Ode to Shen Zhou
From
atop
a mountain
in Jiangsu
Province in China
during the era of
the Ming Dynasty, Shen Zhou,
a nature artist, poet, and
calligrapher, is respected and
admired for his cultural influence.
***
So little
So cute.
So sweet
A little girl with no truth
So shy. But so sweet
So brittle.
So clean
Shen is an innocent girl. With big dreams
But is she really?
Is he a little girl?
Is she that sweet?
Is she so shy?
Is she that clean?
You don’t know.
Looking down at the pearls she wore
No longer you little girl.
You hurt her.
You killed her
She's her own girl.
Still shy
Not so sweet
But bitter means.
A change in heart
LOST all her sweet dreams
She's no longer a girl..
She's a “big girl”
So little
So cute.
So sweet
A little girl with no truth
It's all gone, she's no longer clean
LOST all her sweet dreams.
She's no longer your little girl.
She's her dream.
Revelations from Poet Atop a Mountain
After an arduous climb to the top of the mountain,
I looked back to see them looking at me;
Waiting for an answer, they queried,
“What do you see, ‘O Great One’ of the Ming Dynasty?”
What could I see? (Cloud cover below my feet.)
But I could hear echoes, and so I imagined tranquility
and painted a picture of myself
atop the mountain, leaning on a bramble staff
breathing deeply while gazing out far and free,
and put together words of poetry
to describe what I had heard and seen.
***
Poet on a Mountaintop by Shen Zhou, (Chinese, 1427–1509)
(translation from Indiana University)
White clouds sash-like
wrap mountain waists,
The rock terrace flies in space
distant, a narrow path.
Leaning on a bramble staff
far and free I gaze,
To warble of valley brook
I will reply, whistling.
***
Poet Atop a Mountain
The poet, unfraught
after an arduous climb
to the mountaintop,
attempts to describe the view
with limited use of words.
***
Poet On a Mountaintop
by Shen Zhou, (Chinese, 1427–1509) (tr. Indiana University)
White clouds sash-like
wrap mountain waists,
The rock terrace flies in space
distant, a narrow path.
Leaning on a bramble staff
far and free I gaze,
To warble of valley brook
I will reply, whistling.
***
S-tatement's
H-eartfelt
E-xpression
N-icely
B-rings
A-nother
U-plifting
T-opic
I-n
S-ensibility
T-o
A-crostic
Topic: Birthday of Shen Bautista (February 25)
Form: Vertical Monocrostic
Teri bewafaai bhi humare idhar se maaf hai
Hamari nazar mai toh khali ain-shen-qaf hai
Yeh dil toh tere haq mai faislay liya karta hai
Aankh, kan, hath, pair yeh sab tere khilaaf hai
If you have never seen it,
How could you hear the song here;
If you have recited the poem "To Commiserate Farmers,
There will be more understandings shining in the night sky;
The movement composed with sweats rippled along the rice ear waves
The hot July or August suns were grilling the ground
As flames flipping their notes all around.
Farming folk songs were sung loudly from the straw hats,
Combined with the rumbles of the threshers,
Meanwhile golden grains piled mountainous heights.
Look! The moon and stars came along with
The sun hanging on.
From dawn to dusk, they were embracing the tanned back.
When didn’t they play the live keys
For the sound hopes in the waters and soils?
Listen! Can it be regarded as resonant songs?
With thy eyes taking a photograph of
The golden farm of rice,
And patting at our stomach,
A movement for the rice fields, shouldn’t we compose?
Note: The poem "To Commiserate Farmers" is a well-known poem written by Li Shen, a famous Chinese poet in Tang Dynasty, which shows the poet’s sympathy on the poor farmers’ working and living.
What Does Poetry Mean To You? Neat Feeling
not just poetically, I have read yours,
eh! there's up there a level higher than poetry
a sage that's seek wisdom…
till more in high spirits higher in beauty,
feeling, and pain yet so sweet!!
For the contest of Alexis Y at/in Poetrysoup site.
Written Tuesday October 25. It is day 299 of the Gregorian calendar year 2016.
Day 25, Month 9, Year 33 (Bing-shen), Cycle 78 (Chinese Calendar)
Phamenoth 10, 2765 (Egyptian Calendar)
Teqemt 15, 2009 E.E. (Ethiopic Calendar)
Tishri 23, 5777 A.M. (Hebrew Calendar)
Asvina 25, 2073 V.E. (Hindu Lunisolar Ashada Calendar)
Muharram 24, 1438 A.H. (Islamic Umm al-Qura Calendar)
Long Count 13.0.3.16.4 (Mayan Calendar)
Source of today calendars is Calendar Magic version 18.9 Copyright 1995-2016 Euro Soft.
Lovely golden red-tinged leaves seem lost in conversation,
Eloquently rustling as they flutter to the ground.
Autumn’s breeze is whispering to them a revelation.
Vanquished they are soon to be. Vanished – they will have no sound.
Eerily the evening creeps, its shadows enveloping the trees.
Stirring in the wind, the leaves now hiss as November’s grieves.
Trembling are the leaves that on lush boughs once brightly swayed.
Ashen is their world; murmuring with fear, crestfallen they lie,
Longing for the green of summer,
Knowing they soon will fade. . . .
Inglorious is our end! Can you hear their forlorn cry?
Now the wind is quiet, and the leaves have all grown still.
Gone is Harvest Moon. First snow falls with a silent chill.
she sends for the sinner
i am the jester forcefully seduced
i end for the beginner
she is the requester purposely reduced
in secret, we look into each others eyes
and dive into the reservior of instant apology
the kisses we give singe our lips via the acidic teardrops of guilt
the coded love messages we send out bellows out the tonality of our bewildered longings
we sleep sticky like high yellow chocolate....then we awaken to decorate our facades to do it again....
shen sends for the sinner
i am the jester....forcefully seduced....
i end for the beginner
she is the requester....purposely reduced....
See how Christmas fete on earth
Indians will walk to the mass
Enjoy curries and sweets enmass
Australians hang wreaths girthed
Here Santa gives rest to reindeer
Changes dress for less ”hot” with cheer.
Chinese light streets and stores with mirth
Santa is called “Shen Dan Lao Ren”
In shops only the grottos plain.
Yule logs burned in French hearth
With food left, the logs burn all night
In case Jesus comes in the night.
Russians fast till first star rebirths
Then break fast with Kutia eating
For good luck throw some up ceiling.
Ways and approach differ on earth
Call him Christ, Gud, Gott, dieu,dio, God
Ishwar, Allah, he’s the same lord.
See how Christmas fete on earth
Australians hang wreathes girthed
Chinese light streets and stores with mirth
Yule logs burned in French hearth
Russians fast till first star rebirths
Ways and approach differ on earth
++++++++++++++++++++++++
**This is my maiden poem in form Constanza**
28-12-13
Dr. Ram Mehta
Form:Constanza
Motif : Epic
Sixth Place win
Contest: Impress Me III by Giorgio V.
To Hugo Shen Fei
MY CHINESE DAUGHTER
There is no face
Reflection of a thousand years
That can take her place
A face that cried a thousand tears
There is no heart
Reflection of the West Lake dew
That can so impart
Devotion rediscovered
and
Replenished each day anew
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.