Hold me.
Say nothing.
Hidden somewhere near
where the soil is rich
and full of snails,
I will dig myself
a nice deep grave.
Tonight, I’ll be dead
drunk and lay myself
in the ground.
Music often takes me
like the sea.
You’re like the rock
the sea is swallowing,
lightning….then darkness.
Lovely fugitive whose
glance has brought me
back to life. You whom
I might have loved
and who knew that, too.
Pour me your poison.
Let me be comforted.
Pity me, if not,
to hell with you!
NaPoWriMo#30~The final challenge this year was to create a patchwork poem, also called a collage poem or a cento. As the name suggests, this poem is made up of lines taken from other poems.
I’ve created one today from a favorite poetry book of mine, Les Fleurs du Mal written by the brilliant Charles Baudelaire. My copy of the text is translated by Richard Howard. And while it’s near impossible to pick a bad line from this collection of poems, this patchwork piece represents some of my favorite fragments, and I do so hope you enjoy it.
Sources:
Title: #89 The Sun
Lines 1-3: #66 Autumn Sunset
Lines 4-7: #77 The Happy Corpse
Lines 8-10: #108 The Murderer’s Wine
Lines 11-12: #71 Music
Lines 13-14: #42 Semper Eadem
Lines 15–18: #82 To a Woman Passing By
Lines 18-20: #95 Impassing
Line 21-22: #131 Traveling
Line 22-24: #20 Epigraph for a Banned Book
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
A gorgeous expose on the light and dark, and the line about music, is so true and epic. Wonderful write, K.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. We had an outdoor event this morning, so I was sitting there pulling lines from these poems much to the befuddlement of neighbors and strangers alike. It was a refreshing exercise this making art from art. Hope your weekend is filled with sunshine. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome. Read very refreshing. Thank you, K. Sunshine in spurts, which is perfect. Have a lovely remainder of your Saturday. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks. It was a day close to home. But in some ways beautiful in its simplicity. 💜 Hope your day was equally rewarding.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful tender piece, K! Great contrasts in the imagery you weave here ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Tom. It was easy to take a long lasting love and make something new you love. It is a book I return to with passion each time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never yet read this French classic; must do something about it , if your evocative patchwork poem is anything to go by; a tour de force, K 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is epic. I love my copy and I remember discovering it and just feeling well, free.
LikeLiked by 1 person
will ask for it at the library 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I connect so much with the movement in these lovely lines: “Music often takes me
like the sea.” Beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jaya. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love these lines: Pour me your poison. Let me be comforted.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can take no credit, except in the arrangement as all lines belong to Baudelaire. He is brilliant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He is! You’re in good company. The Cure song, How Beautiful You Are was a reworking of Baudelaire’s Eyes of the Poor.
LikeLike
Oh thanks for that tidbit. I wondered as I worked these lines, if the Smiths were inspired by Baudelaire as well. Thank you. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have sewn a wonderful patchwork poem K.
LikeLike
Thank you. I enjoyed being that person at a soccer game with a big poetry book, finding that next line and hurriedly scribbling. 💜
LikeLike
Definitely not your average soccer mum!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wonderfully done! I so enjoyed this form too 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for reading all of these. It was exhausting, not to write everyday as that is normal but to have the challenge of a prompt. It was wonderful to connect with talented writers such as yourself on a similar journey. 🦋
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ahh thanks K.Hartless☀️ I agree, it was exhausting but worth it.
LikeLiked by 2 people