An Open Poem Sans Punctuation

somewhere
red poppies
                   grow
fertilised
              by blood
              sun
and
       winter snow
lost 
      freedoms
                      seed
on widow's
                   weeds
       sadness flows
to that
    no-mans land
    where
    there
           are
                but crows

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017



Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Date: 7/2/2017 11:00:00 PM
Back again! Alright...every time I read this poem another layer of understanding is added to my elemental brain. And now I simply love it. It is really beautiful and is a new FAV for me too. I can see this field of poppies maybe with a delapidated cannon and a cross on a grave with the widow standing there as the crows fly over the field. I'm inspired. I think I'm going to do another painting!!
Login to Reply
Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 7/2/2017 11:08:00 PM
Thanks Carol for all your comments on this poem.
Date: 7/2/2017 10:53:00 PM
Okay...upon reading it again (and again) I think the "lost freedoms seed" must be referring to the death of a soldier on a battlefield where the poppies now grow. Did I get it? lol This is a deeply sad poem, Brian, but beautiful "sans punctuation". :) Thanks for referring me to this example.
Login to Reply
Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 7/2/2017 11:20:00 PM
Yes you did Carol
Date: 7/2/2017 10:46:00 PM
I understand this poem "sans punctuation", Brian, except for the lines, "lost freedoms seed". I just don't get how that phrase fits into the poem. Sorry. Otherwise, I like the poem, especially the way you broke up the lines which did make it easier to read. However, if you had written it in a regular line form I wonder if it would have been as easy to read. Thanks for your interest and comment on my blog.
Login to Reply
Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 7/2/2017 11:24:00 PM
Carol, the format has to be this way,if punctuation is left out.As you say it would not make sense in a conventional poetic line format.Marianne Moore was my inspiration for this style of open poetry.
Date: 7/2/2017 10:11:00 PM
Awesome piece Brian. Beautifully done, a lover of less is more word smithery, to mind Flanders Fields and the Unknown Soldiers with your apt title, brilliant, this is going in my faves drawer...
Login to Reply
Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 7/2/2017 11:08:00 PM
Thanks Maureen
Date: 7/2/2017 11:11:00 AM
This is beautiful. I think you are talking about aftermath of war.
Login to Reply
Strand Avatar
Brian Strand
Date: 7/2/2017 11:45:00 AM
Thanks Dale
Date: 7/2/2017 10:50:00 AM
It happens. That's Nature
Login to Reply
Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter