Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Zinnias

age-spotting stage
hovering
this life
above-below

3 comments:

  1. How well this poem expresses the transitional period we enter moving toward the dark mysteries of the coming season.

    Your successful quatrain makes me wonder if it is better suited to English poetry than the pentastich? So often English tanka and gogyoshi feel forced due to the five-line form. Reading Fujita's early tanka written in four lines has me thinking about this. Your poem feels somehow validating.

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  2. Kay, an thematically title whose regional name (old maid flower) adds emotional weight to the poem.

    I like the theme and imagery. Nicely done.

    Chen-ou

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  3. Chen-ou! Is "Zinnia" really an "old maid flower??" How funny is that? The things I learn from you. See, you think I'm so smart, but really... Thank you for your kind words.

    Brian, thank you. I was thinking of Fujita when I wrote this. I liked the way he used the title as a fifth line, at times. Now that Chen-ou has enlightened me about the title, I may have to create a series of these "Zinnia" poems. LOL.

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