A senryu
journey divided
neither death nor life complete
hold full-fragile truth
#TankaTuesday
The above senryu was written for Colleen M. Chesebro’s ‘Tanka Tuesday’ prompt: Poets were prompted to write ekphrastic syllabic poems for the painting by John William Waterhouse called ‘The Crystal Ball’.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
I wish truths were more robust. A lovely one, David. ๐
๐ Terveen ๐
Great senryu.
๐ฅฐ Jude ๐ฅฐ – thanks!
-David
[…] ben Alexander […]
โค
Journey divided… I notice you cropped the picture and perhaps are focusing on the hemisphere of the window. There’s so much geometry in that room, but also esoteric implications and your poem alludes beautifully to those aspects.
โค D. โค ~ I cropped the photo for the top of the post because I I like my featured images to be horizontal… the full photo is included lower down in the post…
Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
Sincerely,
David
I saw the full picture too, I just wondered if you were narrowing the focus intentionally. Either way I like the effect and the pairing of short poem and shortened picture.
well, in the poem, the word ‘full’ is intended to contrast with the semi-circle window and the top half of the skull… and ‘life’ refers in part to what’s outside the window, whereas ‘death’ refers in part to the skull…
Exactly.
The truth has many ways of hidding! Great poem!
๐ Elizabeth ๐ ~ thank you so much.
-David