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King Arthur
King Arthur
The angel’s pity whistles as King Arthur rises.
aquatic echoes boiling in incandescence
and pillars distant with flame. His eyes drool
blue as pirouette storks flash behind his eyes,
ore in the crochet fashion Guinevere spins.
Repast weeps, her heart’s wound spins
as a green-skulled widow rotting in orchid.
Yet in krakens glare and wilting stare
must the warrior return to battle, arisen
mounting with the screaming cackle
of his lightning black mare and wounds
mended with tallow and sky grease.
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Comments
weirdelf
Sun, 2017-05-21 01:25
Splendid imagery.
Great language use.
Am unsure about
ore in the crochet fashion [or, awe?]
The poem creates a stunningly dynamic impression.
The only problem is I just don't get it.
I'm left with the banal question 'why?', or is that the point?
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
jane210660
Sun, 2017-05-21 17:42
King Arthur will only come
King Arthur will only come back in England's direst hour of need.
Every Englishman knows this.
I don't think he'll be fighting Norsemen again.
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fink555
Sun, 2017-05-21 22:58
lol
I don't know why. I'm irish, and I suppose it shouldn't mean much to me; but it has that symbolistic weirdness, the whole story, and I like that.
I believe that, Jane.
author commentjane210660
Mon, 2017-05-22 04:44
I don't know if it's my age,
I don't know if it's my age, but as a child we were bought up on the Arthurian legends. Home and school, they don't seem to get a look in these days.
I'm going to Tintagel this summer, camping there for a few days.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it.
I enjoyed reading this, even if I did think you lost the legend a bit. I love the first line though, drew me right in.
Sometimes I find it a bit hard to really connect with a different surrealist take - nature/imagery/ symbolism of something already surreal, but that is grounded in legend and folklore and that is almost a part of my life, with its familiarity.
Have you read TH White, Once and Future King? I expect so, I found it hard to unpick the legend from the tale, so deftly were they woven together.
Now, let's see if I can write anything after my visit to Uther Pendragon's seat.
No pressure then....... grin.
Jx
From his tomb, at least according to Mallory.
Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam, rexque futurus
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weirdelf
Mon, 2017-05-22 08:43
you didn't answer my question
ore, or or awe?
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
weirdelf
Mon, 2017-05-22 08:41
The sword in the stone is so true,
and historically interesting if mythically banal.
It was around that time time people learned to cast metal in clay. They did pull the new fangled, highly effective swords from a bunch of clay (baked to 'stone') castings.
cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry
jane210660
Mon, 2017-05-22 09:03
Arthur
Served as a central character of Celtic story telling, going back to the 5th century. Possibly/ probably used for political propaganda. His 'legend' was developed by Geoffry of Monmouth around the 11 century and has been enhance by so many other leading poetical figures Mallory being one.
There is a massive question mark over whether he did really exist, but in the minds of us Britons, he is more ancient hero than myth. We want him to have existed, so in the minds of many, he did. Which just illustrates the power of Celtic mythology handed down over the centuries.
Jx
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fink555
Mon, 2017-05-22 17:56
Not at all
I don't think anyone's being fussy. I think I meant awe, but don't count on it. Likely awe.
I remember King Arthur as being put in a boat and sent to paradise, or something like that; honestly I don't care that much about the source material. I care about it only as making some kind of inspired material. Admittedly, though, the poem does need some work.
author commentfink555
Mon, 2017-05-22 17:58
Jane
"I find it a bit hard to really connect with a different surrealist take - nature/imagery/ symbolism of something already surreal"
While that sentiment is expressed frequently, I have the opposite reaction: I love it. Get deeper into the "Wyrd" and continue. All of this makes me think of symbolist author Maurice Maeterlinck.
author commentjane210660
Mon, 2017-05-22 19:14
What do you mean 'turn the
What do you mean 'turn the Arthurian legend into a Celtic or British cult.'
It couldn't be more British.
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fink555
Mon, 2017-05-22 22:58
"By the way, I have quaffed
"By the way, I have quaffed many a pint of Guinness (dark) in our local Irish pub here in Phoenix. Great tellers of stories and fibs."
I had an irish soccer coach who used to get drunk and tell us there was "bug juice" in our Gatorade. I believed it.
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