Sunday, February 5, 2012

Schnittke's Stone


a grave in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow



Schnittke's Stone



You showed me
a song among  
the uncut hair
of Russian graves,

a simple stave
juxtaposed quiet
against a frenzy
of rough granite,

sufficient polystyle
for long wild runs,
miniscule breaths,
ever-present ghosts,

his puberty rights
relinquished
in loud silence
prolonged.



tk/February 2011


Listen as the talented R.A.D. Stainforth lights up and reads this poem:
Visit his eclectic and interesting blog Black Dogs. 


Join The Mag creative writing group.

71 comments:

  1. Yes...so many interesting juxtapositions here...quite a romp in the old cemetery. Thank you, Tess!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That ending really packs a punch.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Tess, I love the poem. I think I actually like it much better not thinking about the picture. I appreciate that the photos are jumping off places, and this one, for me, has jumped off to a different place, but certainly one as interesting and beautiful.

    K.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A very neat, sort of ekphrastic take on Schnittke and - at a guess - the day the music died.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Manic, the photo prompt is just something to get the creative juices flowing...the fact that writers jump off into various places is my main objective! So happy you did!

    ReplyDelete
  6. In fact, I'm hoping someone writes about Jello...

    ReplyDelete
  7. love your poem and the picture..jello??? would that be raspberry or strawberry?!..x Kay

    ReplyDelete
  8. The image, a wonderful find. Your words take it even further, to a new level. Very very good.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just that first line alone hits you! And I love the breath Mr.Stainforth takes before the reading! Prekrasniy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. whew that last stanza is just fierce...i like tess...great image as well...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can't get that image of uncut hair out of my mind. Solid.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Such an end to such a story!! What a narration!!! Beautiful, Tess!! Sad, but beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How interesting that a poem, beginning in a cemetery and ending in a loud silence could have so much energy moving about. Well written, Tess. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow, "puberty rights relinquished" is a strong finish. Excellent write.

    ~Shawna
    rosemarymint.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Uncut hair of Russina graves...what an image!
    Terrific.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Many perfect lines in this. Excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  17. A toss up between the first stanza and the last for my favorite -- a great write.

    ReplyDelete
  18. 'miniscule breaths, ever-present ghosts' - shivers.

    ReplyDelete
  19. perfect! Great image and your poem is wonderful. Jello? I'll give it a second try!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is a good poem, I liked it very much!

    http://wanderwithoutbeinglost.blogspot.com/2012/02/grave-so-fine.html

    Wander

    ReplyDelete
  21. The lines are notes on a bar . . the melody is haunting.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The lines are notes on a bar . . the melody is haunting.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow. The photo is so breathtaking I can't write it immediately, like the prism will shatter into my chest somehow....

    Is this an actual grave? Do you know?

    Your writing is, as usual, so gorgeous, Tess... I am speechless yet so deeply touched... in that beyond language, fumbling place....

    ReplyDelete
  24. I googled it. I found it. I need to go there as a lover of cemeteries. Wow. I am literally shaking... THANK YOU....

    ReplyDelete
  25. Julie, thank you, yes, it's a grave in the Novodevichy Cemetery. Although Schnittke is buried in this cemetery, this is not his actual stone.

    ReplyDelete
  26. a great cemetery...great prompt...as is your poem....THANKS

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wonderfully done, as always, Tess.
    K

    ReplyDelete
  28. Prolonged silence...a fabulous depiction.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Music in stone and words. Or is that poetry in music and stone? Fine poem Tess

    ReplyDelete
  30. "the uncut hair of Russian grave"
    A perfect image.
    rel

    ReplyDelete
  31. I like long wild runs! thanks-

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love the way the images flash by, re-reading reveals so much more!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Tess, you take me there ... to a cemetery full of ghosts and so much more.

    ReplyDelete
  34. love the..the uncut hair
    of Russian graves...

    ReplyDelete
  35. You really opened a door with this one Tess. Now I have to find some Schnittke music!

    ReplyDelete
  36. "the uncut hair of russian graves"

    talk about a unique image

    ...and the ending.

    Whew.

    =)

    ReplyDelete
  37. "The uncut hair of Russian graves." Brilliant. Splendidly done Tess! Nice Job!

