Erato

Erato

Out of an ethereal mist her form –
round, soft edges shimmering, a milky

apparition, like the full moon on a foggy
July night. Myrtle and roses came first

in the aroma that took him to the shores 
of Tunisia and a Mediterranean breeze –

his mind wandered until she came full into view
and then his focus was secure…her beauty

filled every available space and he was captivated,
captured by love’s rich palette. He recognized her

not from a daydream nor a fantasy but his Big Dream.
“You…we have known before the slippery

rocks and the gypsy dance…stars over Mont Royal.”
With one look and a flash of lightning she charmed

his sight; he should have known he was doomed
to make the pilgrimage to Samos and the tomb.

She came to fill his head with poetry, rivers
of words to fill his verses and charge them

with emotions. Instead she filled his heart
with a drunkard’s love, a spring wine 

with a delicate bouquet…morning weighs heavy.
“Let me open the gate and chase the noisy

dogs away,  my riches lie within the garden.”
The shaper of words then took her guitar and sang

sweet melodies like kisses and he was the Best Man
far too drunk to resist her passions. He partook

in the creation of music divine amid the cries
of idolatry but he was deaf to the discord. 

With every song they sang he fell deeper
into her graces and his destiny was sealed;

he traded his heart to be skilled in the art
of making love with words, a noble task.

Whenever his vision appeared
he sensed infinity within his grasp.

So, could this awakening be
the pebble whose ripples rock the sea?

The seeker, who had found his treasure,
was now swimming in fatal hope.

I am jealous of White Feather to have kissed
the artful lips of Erato and survived.

Contest: Your BEST
Sponsor: SKAT
Copyright © | Year Posted 2016


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Date: 5/16/2016 1:02:00 PM
Phil, This is a quite outstanding couplet. (I'm very surprised that no one else has commented on it.) The metaphors, the imagery, and the syncopation of the verses are all quite excellent. By the way, "Welcome to Poetry Soup!" I see that you are relatively new to the site. Please feel free to read any and all of my poetry as you may choose to do so. (I actually write for publication and so I take my writing seriously.) I really like your work here. A "7" and A "FAV"!! Cheers and Best, Gary
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Bateman Avatar
Gary Bateman
Date: 9/15/2016 9:42:00 AM
Hello Phil, I re-read this one again after you highlighted it in a recent e-mail to me. I stand by my original comments even more so now. The power, passion, and metaphorical reflection in this Couplet is astounding!! Couplets 9 and 10 are quite interesting. And the last two couplets in this write pull the thoughts together. Marvelous!! Cheers, Gary
Capitano Avatar
Phil Capitano
Date: 5/16/2016 6:38:00 PM
Thank you for your kind words, it means a lot to me that it touches you, I must say I have read only some of your extensive library of work and I completely enjoy every read. I think we may have a lot more in common; I have co-authored a collection of poems with my soulmate entitled Bound By Love, Found In Time in a scenario that involves past-life recollections.
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