Monday, February 9, 2009

A Sonnet for The Three Graces


I hear the murder calling as I paint
They’re mocking me from high upon their perch
Accusing me of my misguided fate
They warn me, “Watch, you haven’t got the merch!”
I tell you now to flee from my great trees
To fly and find some other place to chat
But leave the goldfinch here for me to see
And learn to paint as delicate as that.
Ah now, I keep The Graces in my gaze
The fog beyond with subtleties of breath
On softly shifting colors do I graze
My brush in varied hues of shadowed depth.
With patience then The Graces do appear
Soft paint on paper, wetted with a tear.

To K. and Sarah, It's crow season! Thanks for the inspiration!

18 comments:

Gledwood said...

O that's fantastic: when I used to write sonnets I did Shakespearean ones like that... I never did get quite why the Petrarchan one was and seemingly continues to be more fashionable...

ps I have written nary a word of poetry since age 19 and it's SQUEAMISHLY embarrassing... you would not believe ;->...

Catherine Vibert said...

Thanks Gledwood. I've never attempted to write a Petrarchan Sonnet, but I have sung many of them in various madrigal situations. They are so amazing in their Italian splendor.

I'd love to see you make a flying leap back into poetic form. You can write a sonnet for all the rodent friends. :-)

Sarah Hina said...

I love this painting, Cat. The distance between the Three Graces and the proximal tree. And the wonderful effect on the latter. I feel like there's an amazing energy just coming, or departed. Matches the lovely sonnet perfectly. :)

I'm glad you felt inspired by our crows!! They are bewitching birds, whether we want to admit it or not. But I'll take the goldfinch anyday. ;)

Once again, I love to see your passion for art wrapping you in its warm embrace. It touches us, too.

jaz said...

I can tell the Graces were in your gaze! Beautiful words and painting, Cat.

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Crows have always inspired me. I know they are usually thought of as thugs, and noisy caterwaulers, but I see them as intelligent creatures who really care for one another.

Your poem is so fascinating. I forget how much I love sonnets. There was a time in my life when all I read in poetry were sonnets.

I see the whole scene unfold before me. You have painted TWO wonderful images here.

Many favorite lines but these stood out for me:
I tell you now to flee from my great trees
To fly and find some other place to chat
But leave the goldfinch here for me to see
And learn to paint as delicate as that.

laughingwolf said...

aww so sad, cat :(

Geraldine said...

Gorgeous artwork Cat, I am impressed. Crow season, do tell!

Hugs, G

Rajeswari said...

Amazing pic & Sonnet!

Catherine Vibert said...

Sarah- Thank you! It was such a gorgeous morning yesterday, the morning fog had a golden hue. I tried to capture that, but maybe only got a hint of it onto the paper.

Jennifer-Thanks!

K. I really love crows, despite the little poem here. They actually sing together in a call and response fashion. They also mourn their dead. One time some important crow must have died because there were over 200 crows flying over and chatting in the tree above the ground where I found the deceased, they stayed all day long there and all of my neighbors were perplexed at what the deal was!

Laughingwolf, No sad! A happy tear!

Geraldine, Thank you! K and Sarah both wrote pieces recently that mentioned crows like this one does.

Scrawler, thank you!

Vesper said...

A fantastic sonet, Cat! I like it very, very, very much!
The painting too...

Catherine Vibert said...

Thanks Vesper!

Anonymous said...

hehem - love the lighthearted touch of "they're mocking me"

The delicacy of the branches you painted is echoed by the birds' songs from behind that subtle fog

I love the musical tone to the sonnet. Reading these, means I'm going to need to try to break out of free verse back to more traditional to "flex my wings."

Catherine Vibert said...

GeL-I know what you mean! I love to break out into free form, and then rein myself back into structure just for fun. I love both. Thank you for your kind words!

laughingwolf said...

ok, my bad...

Anonymous said...

I'm intrigued when the crow becomes the muse. It's a vision I can appreciate. A tinge of the other side on every bit of light.

S.L. Corsua said...

Cat, this has got to be one of my favorites among your poems. As to flow, as to the natural feel of the rhyme, as to the engaging content (from the swift pull of the first line to the resounding beat of the last). I heartily applaud. ;) Cheers.

Catherine Vibert said...

Jason, you'd be amazed at how much crow talk is in my journals. They are so expressive!

SL, Coming from you, whose work I regard most highly, that compliment is splendiferous! Thank you!

Catherine Vibert said...

Laughingwolf, ;-)

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