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    Mikiesboy
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The content presented here is for informational or educational purposes only. These are just the authors' personal opinions and knowledge.
Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Timmy's Journal - 29. Poetry Prompt 18 - The Rubaiyat

Two Poems: Awakening Your Muse and The Hanging

These were a long time coming, and sonnets even longer. I may not have enough of romantic soul ...

The prompt: write one four-lined Khayyám-style Rubaiyat on the theme of 'your muse' (with or without references to drink and pretty boys ;) ). In addition, write one multi-stanza Interlocking Rubaiyat based on the sights and feelings stirred in you by watching Ambrose Bierce's short story, An Occurrence at Owl Bridge.[4] Use the consistent line lengths you think are best for the individual poems, and follow the basic rhyme patterns for the two types of Rubaiyat. 

 

Awakening Your Muse

A failed muse is but a fire cold
To raise it again, takes something bold
An action, speech or long loving night
When tended well, it's worth more than gold
 
I'm not sure this is exactly what AC is looking for but it's my attempt. I kind of put myself in the place of one of the soldiers on the bridge.
 

The Hanging

Soldiers stand fast as the rope is prepared

the prisoner is quiet—his neck bared

then the rope is tightened, he sees his life

we hope against hope, his life be spared.

 

The trees are bare witnesses to this strife,

his death not marked with beating drum or fife

I stand at attention, his eyes on mine

his last thoughts i'm sure will be of his wife.

 

Over after a sharp tug on the line

and life will march on, the sun will still shine

he'll be buried deep in the cold cold ground

and remembered in his family's shrine.

 

How peaceful this scene and he looks around,

as he waits patiently, hands and feet bound—

afraid i am for my frightened soul—

and when i step off, he's gone with no sound.

Two Poems: Awakening Your Muse and The Hanging
Copyright © 2017 Mikiesboy; All Rights Reserved.
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The content presented here is for informational or educational purposes only. These are just the authors' personal opinions and knowledge.
Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

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On 02/20/2016 02:53 AM, Headstall said:

Loved "Awakening your Muse"... superb...

You paint a well appointed picture with "The Hanging"... loved it as well... I liked the perspective... cheers... Gary...

Hi Gary! Glad you thought the Muse worked. Not sure if the other one is 'right' but it's a start. Thanks for your comments and insight.. tim

  • Like 1
On 02/20/2016 03:07 AM, Parker Owens said:

"Awakening Your Muse" hits it perfectly. Really like the images that come to mind as I read it. A muse awake is indeed finer than gold. Great idea for "The Hanging." I've had a very hard time with this prompt - can't settle on a point of view. But you've done this marvelously. Congrats!

I liked writing the Awakening Your Muse ... the other, well I still have doubts. I've watched the video twice, even tried just meditating on it some, but i kept seeing it as looking out from the bridge so that's what i tried to write. Thanks for reading them Parker. Prod your muse with a stick.. see if it wakes up!! Thanks again!

 

tim xo

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On 02/20/2016 03:21 AM, dughlas said:

I am always impressed by your poetry regardless of form. As with the other I was particularly drawn to "Awakening your Muse" though them images brought to my mind by "The Hanging" were extraordinary.

oh dugh (hugs), thank you so much. I appreciate you taking the time to read these two. I liked writing the first, the second was a challenge and i'm not sure if it's right. But I'm pleased they worked for you.

 

Thanks dugh, your thoughts and support mean the world to me.

 

tim xoxo

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Dugh snatched my thoughts even before I read. They are very beautiful and well structured. 'Awakening Your Muse', wow. I had felt like I should awake my muse to perform great thing than gold.

 

Coming to 'The Hanging'. You have a great imagination and screen play abilities I say. :lol: I can see what is happening every moment by reading your Rubaiyat.

 

They are perfect and I Liked them. Your work is so fascinated... :)

 

~Emi.

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I love the muse poem, especially the 'a fire cold' analogy. It speaks to the variety of ways our inspiration can be rekindled, and I love it.

 

I don’t know why you thought I'd have some reservations on "The Hanging"; I don’t. I think it's all very perfect in terms of the Interlocking Rubaiyat form, and I love the POV from a soldier-witness. If it makes the observer contemplate his own mortality, then my goals are have been totally met.

 

The poem is very moving, and I feel what the soldier is feeling. That's awesome. I hope you keep this form in mind and come back to it when your muse whispers '…rubaiyat…' in your ear.

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On 02/20/2016 05:05 AM, Emi GS said:

Dugh snatched my thoughts even before I read. They are very beautiful and well structured. 'Awakening Your Muse', wow. I had felt like I should awake my muse to perform great thing than gold.

 

Coming to 'The Hanging'. You have a great imagination and screen play abilities I say. :lol: I can see what is happening every moment by reading your Rubaiyat.

 

They are perfect and I Liked them. Your work is so fascinated... :)

 

~Emi.

Thanks Emi, Awakening Your Muse was a bit of fun. The Hanging is based on the short film, AC indicated in the Prompt: An Occurence at Owl Bridge, watch it and you'll see. It's not my screen play, i just looked at it from one of the attending soldiers POV.

Thanks for your review my friend!

 

tim

  • Like 1
On 02/20/2016 06:27 AM, AC Benus said:

I love the muse poem, especially the 'a fire cold' analogy. It speaks to the variety of ways our inspiration can be rekindled, and I love it.

 

I don’t know why you thought I'd have some reservations on "The Hanging"; I don’t. I think it's all very perfect in terms of the Interlocking Rubaiyat form, and I love the POV from a soldier-witness. If it makes the observer contemplate his own mortality, then my goals are have been totally met.

 

The poem is very moving, and I feel what the soldier is feeling. That's awesome. I hope you keep this form in mind and come back to it when your muse whispers '…rubaiyat…' in your ear.

Oh thank you AC. I guess I wasnt sure with The Hanging if it went far enough or too much described the what happened that day. It was sort of both a retelling and an introspection, but if you say it worked, I'll shut up and take that. :) I like this form very much so I think it's a keeper.

 

Thanks again AC for your support and your excellent Prompts.

 

tim

  • Like 1
On 02/20/2016 07:02 AM, Roberto Zuniga said:

OMG Tim!

I am speechless ... Both are amazing poems in both form and content. The Hanging ... I loved the way you stuctured it. Standing Ovation!

Thank you Roberto! I'm glad they both worked for you. I was worried I'd not 'get' this style but to do what AC wanted I needed to feel what happened at the bridge rather than just watch it. So watching through the POV of the soldier eye's worked.

 

Thanks again for your support my friend. It means a great deal.

 

tim xo

  • Like 1
On 02/20/2016 07:11 AM, LitLover said:

Awakening your Muse... the words are so true. A muse can be fiery and consuming and, if you're not careful, can go out cold and you're left with ashes.

The hanging... I like that you used the soldier's perspective. I felt like I was standing there beside them.

Hi LL. Thank you so much. Glad you like Awakening Your Muse. The Hanging is based on the soldiers pov from a short film called an Occurence at Owl Bridge, not sure if you've seen it but it is very moving. There's a link in Prompt 18 if you'd like to see it.

 

Thanks again for reading. I'm glad you're not letting the forms stop you!! I appreciate your support very much.

 

tim

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