Sunday, October 9, 2011

saturn return





Not much of a bungee-jumper,
I no longer fly free-form 
but play a black orbit,

take a rain check on heights,
find myself a patron 
in the daily grind
of coffee and the news.

Till one day, my muse 
taps me on the shoulder,
says in a dyslexic whisper,

"Hey self, wake up!
It's dark and light together;
it's still morning, in the whole 
scheme of things."

Now, suddenly, I'm a chess piece 
that can go around corners,
a king who breaks free 
of the one-step-at-a-time routine.

I find the game book on the shelf,
reread the facts of life,
then tell myself 
I'm not afraid of falling.


Tess Kincaid
October, 2011


Listen to R.A.D. Stainforth's delightful reading of this poem:










image: Michael Sowa

75 comments:

  1. It really is a balance isn't it...betwwen our reserved,responsable self and the fun loving us that hides deep down in us all...

    a beautiful write my friend :)

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  2. Nods in agreement!
    And a splendid reading too!

    Ball outfit chosen and posted! Butterfly's setting in!

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  3. Thank you Jeffery ... I think Tess Kincaid's poems benefit from being read aloud ...

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  4. You're Welcome Roderick!
    All poetry has life, but give it breath and it has soul as well!
    Cheers!

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  5. Ah, getting the balance between the two is the secret. Excellent.

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  7. Beautiful write, Tess. I love it. Your king has a better perspective than mine does. LoL

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  8. It's the light that does it. Harsh, stark, desperate, and then the newspaper smile, as if it's perfect newspaper weather.

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  9. This just blows me away. I love the idea of "dyslexic whisper" wow that embodies my writing life so much. Wonderful poem Tess. Before you know it Patina II will need to be published.

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  10. Another lovely poem, Tess. I read your poetry aloud as I discover it, every time. I like the tumble of words in my mouth.

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  11. You never disappoint, my dear. I always enjoy your poetry.

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  12. smiles. break free of expectations...dare yourself to live...lovely write tess

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  13. inspiring just what i needed to read

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  14. I love 'it's still morning, in the whole scheme of things' a wonderful thought, and a wonderful poem.

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  15. What a great poem...and a wonderful reading. I'm very excited about the ball...My dates (yes I said dates) are ready and willing, my chariot awaits, I've even rented a new body for the evening.

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  16. As beautifully mysterious as ever, Tess.

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  17. Youth is only partially wasted
    on the young, for when one of
    us realizes that our /kings can
    break free/, that new rules, fresh
    perspective is out there lurking
    beneath the clover, hiding its
    face beneath discarded patina,
    then time does a back flip and
    we let loose the hounds of inner
    child, and creativity flows, and feet
    find the dance, flowers find the sun
    during a break in the clouds. You
    still lead the way, and we flounce
    after you eagerly, gladly, gratefully--
    and R.A.D. is bang on, your poetry
    begs to be read aloud, and be lovingly
    dissected and quoted on personal
    pages, lines cut up and tossed in a
    great baggy hat, to be pulled out one
    at a time, like the delicacy they are.

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  18. Checkmate in the offing, perhaps? :)

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  19. I loved it when I got to the part about the chess piece who can go around corners!

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  20. I like the break away to freedom and new possibility you proffer in this piece Tess... Also, I would still enjoy hearing you read your poetry, to experience how your personal inflection would inform your work...

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  21. Nicely put.

    Like the picture. Am off on a holiday - will play with the image/idea when I return.

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  22. I've alway felt sorry for the King, supposedly the most powerful piece on the chessboard, but so horribly constrained. And so, I was glad to see that yours had broken free.

    My Magpie 86 entry is Cepheus.

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  23. I'm not afraid of falling either but the dancing shoes I've chosen for the ball are giving me cause for concern. Thank you for sharing your creativity so generously. Poems such as this need to be shared, spoken and smiled about. I too enjoyed the "dyslexic whisper" part. In my life those whispers mess me up whenever I put the car in reverse. Looking forward to Wednesday. It is Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend and I am very thankful for you, this blog Willow Manor and your inspiring words.

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  24. Thank you so much, Linda...Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, dear friend...

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  25. You can't take that leap of faith if you're afraid of falling.

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  26. you really rocked this prompt...or took a free fall right through the words, rather :)

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  27. A knack for a balance of boisterous and reserved nicely done. Excellent verse, Tess!

    Hank

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  28. Fabulous, Tess! So far away from mine, you wouldn't suppose we looked at the same picture.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  29. Tess- You never cease to amaze me.

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  30. Outrageous -- as usual. And I mean, good. That painting is so beautiful, too -- what and who is it?

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  31. inspiring poetry as always..and thanks Tess for Magpie Tales.
    Look at the community you have nutured! I just might fit into my dress on the 12th!

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  32. Does the King become a Queen?

