Thursday, August 26, 2010

White Walls


White walls against dark green shade,
branch bending over wrought-iron rails
frame figures in imagined parade.

House hidden in deep forest glade,
whispering secrets, old retold tales
from white walls against dark green shade

what hands built you, what footsteps made
these steps of slate, the twining trails
that frame figures in imagined parade?

They left long ago, but memories stayed
embedded along with the deep-driven nails
in the white walls against dark green shade--

supporting portraits in the wide-arched arcade,
gallery of ghosts in paint-traced details,
framed figures in imagined parades.

Ivory embroidery on emerald brocade,
jade ocean graced by far-racing sails,
white walls against dark green shade
framing figures in imagined parade.

--image courtesy of Magpie Tales
Collection available! Knocking from Inside

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely beautiful words, made me think of my own house and the thoughts I often have of its past.

CJ xx

Friko said...

One of the better responses to the prompt.
Well-chosen words, beautifully arranged, a small work of art without pretensions.

signed...bkm said...

Lovely read leaving visions of jewels and memories..of tapestries embroidered in Ivory....bkm

Doctor FTSE said...

Technical skill holding the "ade"rhyme end all the way through, to give the poem unity in its sound.

Deborah said...

SO well written!

Tess Kincaid said...

Gorgeous villanelle. Very impressive. (they're not as easy to write as they seem)

Dianne said...

Wow... This is so well done... Beautiful...

Tumblewords: said...

As always, a pleasure to read!

Sue J said...

Most enjoyable :)

ninotaziz said...

Dear Tiel Aisha Ansari,
Truly marvelous.

Carrie Van Horn said...

Beautiful :-)

Brian Miller said...

beautiful magpie...love all the colors you wove into it...

Lydia said...

I read this aloud as a gift to the quiet night. Your use of repetition is perfect and this poem's dreamscape is unforgettable. I can say no more other than you have a new follower.

Gemma Wiseman said...

The vilanelle form works well to create a haunting atmosphere that pulses! Love the images of a ghostly gallery and "imagined parades"!

Kathe W. said...

lovely-simply lovely

Anonymous said...

The prompt is ideal for the villanelle form and with it you've created an appropriately dream-like speculation about the house through time. Very effective.

Anonymous said...

The prompt is ideal for the villanelle form and with it you've created an appropriately dream-like speculation about the house through time. Very effective.