When the world outside is quiet and calm
The choir of voices singing in my head
Fills my being with the singing of psalms
The echo sounds of dreams I long thought deadPassions stubborn spirit refuse to shed
Visions burning clear in my thirds eye’s sight
My core even though abuse has me bledMy walls can no longer contain the light
The choice becomes, slowly die or shine bright
Trust there’s life time left for another choice
Spread my battered wings and let dreams take flight
Believe there’s stories to tell with my voiceLet truth be my shield and my words my spear
©RedCat
My pen the fire that burns away all fears
This is my fourth Sonnet in April. And my first ever Spenserian sonnet, which has a linked rhyme scheme of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
I still feel sonnet’s are harder than some other forms, or I’m more intimidated by them. Due to their Shakespearean connection. Meaning I feel like a novice poet like myself has less right to venture into such prominent territory. Such are the silly traps my mind makes for itself. I mean I have no problem venturing into other classical forms.
This is the first time the pentameter felt natural and not overly forced, although keeping all the feets iambic still eludes me. I also had an instructive fun time reading up on the Great Comets of 1811 and 1819. Especially the first of those, that was visible to the naked eye for 260 days must have been a real marvel. Leaving many impressions in culture, for example in William Blake’s miniature painting The Ghost of a Flea (below).
To see all art and read all poems for today go to The Wombwell Rainbow.
Also shared to Open Link Night at dVerse.
Kerfe Roig A resident of New York City, Kerfe Roig enjoys transforming words and images into something new. Her poetry and art have been featured online by Right Hand Pointing, Silver Birch Press, Yellow Chair Review, The song is…, Pure Haiku, Visual Verse, The Light Ekphrastic, Scribe Base, The Zen Space, and The Wild Word, and published in Ella@100, Incandescent Mind, Pea River Journal, Fiction International: Fool, Noctua Review, The Raw Art Review, and several Nature Inspired anthologies. Follow her explorations on her blogs, https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/ (which she does with her friend Nina), and https://kblog.blog/, and see more of her work on her website http://kerferoig.com/
April Ekphrastic Challenge – GloPoWriMo 2021
- 1 April – Dark Orchid
- 2 April – A Dirge for the Drowned
- 3 April – Granddaughters of Red Riding Hood
- 4 April – Raven Dream Flight
- 5 April – It’s Spring Time Again and The Sweetest Wine – A Quadrille
- 6 April – There Once Was A Cat and To All The Good Girls
- 7 April – Mind Finds Soul Fearlessly Shines
- 8 April – Trapped, Imprisoned In Her Own Mind – A Triple Triolet and Ode To My Dream Girl
- 9 April – The Aurora Butterfly – A Sonnet
- 10 April – The Dawn Sky Is Ethereal Blue – A Triolet
- 11 April – Blue Forest Of Remembrance
- 12 April – Incantation to Bau-Gula – A Sonnet
- 13 April – The Stars Are Out Tonight – A Villanelle and Cat Searching High and Low
- 14 April – Shadow People Before My Eyes – A Triple Triolet
- 15 April – Three Times Three Times Three
- 16 April – Autumn feast – A Sonnet
- 17 April – In The Badger Sett
- 18 April – Hellcat
- 19 April – Life Lessons and No Bother! – A Quadrille
- 20 April – Fairy Dust Magic – A Trio Of Ovillejo’s and Crows Calling At Night
- 21 April – Polished Mirror Women – Dedicated to Marisol
- 22 April – Word Salad and A Beltane Song
- 23 April – Floating Around Everywhere and Oh Bother! – A Quadrille in Ovillejo Form
- 24 April – A Thousand Paper Cranes
- 25 April – Change and Restless Body and Mind
- 26 April – Through Hell
- 27 April – Weaving Web and Another Piece Of The Puzzel – A Puente Poem
- 28 April – Sounds In The Wind – A Puente Poem
- 29 April – Fire That Burns Away All Fears – A Sonnet and Blackbirds Dusk Sings
- 30 April – Star Prayer – A Sonnet
The world according to RedCat 
Reblogged this on The Wombwell Rainbow.
I did the same research for mine, as you can probably see. Billy Blake, a favourite of mine since I requested his Complete Poetry and Prose for Christmas when I was eleven.
‘The choice becomes, slowly die or shine bright’ – I am so pleased you chose the latter! I love your closing couplet. And I love that you used Blake’s artwork, as did I tonight, coincidentally…
This was a wonderful Sonnet… I find them tricky too, a few years ago I wrote them almost every week, and then the Pentameter came naturally… these days it eludes me. I love especially that last couplet.
I agree with Bjorn – a tricky business, but very well measured and written with authority – which is something the form gives you I think, if you master it.
The power of the pen, well written sonnet.
Mr Spencer would beam, reading this one! Awesome delivery, wonderfully driven home by that mind-blowing closing couplet.
Well done!
Helene, I was suprised this was a sonnet it flowed so smoothly. Yes indeed, the light that will either consume us or shine gloriously in our pens! Love this idea! <3
Such a poignant sonnet. “Believe there’s stories to tell with my voice” Yes! And whether burned for tell or burnished by them, tell we must.
A lovely sonnet specially the ending couplet. Reads very well with the rhyming verses.
I like the idea of fire (and the pen) forcing the fears away. This is a very empowering poem, the courage of the writer building and igniting. Yes, there are always stories for every voice!
I have never written a sonnet, I think for the same reason you talk about. I like the flow of this and the messaging. Nice job🙂
Pat
You have given me motivation to write a sonnet …. oh my what have I done? Your sonnet is beautiful. The accompanying art, wow.
i love this Helene! Yes, let your pen burn away all your fears! Well done!
“My pen the fire that burns away all fears”
So beautiful! Love the “passions stubborn spirit refused to shed” love stubborn spirit!