Still waters, deep,
surface like glass reflecting green above;
and below are trees, sky,
shadows, leaves, sunlight,
moving and motionless.
Here silent images shimmer now,
and - air breathing suddenly - break.
Unbidden feelings confuse
reality and fantasy.
Which is which?
Fantasy and reality confuse;
feelings unbidden break, suddenly breathing air;
and now shimmer images,
silent here, motionless
and moving....
(sunlight leaves shadows) .
Sky, trees are
below - and above -
green, reflecting, glass-like surface.
Deep waters, still.
This is brilliant. I've never tried one of these sort of poems. Of course its not just the form but the way it all fits within the form that excites, that leaves one spellbound.
Fabolous images here...i just hope you have written under the page what is palindromic poem so that readers like me will have some notes about this kind of poem...Thanks! ! !
This is a palindrome in the sense that it reads the same backwards as it does forwards. I thought it was a suitable form for the subject, and when it was finished, I realised that the second half of the poem - the 'reflection' - is subtly different from the first half, as a reflection in water is different from what is above the water.
Your palindromic poem here inspired me to try my own... Mine only a pale reflection of the power you've brought to this difficult form. Thanks for the nudge... Mike
WOW Paul! this is more tan a parlor game trick as many palindromes come off. I expected a few short lines, Instead you sustain it believably for the entire 25-20 odd lines! Amazing feat! kudos. Great poem. Sorry I have been away so long. I definitely have to get back to reading more.
many years ago I saw a crayola drawing by a child (in a exhibit in a bank) of a landscape of a lake where the drawing was almost identical in two parts, the landscape and the reflection in the water...I was mesmerized by the drawing and wondered how a child could capture that imagery (and its meaning) so profoundly- I know that child would have become a brilliant painter and I wish noted the name but I never forgot the image in my mind and this (your poem) captured it in words.... thank you for reminding me of that child's drawing....
Stunning writing Paul and it is just so clever! You really should promote your work, so other poets can witness this masterpiece. It leaves a lingering feeling of profound beauty in every word and every line forwards and backwards. I am totally impressed! 10 Karin Anderson
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A beautiful painting with an extra brush stroke of genius. S :)