Category DVerse

To arms – dVerse Quadrille Monday

freyathewriter 52 Comments

electricity_junction_box_with_birmingham_coat_of_arms_-_andy_mabbett_-_02

“Push the door, just a little

and stride into the unknown beyond,”

my brave heart urges, insistent, strong.

I shake my head, in time with my quivering hands,

fight-flight pushing and pulling me

every-which-way.

I think I want to cower.

But I go.

Forward.

 

It’s time for the dVerse Quadrille Monday, where this week Victoria invites us to wrote on the theme of ‘open’ in any manner we choose, as long as we use the quadrille form.

The picture above is the coat of arms for Birmingham (UK), the city of my birth. The lady on the left is holding a book and an artist’s palette, representing art, and the man on the left is a blacksmith, representing industry. It gives me a feeling of strength and determination, very much how the people of Birmingham were, and how I see them (us) still.

I’ve been taking a little breather from writing to regroup, and it’s good to ease myself back in with a quadrille, a form I really enjoy writing in.

Please do head on over to dVerse to read… and take part – why not?

In the hours – dVerse Open Link

freyathewriter 35 Comments

IMG_2932

 

Those nights when I can’t sleep

and curse – in my belief – that I

am the only one staring into the abyss

at 3am.

Those days when I can’t stop

the thoughts in my head from eating me alive

and casting a shadow over

a glorious sunshine day

at 2pm.

Those mornings when I can’t bear

to drag myself out of bed

and drag my carcass through

one more day

at 6am.

Those days

I have to stop myself

from giving up

from giving in

from turning in

from tuning out.

 

I have so much.

Food on the table.

Money in the bank.

A heart that beats

so strong, so long, so fiercely.

 

I have so much

at 3am

at 2pm

at 6am.

I have so much.

 

Tonight is Open Link Night here on dVerse, hosted by our stalwart Swedish host, Bjorn. He has shared the story of Sean Michael with us today, who only gets to post on OLN as he is currently in prison, has no access to the internet and can only connect with us through the wonderful assistance of his grandmother, who posts on his behalf, is his lifeline to the outside world. Here is his blog Mad Poet Enchanted – so very, very worth a look. Sean has somehow managed to fund the publishing of a book of his poetry, despite all the obstacle sin his way – he is such an inspiration.

So… my poem is somewhat of a response to his story. We’re having a bit of a heatwave here in the UK and it’s making commuting somewhat uncomfortable – it’s nothing really, and reading Sean’s story has reminded me of all that I have to be grateful for. I truly am, but sometimes, I forget…

Please do head on over to dVerse and dive in – and please do read about Sean.

By the way, I am so behind in reading others’ work – I will catch up over the weekend, that’s a promise!

 

I am Lara – dVerse Poetics

freyathewriter 20 Comments

Movie_ticket_London_1966

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!