    ReplyDelete
  38. really enjoyed this read.. as always, I am surprised by the varied emotions and takes on the same prompt...

    ReplyDelete
  39. his puberty rights relinquished in loud silence prolonged...powerful..

    ReplyDelete
  40. This is a wonderful image which prompts ghostly thoughts and words. Prolonged loud silence summons thoughts of eternity.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Tess your words start us in one place and lead someplace unexpected...wonderfully crafted!

    ReplyDelete
  42. A stunning write Tess....that first line is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  43. This picture has so much meaning to it in so many ways.
    Great prompt. Lovely piece from you too. Heard it read aloud and it reads so well.

    ReplyDelete
  44. I saw a wedge shaped piece of heart

    ReplyDelete
  45. A fine tribute to the composer.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Superb. Mouthwatering not just the creative juices it gets running!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Dear Tess:

    "uncut hair" referencing (metaphorically) the uncut grass of the unkempt graveyard. WoW~!

    "his puberty rights relinguished" as most young men are soldiers and barely out of puberty, usually 19 years of age. Love it~!

    "in loud silence prolonged" an excellent metaphor of death. Fantastic~!

    Always par excellence...and oh so memorable with the Manchesturian candidates low octaves. Merci Ronaldo as well; loved indeed~!

    ReplyDelete
  48. The entire poem is wonderful, and the last lines are magnificent. What a great write for this picture.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I don't know of Schnittke, looks like I need to be doing my research :) But I thought this poem was excellent and like many others, loved the line "uncut hair of Russian graves"

    ReplyDelete
  50. @chiccoreal ... thank you ... always good to take a deep breath and read one of Tess's poems ...
    @Caty ... check out my other blog ... Alfred Harrievich Schnittke ...

    ReplyDelete
  51. R.A.D., thank you for the lovely reading and also for the link to your Schnittke blog...

    ReplyDelete
  52. Gentle readers, you make writing so very worthwhile. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Once again, not only did I get a wonderful poem but a bit of an education. I googled Schnittke and learned a tad about this composer and his polystyle, which I had never heard of before. Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Lots to discover in this one, Tess. Interesting how "polystyle" for me resonated with the multiple column-like fingers of the illustrated hands.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Hello!
    I am the Watercooler/ Awesome TimeWasters (an awesome section of stories people like to share!) editor at Before It's News (beforeitsnews.com). Our site is a rapidly growing people-powered news platform currently serving over 3 million visits a month. We like to call ourselves the "YouTube of news."
    I would like to personally invite you to republish your website on our site. Our visitors would love to read your content, and get to know you as a blogger/source of news. It's a great opportunity to spread the word about your work and reach new readers. Posting on Before It's News is 100% free.

    We will be featuring and promoting websites that republish with us on our homepage, on Twitter, Facebook, in our newsletter and more. Don't miss this opportunity to get fantastic exposure.

    We don't censor or edit work.

    I hope you'll choose to join the conversation at Before It's News. I know our visitors will be very interested to sample your work and learn more about you. I hope to hear from you soon.

    Best regards,
    Sebastian Clouth (@B4INTimeWasters)
    SClouth@beforeitsnews.com

    ReplyDelete
  56. Love the POEM! I'm a new bloger/writer and just added myself to your folowers to support you, maybe you'd like to come follow me? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  57. So are you only doing poetry now? I used to like visiting Willow Manor. Not a big poetry fan. *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  58. Moey, stay tuned...I plan to liven things up around here with some new posts...

    ReplyDelete
  59. Great Tess! I've been followoing your blog since 2008. (Blog of Note).

    ReplyDelete
  60. Excellent post, wonderful image , inspirational stuff. A pleasure to have made ur acquaintance even if only cybernetically ....Thanx.

    ReplyDelete
  61. 1. You can't fool me, that's the Sorcerer's Stone!!!

    2. I'm with Moey. Poetry is okay, but I like some posts with juicy details.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Ah, this is so crisp and perfect, Tess. I also love that it sent me to the dictionary for stave and polystyle.

    Thank you for your poetry.

    ReplyDelete
  63. A song among the uncut hair of Russian graves...ending in prolonged silence. Wonderful. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

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