Bladder Pods

[ompholos]

The Golden Banner snaps on spring masts lean.
The Monkshood nods nearby, immersed in prayer.
The Stork’s bill wades through shoals of shallow green.
And Bladder Pods…yes Bladder Pods…well they’re

equipped quite simply with bladders and pods,
a practical name spared those mythic gods
whose gardens grew from tales of heroes slain –
Adonis’ blood and every slaughtered Dane

imbuing Hyacinth and Pasque. What shame
or lesser beauty haunts this flower born
to bathos, while more flowery words adorn
those Bladder Pods by any other name.

Yet, as dull sounds a name so ponderous,
it’s likely kinder than what they call us.

[Territorial Hawk]

Nice :)

[Michael]

One thing that has happened to me since I was fortunate enough to begin moderating here in The Nature Forum is that I’ve learned a great deal more about botany, unusual animal life and other natural inhabitants of our sphere than I’ve even known.

For example, I may have seen bladder pods before, but I never would have known what they were. So, ompholos, thanks for the introduction and thanks for the mythology lesson that goes along with it.

Also, thanks for the well written poetry from which I learned all of this. The rhyme scheme is a diverse one. Is it a fixed format that I’ve not heard of or did you just decide to put it together the way you did? Either way, I like it. Very creative.

I also think that the use of enjambment makes the scheme all the more impressive. Rhyming, as much as many people don’t seem to take to it these days, is difficult enough, especially without it sounding forced. Your scheme is blended beautifully and is transparent. It takes absolutely nothing away from the imagery. However, to run a thought from one stanza into another without missing a beat and still maintain the scheme, well, that’s almost a magic trick, if you ask me. You do that exceptionally well in “Bladder Pods”.
What shame
or lesser beauty haunts this flower born
to bathos, while more flowery words adorn
those bladder pods by any other name.
I guess you’re just a bladder pod apologist of sorts, aren’t you? ;) If they could only know, I bet they’d appreciate it.

Someday, I’m going to keep my responses short. I just love this piece and had a lot to say in praise of it. :rolleyes:

[laleesh]

**********


well, agreed, this piece is just "roses", omphalos - but i would really like to read one on what those bad-o bladder pods call us!

(and i KNOW you would be JUST the person to write it - LOL - those 4-liners rock)!





:)
laleesh

[ompholos]

Michael- It's my first attempt at a Pushkin sonnet, and thank you.

Laleesh-

His father was stomped by a hiking boot
His mother was gathered in a dread bouquet
The seedling shook his tiny roots
and said "I'll make all you mother-pluckers pay!"

;)

thanks

[monkey boy]

Finally, a poem worthy of the bladder pod! Why waste such fine words on the vaults of heaven or the arches of the firmament, when such undescribed beauty lies at our feet (or under our noses)?

A tasty treat in this, my favorite of forums.

mb, off to look up Pushkin Sonnets

[ompholos]

Thanks mb, I'm trying to write more poems about nature or with a greater amount of natural references and I agree this is a particularly good forum.

And thanks to Territorial Hawk who I forgot to thank before!

[TRexroth]

im not much of a botanist but i think i undertand the type
of natural symphony and its appropriate ampitheatre
that perhaps you were conveying,
i may be wrong but i still loved your poem

thanx
trex

[m_miles]

Poetic forms are still beyond me at this point - thus, I can really appreciate the quality of this poem. Effort well spent!

miles

[tony schofield]

I recognised the sonnet form immediately ompholos - but a pushkin sonnet I'd not heard of before. I noted the rhyme schemme abab ccdd effe gg. Is this the essence of this form? I loved the wry couplet at the end!!

tony

[ompholos]

Trex- thank you

miles- nothing to it but to do it. If you're really cerebral like I tend to be you may be suprised at the results, because you can use the form to occupy the orderly part of your consciousness and let the chaos seep through the cracks, or something. Free verse for me is very daunting because it's like art without a canvas or sculpture without a block of stone. It's almost too broad. Although even most effective free verse writers have a pretty systematic way of winnowing down what they write. If you do try writing form just remember the first few are bound to be rough but after you write a few (hundred) you'll start to notice the results...and still may prefer other styles. Thanks for your comments!

tony - this is the site I referenced it off of -

http://www.geocities.com/Bikies_poetry/sonnet1.html

You're right on the rhyme scheme though. The cool thing about this form, other than it kind of being a kitchen sink of stanzas, is that you can choose to go Italian and turn it into the sestet (or two tercets of eff egg), or end it with the Shakespearian punchline couplet as I chose to do. I'm glad I looked it up again though, on a related page I saw a Gaelic sonnet which I'd never heard of (Abacbc Dedfef AD) before. I'm itching to try that one. But as much as I love form I'd rather write a good poem that happens to be a sonnet than a "good sonnet" I was happy with how the ending came together, I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. Cheers

[naturalist]

I always love that tale aaron of adonis's blood mixed with venus (I believe). wonderful story and lovely picture.

thank you,

katie