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It Only Takes An Outstretched Hand

Missing image
by Gregg Rowe

~~~~~

I met a poetess who is a clown
Cheryl or Magic Lady’s her screen name
Within her clown pockets she guards her tricks
Upon her face she paints a red/white frown
Bringing smiles to faces is her game
My pain within me she attempts to fix

Magic Lady sits and strums a canjo
An instrument resembling a banjo

I begin to awake and come around
Back to reality, my angel stands
As my clown joyously jumps up and down
Her belief in God -- let us understand
In my life -- is a survivor’s bargain
She sings:  It only takes an outstretched hand!


Author notes

THE FORM  An Alfred Dorn Sonnet

Winner of the Formalist Publication Contest for developing a new sonnet form.  Each year the Formalist runs a sonnet contest where the applicants make up their own form of sonnet.  The sonnet form is named after the winning applicant.  In this case Alfred Dorn won and this type of sonnet was named after him

The Alfred Dorn is iambic pentameter, 14 lines but has two sextets (six lines) with the couplet in the middle.  The rhyme scheme is ABCABC  DD AEAEAE.

WHAT'S a CANJO?
That's a whole 'nother story...

A canjo looks like a banjo made with a stick and a can.  It has real musical instrument parts. It has three strings. And tuning gears. and FRETS.  Well mine do. It is a humble, upside-down cousin to the Appalachian Dulcimer. The amazing thing is, it doesn't look like it could make any real music, but it CAN.   Guitar players say "It's just too easy."   Regular dulcimer players say, "The whole darn thing is upside down. But it's cute."

WHAT GOOD IS IT?
Well, a canjo gives you a great excuse to get out and make people, move, and laugh and even sing.  I like to share my props and have folks act out the songs. Imagine acting out the Bitsy Bitsy Spider with a rubber spider, a round plastic sun, and a loaded squirt gun.  Turkey in the Straw with a rubber chicken, a plastic egg, etc.and  See that chicken dance!

Oh I had a little chicken and she wouldn't lay an egg.
So I poured hot water up and down her leg.
Well she wiggled and she giggled and she hollered and she begged .
Then that silly little chicken laid a hard boiled egg

Wrom: QZUIVOTQNQEMSFDULHPQQWOYIYZUNNYCGPKYLE

The title of this poem is a line from Rod McKuen's 'Outstretched Hand', Magic Lady's favorite poem as of this writing, which also appears on her front page:

allpoetry.com/poets/MagicLady

Outstretched Hand    by Rod McKuen

Each of us was made by God
and some of us grew tall.
Others stood out in the wind
their branches bent and fell.
Those of us who walk in light
must help the ones in darkness up.
For that's what life is all about
and love is all there is to life.

Each of us was made by God
beautiful in His mind's eye.
Those of us who turned out sound
should look across our shoulders once
and help the weak ones to their feet.

It only takes an outstretched hand.


Written July 21st, 2004

In a list

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 19 of 19

  • MargaretG
    August 9, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    I like this new sonnet form, there are great possibilities for varying and contrasting the message. Thanks for bringing it to AP! You have worked the rhymes very well.
    This is a really beautiful tribute to MagicLady, and you're right, she is a special and caring person. It was sweet of you to write this in her honour.


  • lordoftherings gold member
    July 25, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Elaine, out of all the sonnet forms and how to write one, I think this is the simplistic one and the one that all people should be taught to write. The Italian and the shakesperian are a little more difficult where this one really opens it up and just relies ont he basics of a sonnet and is far easier to learn than the others, hope you give it a whirl. Gregg Thanks for reading and commenting on my works, as always, a avid fan of yours also.


  • misselaineous
    July 25, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    this is a lovely tribute
    and i like the form
    am experimenting with trying new forms - am struggling - i just let it flow
    i need more good examples like this to inspire me
    thank you
    elaine


  • July 23, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    poetress?

  • Morgana
    July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    What a sweet write...you really touched her heart. maybe I should try writing sonnets...(I suck at rhyming though; have to work on that)...thanks for inspiring me.

