the collaboration, thanks to the kind assistance of Laura M. Kominski.

Please do take some time to visit Forgotten Meadows and learn more about Poets for Peace  – and please do take part if you feel moved to do so. 

#poetsforpeace