I know the stars
I named each one/long ago
I called each one/long ago
I watched them and counted
I joined them
I know the stars
Dancing in the beauty of the night
Resting, sighing pleasantly in the heat of the day
I/the stars flew
We embraced, we caressed and sang for each other
In voices so soft no one could hear us
We soared through time and space
Resonating through the moment, bleeding into white light
I know the stars
I/We/The stars spin around, ever so sweetly
Playing in the trees, jumping through the shadows
My childhood friends, my dearest counterparts
Gems of white/diamonds in the night
Precious stone of heaven/precious heaven of my soul
We are together, woven in the fabric of time
I know the stars
Silent children lost/long ago
Listening friends who I claimed/long ago
Sweet, serene night lights
Keeping out the nightmares
So that I/we can run amuck
Lost in euphoria/found in joy
Author notes
Elaine Maria Upton is a sort of modern day Emily Dickenson (though lacking some of Emily's finer ironies and sarcastic wit) She writes mostly on nature, love and spritualism but takes an almost anthropomorphic turn, addressing nature as a member of her family. Her love stories tend to be positive and her spritual ideals appear to be rooted firmly in modern panentheism. Her panentheistic ideas are shown in her global view of nature where she describes objects such as mountains as a part of her identity and in her boxed view of a deity, which she is more apt to label as a part of each person than a watching father or a punishing overlord.
This particular poem mimicks (but does not mirror)'How I talk to the Mountain' as it is a free verse poem that focuses on an individuals connection and inate oneness with a particlar object in nature and draws from 'Giving'(specific style ideas and commentary) and 'They Have Become' (the refrain repeated at the beginning of each stanza versus the end or periodically throughout the work)
Elaine appears to be particularly fond of refrains and slashes as opposed to hyphens
She writes in a combination of free verse, Iambic pentameter, and rhyming stanzas, with her free verse works standing out as her strongest style. While she can rhyme, her rhymes are often simple in accordance with her style, but are also sadly unimpressive and almost forced.
While I prefer Dickenson (I'm kind of a fanatic though, so it may have been a mistake to give me someone who writes so similarly) Elaine is quite talented and has interesting insights on life and spirituality locked away in beautifully crafted, yet descivingly simple phrases.
Much Love.
A contest entry
- AP Best of the Best: Finals by B Chandler.
1400 points, ended January 29, 2007, 6 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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pretty. makes me smile.you can have all my points.
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Whenever you're faced with doing research- especially when the judges ask to have the write included, have that information with the research because thats where you lost major points at.
Secondly, try your HARDEST to avoid using first person point of view words such as: I, me, she, he
...instead use second or third person point of view words.
Lastly, the judges felt somewhat lost as to the / mark in the last stanza, Otherwise this was a good write. But forget that when you're dealing with competitional series contests, wow your judges -
woah
This is great =] -
we're happy that you was able to enter
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