Platonic Melancholy

Preface:

As dVerse Poet’s Pub is taking a break in July, out of a conversation with my brilliant friend Jilly, she came up with the idea of doing some tandem poetry and has bravely taken up as our host. Without further ado, here’s the game according to Jilly:

1. Write the first half of a poem.
2. Post it on your blog with a link to Jilly’s July Challenge.
3. Include a little something about the form you are using. Is it Free Verse, Sonnet, Quadrille, etc?
4. If you are using a form, please give a link to a site that explains that form or just give a little refresher.
5. Return to the Jilly’s July Challenge Post and in the comments tell everyone the name of your Challenge Post and a link to it. (Copy & past the URL for the post.)
6. Browse through the other comments and find someone’s Challenge that you would like to complete.
7. Copy & paste their 1st half, write the 2nd half, and then post the whole poem. Give them credit for their portion and include a link back to their blog.
8. Stop back at Jilly’s July Challenge and share the link to your completed poem in the comments.
9. Repeat as desired.

Today, I’m taking up a challenge from Charley. He’s come up with the first half of a quadrille (a 44-word poem), and here’s my humble attempt to match it with the second half, by blending the topic of melancholia with a dash of enlightenment philosophy. (Charley, I hope you don’t mind giving me the liberty to name this version – I’m sure there’ll be many more from other challengers.)

 

Platonic Melancholy, a quadrille
By Charley & Colin Lee

The bird broke
my concentration
when he pecked
the door.

“Anatomy of Melancholy”
from my fingers fell.

Closed, it hit the floor.

The bird flapped
in apprehension
and he left
the cell.

Into “Metaphysics of Morals”
my memory tore.

Time … I could not tell.

 

 

Photo Courtesy: deviantart.net