On the hour of wilting summer
Sanaa -
June 3, 2018
Earlier PoemsPoetry

I thought of time ‘neath the paling
amber sun wondering about clocks,
about what they are meant to give.
What trouble paints a bystander’s 
face? What hour takes and what if 
it was too late?

I wondered where had lovers gone
knowing soon white-flowered grass
would be stained with woe—
I wondered if pain had turned into
a cloud, knowing none had heart
to whisper dread out loud—

I sought to lie beneath a questioning
sky, learning time was a cold swirl of
wind, a language which stirs the soul
even after sorrow remains.

 

Photo credits: Clock of the academie francaise, Paris.

I chose to write about the ‘Great Depression’ in France.

Posted for ‘Camera Flash’ @ Real Toads

and on ‘Poetry Pantry’ @ Poets United

and Monday Writes @ My Blog- Verses

verses

56 Responses

  1. Vivian Zems says:
    June 3, 2018 at 7:03 am

    I love the questions here and can feel the despair running right through…..
    like here “….I wondered if pain had turned into
    a cloud, knowing none had heart
    to whisper dread out loud—…”

    Reply
  2. Sherry Blue Sky says:
    June 3, 2018 at 9:26 am

    I so like “none had heart to whisper dread out loud”. I think many of us feel like that these days, each day with more bad news. Smiles.

    Reply
  3. kaykuala says:
    June 3, 2018 at 2:21 pm

    a language which stirs the soul
    even after sorrow remains.

    Feeling of sorrow is difficult to dismiss from the mind especially if it is for someone dear to one’s heart!

    Hank

    Reply
  4. Kim M. Russell says:
    June 3, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    I enjoyed the meandering of thought and wondering about time in your poem, Sanaa. I love the play on the ‘clock / face’ in the lines:
    ‘…wondering about clocks,
    about what they are meant to give.
    What trouble paints a bystander’s
    face?’
    and the link between Paris and love in the lines:
    ‘I wondered where had lovers gone’.
    The underlying sense of there being so many things we cannot know is very strong.

    Reply
  5. Kerry says:
    June 3, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    I wondered where had lovers gone
    knowing soon white-flowered grass
    would be stained with woe—

    This is a very touching poem, Sanaa. It inspires contemplation.

    Reply
  6. Old Egg says:
    June 3, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    Yes, this time of respite between two world wars really was too short for France but strangely the arts thrived in this period. A really beautiful but sad poem Sanaa.

    Reply
  7. Thotpurge says:
    June 3, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    Love that reaction to the clock in the image.. what if it is too late…nicely done Sanaa!

    Reply
  8. Rommy says:
    June 3, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    There is a solemn sadness in this piece, which as Kerry said, invites contemplation.

    Reply
  9. Mary says:
    June 3, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    The sorrow here is palpable, and I want to know more of this story! So much in it to reflect on.

    Reply
  10. Loredana Donovan says:
    June 3, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    Exquisite! Such beautiful melancholy and imagery. ❤

    Reply
  11. Laura Bloomsbury says:
    June 3, 2018 at 9:35 pm

    How astutely you observe and your wonderings have all the kindness of an empathetic heart- especially love:
    “What trouble paints a bystander’s
    face?”

    Reply
  12. Annell Livingston says:
    June 3, 2018 at 9:55 pm

    A beautiful write!!

    Reply
  13. Sherry Blue sky says:
    June 3, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    Back again. I really love “I wondered if pain had turned into a cloud.”

    Reply
  14. Sherri B. says:
    June 4, 2018 at 12:45 am

    This was beautiful…not only the words, but the lovely rhythm of it.

    Reply
  15. Julian Clarke says:
    June 4, 2018 at 2:12 am

    Very good, Sanaa, I certainly enjoyed reading this piece.

    Reply
  16. Colleen LOOSELEAFNOTES says:
    June 4, 2018 at 5:00 am

    This is so surreal, Dali-like. I love “What trouble paints a bystander’s face?” and the white-flowered grass being stained with woe.

    Reply
  17. Myrna says:
    June 4, 2018 at 5:06 am

    This is one of your best Sanaa. It is sensitive and pure in its questioning. You did a great job with this one (as you usually do).

    Reply
  18. Rosemary Nissen-Wade says:
    June 4, 2018 at 6:02 am

    Beautiful poem! Deep questions allied to masterful lyrical verse. To me, it doesn’t obviously suggest ‘the great depression in France’ – but I don’t think that matters. It has wider scope.

    Reply
  19. Wendy Bourke says:
    June 4, 2018 at 8:33 am

    Hauntingly rendered. Closing on a questioning sky is powerful and poignant … a stunning image.

    Reply
  20. ZQ says:
    June 4, 2018 at 8:42 am

    You handled that prompt with great literary competence, in my opinion.
    ZQ

    Reply
  21. gillena says:
    June 4, 2018 at 9:30 am

    “Time as language to stir the soul” gorgeous imagery Sanaa

    Much♥️love

    Reply
  22. dsnake1 says:
    June 4, 2018 at 9:48 am

    beautiful use of language. enjoyed reading your poem. 🙂

    Reply
  23. Cara O' Donoghue says:
    June 4, 2018 at 4:28 pm

    I wondered where had lovers gone
    knowing soon white-flowered grass 
    would be stained with woe—
    I wondered if pain had turned into
    a cloud, knowing none had heart 
    to whisper dread out loud—

    Sigh .. heartwrenchingly gorgeous! 💙

    Reply
  24. Chris Evans says:
    June 4, 2018 at 6:30 pm

    Poignant. I heard The Wall Street Crash of 1929 was one of the main causes of the Great Depression.

    Reply
  25. Linda Lee Lyberg says:
    June 4, 2018 at 11:38 pm

    Beautifully written Sanaa.

    Reply
  26. Anna :o] says:
    June 5, 2018 at 1:25 am

    A melancholy but beautiful write Sanaa.
    So many questions of the affect of time, its power over us…
    Anna :o]

    Reply
  27. Magical Mystical Teacher says:
    June 5, 2018 at 6:53 pm

    “time was a cold swirl of wind”

    I often find it that way myself!

    Reply
  28. gillena says:
    June 14, 2018 at 12:31 am

    Sanaa thank you for linking to Monday WRites this week

    Much❤️love

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *