I reached out my hand and they came to me
when I sprinkled the bread before them
scattered upon the grass in trails,
clinging to the blades, to the dew.
Black beak, black wing, black sleep
nibbling at the tips of my fingers
and feathers; the softest of tickles.
My hands are scrubbed clean
of grains, bread, sand. Dreams
drawn on clean skin by little black beaks.
Twilight looms in charcoal and pink.
Softly buzzing coos ring, ring, ring.
Dreams of feathered flight
on glossy black wings.
Author notes
Thank you for the inspiring contest, ea!
Inspired by "The Black Swan"
by Randall Jarrell
BG: by the artist Yoshitaka Amano. His website is amanosworld.com. Also very inspirational. A fav artist of mine. Great inspiration just in case an ea contest isn't available LOL.
A contest entry
- Black Swans by ea.
700 points, ended June 17, 13 entries
Bronze trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Thoughts?
Comments
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Thank you! I thought this was quite pleasing, not only on a literal level of seeing the child feeding swans and on a sensory level of hearing the lilt, but as an extended metaphor. I especially liked the lines "My hands are scrubbed clean of grains, bread, sand. Dreams" because it says to me that the hands have been scrubbed clean of dreams, as well... dreams drawn formerly on clean skin which now loom in twilight colors, awaiting flight. This demonstrates a coming of age and reckons with maturity.
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^^ Thanks for your insight, as always!
Best,
El
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Very beautiful and thought inspiring. This has a very peaceful feel, "Dreams of feathered flight on glossy black wings."
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Thanks!
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