Valsa George Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

Feb.23.2024

It Started with a Blank Canvas Poetry Competition

Sponsor- Silent One

~ Placed First~

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It Started with a Blank Canvas

I picked up some words,
From an over heaped pile,
Words which impressed me most.
Put them carefully onto a blank paper,
Like a practiced player placing,
Rooks and pawns on a chequered grid.
 
Seeing page after page getting filled
With a deluge of words, I felt thrilled,
Viewed it casually from a distance,
Like an artist looking at a painting.

I saw words become colors,
My prodigality with words impressed me.
I gloated over my ability as a writer.
Lo! A work of literature in crude form,
Stood ready, willing to be chipped and shaped.
All left was to give it a form,
A stroke here and there,
Some finishing touches!

“It’s all so damn easy,
I shall keep the thing aside,
Ample time lies ahead.
I can now relax, take a break”.
I said to myself, complacent.,

Days slipped by and months rolled away.
One day I took out the scroll,
Wiping the dust and cobwebs away.
Read through it slowly,
My former illusion just faded away.
Its stale familiarity repelled me.
Words stuck out here and there,
Making no coherent sense.
All I found was a jumbled, jotted mass.

To me, ere they looked like lovely dames,
Colorfully dressed up for a mega show.
My eyes were dazzled by their costume,
But now when I wait for them to fall in line,
Gyrating in rhythmic steps
They stand still as a disorderly mass,
Refusing to budge an inch,
Unwilling to sway to a rhyme.

Lost in a barren desert of words,
With each grain of thought
Looking so similar, lacking uniqueness,
I set aside my empty new canvas,
Which I had kept ready for re-entering.

Until the artist in me comes up
With a new configuration of colors
Let it rest in the drawer of my shelf.

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Paula Goldsmith February 27, 2024 at 6:58 AM Congratulations on your win. I enjoyed reading your colorful/wonderful write. Words are so powerful/colorful... Have a blessed day writing away...............

Speaks Volumes February 26, 2024 at 3:43 PM A lovely free verse poem Valsa Congrats

Silent One February 26, 2024 at 12:11 PM Your poem beautifully captures the exhilarating experience of creation and the subsequent disappointment that often accompanies revisiting one's work with a critical eye. The metaphor of picking up words like pieces on a chessboard emphasizes the deliberate, strategic nature of the creative process, as each word is carefully chosen and placed and the ending is brilliant.. love the journey here.. Congratulations on your first place..

Ink Empress February 25, 2024 at 11:22 AM I love the ending! And the flow of this is so seamless dear valsa, your ability to write for various themes and prompts in ways that readers can feel and comprehend is truly impressive and sincere! I especially loved the lines “ I saw words become colors, My prodigality with words impressed me. I gloated over my ability as a writer.” They hit so deep and is soulful and the ending is phenomenal and powerful! Sometimes we do need to rest our quill until we find our muse lending us new colors! Fave

Michael Tor February 24, 2024 at 8:57 PM Like an Artist paints his perception style on a canvas, the thoughts, the colors, the object of choice. The writer does a creative process like the painter in words and thoughts and sometimes like a painter walks away from the canvas so does the writer to finish their Masterpiece. Loved how you used the blank canvas analogy and related it to the reader. Creative, thoughtful and Clever of you Valsa...

Victor Buhagiar February 24, 2024 at 9:53 AM From words to chess figurines, to color abound. Sometimes our first attempt to convey thoughts on canvas may be a failure. But you have a new clean canvas and maybe this this is better. Best of luck. Hugs.

Kim Rodrigues February 24, 2024 at 5:52 AM Like a practiced player placing, Rooks and pawns on a chequered grid…a new word “prodigality,” … Stood ready, willing to be chipped and shaped. All left was to give it a form (love how a poem gets shaped!) Sometimes that brilliant idea won’t take shape after all…delete…delete…delete. Well done, Valsa!

Sotto Poet February 23, 2024 at 12:49 PM Marvelous, truly extraordinary. A masterfully crafted verse, exhibiting unparalleled ingenuity, dear Valsa. You have presented an innovative and imaginative perspective on this given theme. Your musings on the intricacies of the poetic endeavor and the arduous task of refining our verses were undeniably captivating and stimulating. Your vivid portrayal of the genesis of creativity, brimming with the exhilaration of transcribing thoughts onto a pristine canvas. BOL with the contest

Smita Kulkarni February 23, 2024 at 11:42 AM How beautifully and creatively you have painted your blank canvas Valsa!! I enjoyed reading it! All the best for the contest! In my opinion, you are the winner. -Smita

Jay Narain February 23, 2024 at 10:24 AM One can paint over an acrylic painting, but the poem and thoughts retain their longevity. Nice poem and GL in contest.

Daniel Henry Rodgers February 23, 2024 at 7:14 AM Dear Valsa, Your portrayal of the creative process, from the initial excitement of filling a blank page to the disillusionment upon revisiting the work, is poignant and relatable. The metaphor of words becoming colors and the analogy of an artist contemplating a painting brilliantly capture the essence of the writer's journey. Your honest reflection on the initial pride in your work, followed by the eventual realization of its shortcomings, speaks volumes about the creative struggle we all face. I admire how you've woven imagery and introspection together to convey the complexity of the creative process. Your words evoke a sense of empathy and understanding, reminding us that creativity is often a journey of highs and lows. Thank you for sharing your poetic journey with such vulnerability and depth. With heartfelt appreciation - Blessings, Daniel

Sara Kendrick February 23, 2024 at 4:12 AM Well, Valsa, I find when I reread some of my poems that sometimes it does not work at all and at other times when I read it the spirit in which I wrote it comes alive once again. I think it happens like that when someone reads it as well. Maybe one out of ten who read a work will be struck by it and want to read more written by that person. Thanks for sharing this one with us and for dropping by my page. Sara K

Anne-Lise Andresen February 23, 2024 at 2:51 AM - "The finishing touch" can work both ways, Valsa - But this poem is perfect in every way ... words turn into beautiful colors :) - Best wishes in the contest ... a winning poem in my heart :) - hugs

Bill Baker February 22, 2024 at 10:58 PM A unique and creative way to look at this prompt, Valsa. Good luck in the contest. Your thoughts on the process of writing and editing our poetry was interesting and thought- provoking, my friend. Thanks for sharing your poetry with us. Have a pleasant weekend! Bill