The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, June 13, 2011

Magpie Tales #69

          If you want a weekly reason to write, go to Magpie Tales. The terrific Tess Kincaid provides a photo/illustration, and dozens of poems and vignettes come pouring out from all over the blogosphere.

       Write one, link it via Mr. Linky, and then read and comment on the other Magpie Tales.



too late for the phalarope
too late

a man destroyed,
a family slayed,
soil red-brown with blood
and damp from tears

too late to turn back
too late to wail in warning

a brick house crumbles,
turning to sand in an hourglass
that disappears

too late to avoid
the inky-black night

too late for the phalarope...
too late

Note: The seashell made me think of Too Late the Phalarope by Alan Paton. It's a book about a family in South Africa; they were destroyed because of apartheid. One single seashell took a man from his family forever... (The phalarope is a South African bird.) I won't say it's a feel-good read, because it certainly is not, but the rhythm of Paton's writing style, the fact that it is a window into what was life like then in South Africa---it makes for a worthy read.


16 comments:

  1. Beautiful share... the read sounds rather intriguing, will have to check it out sometime.

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  2. I was forced to read "Cry, The Beloved Country" in school, and believe me, teenage me had ZERO interest in anything with a title like that. There are certain books I still cringe at the sight of, remembering the crushing tedium of classroom discussions of books I refused to read. "Siddartha" (sp?) was another.

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  3. Yours was an interesting take too. Very powerful.

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  4. I agree. Powerful poem! Beautiful and powerful and sad.

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  5. So well done, so thought-provoking, Sioux.
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  6. I'm with Tess- very eloquent and beautiful, mournful-- repetition of "too late" works well. Great imaginative response to prompt-- xxxj

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  7.  ..a tragedy common in Africa, indeed… i think i must read that book… it’s quiet intriguing… thanks for the poem.(:

    ~Kelvin

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  8. Very good poem, very moving.

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  9. Beautifully written. Interesting and emotional take on the photo--heartfelt.

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  10. I have not read the book ... I will certainly look for it. Your poem is eloquent and I'm certain reflects how the book impacted you.

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  11. regrets are full of your page.
    heartfelt words.
    well done.

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  12. 'a brick house crumbles,
    turning to sand in an hourglass'

    beautifully written...and "oh" ~ those two lines.

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  13. Wow fantastic, deeply affecting

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...