    -morgana


  • lordoftherings gold member
    July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Raven: We were in the same contest together, MagicLady's write a clown poem in 23 hours! I liked this form from the first time I saw it in the magazine, I am a sonnet writer and this one was intriguing, it was using the Italian Tera Rime form with the end of the Shakespearian heroic sonnet in the middle of the sonnet, this gave way for presenting the first argument in the first sestet, with a complete separate thought in the couplet and then joining the two together in the second sestet. I will be challenging myself to a few more of these. Thanks for the comments. Gregg
    Edited on Jul 22, 2:25 p.m. because ''.


  • July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    This really is a new form, and not just for me! Nicely written, and good example; I just entered a contest that used that picture. Thanks for entering!


  • M.A.King
    July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    oh what a perfect write for this contest! using a sliver from her favorite poem is a wonderful idea. and making a personal statement of her friendship, beautiful. the new sonnet form is one i am intrigued by. i am addicted to sonnets now and this is a fascinating form. i love the break with the couplet in the middle. i plan to experiment with it. thank you for explaining it so clearly. again, a perfect and unique sonnet.


  • cherche -d -ame
    July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    I have to make it a point to lok up more about magic lady Great tribute to what sounds like one of this worlds finer people and best ofluck in the contest . And also hx for the interesting info...I do know the dulcimer ...and am trying to picture the canjo now

    Reenie


  • lordoftherings gold member
    July 22, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Is the MagicLady's RedNosed Award something like a brown-nosed award? Thank you so much for the acknowledgement of this poem, researched and written from the time of my first e-mail to you 16 hours ago until the time I posted the poem up. It was so much fun to read about you and piece the poetry and the bit about the canjo. Gregg
    Edited on Jul 22, 1:17 because ''.


  • MagicLady silver member
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Gregg, this is such a great poem for me...thank you so much. I was a bit struck by the personal touch. You kind of brought a few tears to my eyes. I kept telling everyone how I am a happy clown, and how clowns don't always cry, and here you have me crying. But...that is cheryl, not the clown.

    You are so sweet to have written this. I will put it on my page...but not tonight. When I get this done tonight, I will be tired...way tired! Thanks...you are a gem! Cheryl


  • July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    wow...so many entries for a one day poem...think she's going to have fun tonight, reading all these entries. so good to see you writing again gregg.
    all my best,
    ~liz

  • polgara
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    What a lovely tribute and message. She sounds like a great friend. Clowns are such a poignant subjects, such as the photo you used. They paint their faces to provide us joy, yet you have to wonder what pain they are masking . They are always in service for others. I particularly liked your second last line.


  • lordoftherings gold member
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Destiny: There's a contest running around to compose a poem about a clown in a day, we have until 11 PM (approx.) Texas time tonight to create one. Gregg Thanks for the read and comment.
    Edited on Jul 21, 5:19 p.m. because ''.


  • FlawedDestiny
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Aww, this is very sweet! I always enjoy reading poetry written for other poets from this site. She must be a very nice person.

    Clowns must be a common theme today, this is the thrid one I read with clowns in about ten minutes! Good luck to you in this contest.
    ~*Destiny*~


  • lordoftherings gold member
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    Thank you for correcting my mistake...I have corrected it and really appreciate these minor errors caught by other fellow poets. Gregg


  • unknownfrailty
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    In the third to the last line I think you meant belief instead of believe. Just one outstresched hand. That's wonderful. It was nice that you informed every of the form, and where you were inspired. Wonderful.

  • Pari Ali
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    wow a lot of info, sorry I clicked on your feature generally I try to reach a poem by clicking on the poets name.
    I loved the words of the outstretched hand and completely agree with them.
    Magic lady is a wonderful person This poem is so very apt for her, she recently ran 9 contests for non trophy poets and my daughter was one of those who got a trophy. that was very encouraging for her.
    This is a lovely tribute for her
    thanks for posting all the information with it too.

  • listen
    July 21, 2004
    Edit | Reply
    well this is very cute and cheerful.and the story behind it is interesting as well.good luck in the contest.

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