A ‘Bridges’ poem
Before me, one way to go; stone spread, long and straight. There, I uncertain linger, hand upon steel gate; An eerie scene. Fir trees dull grey, reflections black, pale bridge ghost white; Feel nary weak breeze waft... chest- straining, tight... 'Tis too serene. Somewhere, time-stopped stillness hints at love and loss; Turn back, murmurs faint voice, 'tis not your time to cross, The gateway's sealed. Clarity sweeps through me, under hushed, cloudless sky; Feet turn, lungs exhale, dark allayed as I- Feel despair yield.
#TankaTuesday
For Tanka Tuesday, Colleen Chesebro invited Lisa Fox to share an image for her monthly ekphrastic syllabic poetry prompt, and Lisa shared this photo from the Felt Mansion (western Michigan), which she took in 2020:
“The Bridges”?
- Syllabic: 12/12/4/12/10/4;
- Stanzaic: any number of sestets (6 line stanzas);
- Rhymed: aabccb, ddeffe, etc.;
- Metric: iambic hexameter, iambic pentameter, iambic dimeter.
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 🇮🇱 
I really liked this 💜
❤️🙏🏻 Willow 🙏🏻❤️
[…] ben Alexander […]
💙
Excellent description of the scene and really like how you used the feelings evoked from it. Nice one, David. Very fun to see how others look at it. (In color it’s beautiful, I promise!)
it’s beautiful w/o color too!
🙂 ❤
really atmospheric. Enjoyed.
💝🙏🏻 Jude 🙏🏻💝
I loved these lines
Somewhere, time-stopped stillness hints at love and loss;
Turn back, murmurs faint voice, ’tis not your time to cross,
The gateway’s sealed.
🤍🙏🏻 Reena 🙏🏻🤍 ~ those lines seem to have resonated with some others too! Thanks!
Just proves it’s so wonderful 👏😀
🤗😘
What a dream, crystal clear and lucid
God am I happy that
🪶Feet turn, lungs exhale, dark allayed as I- Feel despair yield.🪶
The form, for me so complicated to follow
Strict, demanding and possessive, yet
Here you made something beautiful
💖🙏🏻 Abi 🙏🏻💖
The image of the bridge is used perfectly in your poem – a metaphor for the divide between life and death. So many with depression test that gate daily…
💗🙏🏻 Muri 🙏🏻💗
The Pontifex
huh? 🤔
I love this so much! “Somewhere, time-stopped stillness hints at love and loss;
Turn back, murmurs faint voice, ’tis not your time to cross, The gateway’s sealed…” What a fabulous image this creates for me. 💜 👏🏻
💙🙏🏻 Colleen 🙏🏻💙
Perfect blending of form, words and image. (K)
💛🙏🏻 Kerfe 🙏🏻💛
Beautiful David! Haunting even! 👌👏❤️ These lines in particular stood out to me:
“‘Twas too serene. Somewhere, time-stopped stillness hinted at love and loss;
🤗 🙏🏻 Ken 🙏🏻 🤗