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Hello!

This is Michelle Beauchamp (“Mish”) bringing you today’s Poetics.

 

 

Eyes.

They fascinate me in so many ways….their ability to convey without words, their magnetic power of connection, confession of truth or lie and their genetic beauty passed down. Seeing the wonder in the eyes of a curious child is magical. It is my grandparents eyes that I remember the most now that they’ve passed. I am also intrigued by the way eyes usually maintain their appearance as we age, the constant as the rest of our body wrinkles and sags. (ahem, speaking for myself, of course).

Often it is the colour of someone’s eyes that we notice first. As we pen a poem about eyes, here are just a few alternative ways to describe their different hues.

BROWN – almond, bronze, chestnut, cognac, ginger, mahogany, cinnamon

BLUE – blueberry, gunmetal, cobalt, sapphire, denim, azureous, lagoon

GREEN – lime, artichoke, spring, sage, emerald, mint, cyan

BLACK – raven, ink, midnight, charcoal, oil-slick, slate, dusky

GREY – pewter, graphite, granite, ash, shadow, silvered, pearly

HAZEL – sepia, latte, auburn, terra-cotta, russet, khaki

There is more to eyes than colour such as shape, size, setting, flecks and streaks. One of my sons has the most distinct dark grey flecks along with his pools of blue.

But besides the unique physical features, there is something else, something more mesmerizing, something more abstract. Perhaps William Shakespeare said it best….

Eyes let us in to see the light and the joy but also the darkness and pain.

Eyes tell us stories. Some are more like open books. Others are elusive, mysterious and unclear. Sara Teasdale captured that elusiveness in the following poem.

“I Know the Stars”

by Sara Teasdale

I know the stars by their names,
Aldebaran, Altair,
And I know the path they take
Up heaven’s broad blue stair.

I know the secrets of men
By the look of their eyes,
Their gray thoughts, their strange thoughts
Have made me sad and wise.

But your eyes are dark to me
Though they seem to call and call—
I cannot tell if you love me
Or do not love me at all.

I know many things,
But the years come and go,
I shall die not knowing
The thing I long to know.

 

You have two choices for today’s prompt.

#1  Incorporate the theme of eyes into a poem. Write about the eyes of someone close to you, your own eyes or those of a fictional character.

OR

#2  From your own collection or from an online resource of free images, such as pixabay.com, pexels.com or unsplash.com, choose a photo where the eyes speak to you, express an emotion or lure you in. What do you see? What are their eyes saying? What is their story?

Of course, no one said they have to be human eyes.

Here’s how to join in:

  • Write a poem of any style in response to the prompt.
  • Post it on your blog or website.
  • Add the direct URL and your name to Mr.Linky.
  • Add a link to dVerse on your blog so others can find us and join in.
  • Read and comment on the work of others.
  • Pop into the pub to say hello. We are friendly folk.