Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Flattery Is Not Forever

flattery is not forever,
it lives a mayfly life

if it could sing
it would be all crescendo

shouting its message
to the world     then nothing

a silver phrase heard
by others also gone

not even divine perfume
could recall that memory

a body fallen, rotting,
leading to the sprouting

of new life from the scars
of the old life now fled

but flattery is not a song
it is a crude utterance

an inept attempt at love
that recounts only desperation

* * * * *

This poem was written in response to the Sunday Wordle prompt from Brenda at Beyond the Bozone.

I've enjoyed writing poems to Brenda's wordles; this is my third this month. But this one was especially difficult and challenging, because four of the words she chose were from one of my poems. Thanks, Brenda.

10 comments:

  1. Well done! I tried this wordle with no success. I love "flattery is not forever, it lives a mayfly life." Brilliant analogy.

    The best part of NaPo is connecting with other writers and getting inspired by them! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am blown away by the way you made this wordle. I'm glad to read it was difficult for you and not just me. I love , "a body fallen, rotting,
    leading to the sprouting

    of new life from the scars
    " you made it all work together.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Marianne, thank you. I think I was lucky with that first stanza; it pretty much got me going.

    I agree completely. Earlier this month, I was worried about reading others' poems when I hadn't written to that prompt, but I'm over that now. It hasn't hampered me at all. Quite the opposite, it has been an incredible source of inspiration. Thank you.

    Judy, thank you. I'm glad you think it all works together. I think that's the challenge of writing a poem from a wordle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Interesting, the way it started like a song, but lost that attribute as you got around to its true nature.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Madeleine, thank you.

    Dave, thanks. That's what I was going for.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the way this poem works. I like how you say, "a body fallen, rotting, leading to the sprouting
    of new life from the scars, of the old life now fled". And yes, flattery is just a crude utterance!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Agnija, thanks for reading my poems. I'm partial to those two stanzas as well.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've ben reading backwards from today's post (!) and have found many thoughts and phrases that will draw me back to read more another time... :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jinksy, thank you so much. Thanks for visiting; come back anytime. I'll be over to visit you soon.

    ReplyDelete