How do we share yearnings when we cannot speak of them? For additional context and inspiration you can listen to Leonard Cohen’s song “Take this Longing”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqVvNpcX5HQ&feature=youtu.be
Prompt contributed by Ramona Elke
poetry
is not your thing, you say
as you leave
I let my hand rest
a little longer on you
Nice, it reminds me of Japanese style — tanka
Thanks. It is indeed tanka 🙂
Thank you for this prompt, Ramona. I just listened to the song and took notes along the way. My Best, Jan
(Posting here for now, as I can’t seem to access my page link on my phone.)
Deep, dark, poignant… and also
Yearning
Churning
Burning
Unspeakable
Impeachable
Unreachable
Consuming
Exhuming
Assuming
Enthralling
Sprawling
Crawling
Constricting
Conflicting
Restricting
Don’t speak the words
Don’t speak the words
Don’t speak the words
Stay silent. Don’t let the words fall.
There will be no recall
A second poem for the hour
A prayer to dEvi saraswati in Kannada in the akkara metre (this metre is to be sung rather than just read for the flow to be understood)
vINe tantiyin incharam eLpidoDam
jANeyappeyEm I nanna jihveyoLam
mANadimbiTTu solgaLam nuDisidoDam
kANe oppuvem maimeyan AgaloDam
ವೀಣೆ ತಂತಿಯಿನಿಂಚರಂ ಎಳ್ಪಿದೊಡಂ
ಜಾಣೆಯಪ್ಪೆಯೇನೀ ನನ್ನ ಜಿಹ್ವಿಯೊಳಂ
ಮಾಣದಿಂಬಿಟ್ಟು ಸೊಲ್ಗಳಂ ನುಡಿಸಿದೊಡಂ
ಕಾಣೇ ಒಪ್ಪುವೆಂ ಮೈಮೆಯನಾಗಲೊಡಂ
“How can I accept your cleverness, dexterity and prowess if you just create sweet notes and music from your vINa strings? That won’t do! Make words and poems with eternal beauty and sweetness flow from my tongue too, right away. Only then will I accept your greatness”
Sharing Secrets
Is it ever wise
to relive a behavior
a mistake
a sin
and share it
with a lover?
Releasing
a foul dragon
one’s kept hidden
in a mountain cave
for years
seems unwise.
It may well
burn and devour
him.
No sound to speak the feels,
Just eyes, just hands & heels..
No tongue to curl the words,
Just lips, just songs & birds..
No voice to whisper bright,
Just fingers, brushing light.