~~a pantoum~~
Who am I to judge your calm,
you who vanished when the storms
around us swirled their fiercest?
I moved inland. You chose the coast.
You who vanished when the storms
were still gathering the anger of others
around us swirled their fiercest.
I memorized their lyrics. You withdrew.
We’re still gathering the anger of others
wearing confusion like fractured pearls.
I memorized their lyrics. You withdrew
to the almond grove to practice new chords.
Wearing confusion like fractured pearls
around us swirled their fiercest
storms, gracing us with one stilled eye.
Who am I to judge your calm?
~~~
© Elaine Stirling, 2016
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You do this very well, Elaine. The lines have a mysterious quality and I rather think that the form contributes greatly to that.
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Thank you, John! Poems with repeating lines are the poetic equivalent of sudoku for me. The beauty of the pantoum (in contrast to the villanelle) is that lines don’t have to rhyme. They are tremendously fun.
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