    Tess, I've had some wonderful news. The New England Air Museum have agreed to allow Miss O'Hara's late husband's Sikorsky VS-44A (the Queen of the Skies) seaplane out for a few days. They will fly to Glengarriff in County Cork, pick up Ms O'Hara and myself, then deliver us to Willow Manor at aprox 9 pm on the 12th.

    We can't wait!

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  33. After just calling this image "great inspiration" in my comments at Magpie Tales, I read your poem that is SO inspiring to me. Oh, how I love this one...and needed it, too.

    And Stainforth's reading was wonderful.

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  34. Tess, I never read any of the Magpies before I post my own because I want to find my own piece in the prompt. However, this time I think we may have been channeing the same eddy of ether - that's surrealism for you.

    Great poem.

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  35. Isabel...eddy of ether...I love that...

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  36. in my work with young children my main focus is to help them find the balance. better yet, to find out how to blend the two! lovely writing tess!!!! steven

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  37. Dear Willow: "I'm not afraid of falling" Brave and Courageous your Little King within! Brilliant n sexy read R.A.D. Stainforth!

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  38. Interesting-No bungees for me either!
    Thanks!

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  39. Relating to the dyslexic whisper that can haunt one at times....

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  40. Just wanted to let you know how much I love this blog! :)

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  41. What a fun piece... dare to venture those heights once in a while when the 'dyslexic whisper' lies stagnant on the page.

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  42. thanks for sharing...
    it is good to take the stage and the corners...
    thank you. This is one where rereads bring in something new every time...
    I like it

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  43. Speaking of balance (which you do beautifully) .. how are you able to write gems like this AND prepare the Manor for the ball!!!

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  44. falling's ok:you can always get back up. Wonderful, Tess!

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  45. Your foregrounding of the picture's dark background really struck me here.

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  46. I love the turnaround here, this unexpected freedom from limitations imposed by a lesser, more fearful self.

    Now, suddenly, I'm a chess piece
    that can go around corners,
    a king who breaks free
    of the one-step-at-a-time routine.


    The muse as dyslexic whisperer - brilliant!

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  47. dark and light together
    black coffee in my cup
    espresso kissing the night
    kessing the dark
    tessing the fragrance
    light slips between the lips
    cream between sips
    swirls mocha in my cup

    when the sip is up
    the cup is tan

    glass glass
    or porcelain?

    watch its mixing swirl
    or end game alone

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  48. Delicately nuanced. One feels the apprehension, longing and leaning towards life.

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  49. I think your muse tapped me on the shoulder to....love this Tess!!

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  50. A free king is much to be desired. Lovely thoughts in this piece!

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  51. Re-read the 'book of life', Ahhhh! I do it often, sometimes alone, no book in my small sphere.

    And your voice rings so clear and true.
    I've no more, except to say: Thank You!

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  52. Steve E., actually, I say reread the "facts of life"...which might skew a slightly different meaning than your "book of life"...

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  53. Anonymous, you make me want a cup of thick black coffee...but it's too late for caffeine at this time of night...

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  54. An interesting new format for you Tess. I like the king who breaks loose from one step at a time ...checkmate at every turn ..can't lose. This was a difficult prompt.

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  55. Tess, I understood you completely. I even wrote that I read the book without a real book. I could have read the 'facts' on a sheet of "bathroom tissue" --ahem! But I put my facts in that 'book' in my head.

    I would not try to change your meaning on purpose...it is your excellent presentations of thoughts which keep me coming here in admiration, and gratitude--for your talents.

    Going away Thursday for a week...to Charleston SC. Visit with a blogger and her family and her Peeps!

    Please God...
    Bless
    Tess!
    PEACE!

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  56. ...looking for that damn book myself today....may I borrow yours, oh king?
    delightful

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  57. I came here by chance and enjoyed a long, lingering look around. penny

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  58. do you really think general motors will revive the saturn? :O lol

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  59. bonjour, love the long hair !! just wanted to let you know that when your
    name is clicked on in the comments you live - it "does not" allow access to your profile or your blog ;-(

    that can't be good.
    much love Susan & Gang

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  60. Oh I love this!!! Said while applying make up for the ball.

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  61. Susan, thanks for the heads up...I fixed that...

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  62. Yes, we can rewrite the rules and liberate ourselves...

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  63. Brilliant and enjoyable!! In mine it was checkmate and game over for the Rajah's!!

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  64. Just spread your wings and fly, eh?

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  65. If we are afraid of heights I guess we can never reach them! Nicely written and bungee jumping? Not for me either!

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  66. Oh, I really love this! A charming piece.

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  67. So much of what we do or rather don't do is because of this awful fear of falling on our faces in the mud of life. And really it's better to be muddy than do nothing. Thankyou for such a sensitive insight into this daily dilemma

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  68. I loved the ending. I wish I could say the same to myself... :)

    Cheers,
    Arnab Majumdar on SribbleFest.com

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  69. I like it. Here's to new adventures!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)