Sunday, March 6, 2011

"Reverberating Passions", a poem for One Stop Poetry picture prompt 157/365



Reverberating Passions

Majestic theater, only in memory lives on.
Burgundy grand drape tattered and torn,
exposing its soul to the forsaken house.
Fly space and wings, unveiled and stripped.
The regal proscenium arch lies prostrate,
never to rise and separate again.
But within this charred, vapid skeleton
a permeating presence remains.
Flickering and faded, it lingers, waiting
For a kindred soul to conjure its spirit
and allow the reverberating passions
once experienced upon vanished floorboards
to live again.  To echo, for a moment, with life
breathed into them by the souls
who graced this once majestic theater.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens, 3-6-11

This is for One Stop Poetry's "One Shoot Sunday".  The photography interview is with Jacob Lucas.  (and the grammar question I always ask... is it lies or lays?...5th line in poem) The photo below will be for "Black and White Wednesday".   And after all, a rose is often given after a performance on opening night!


14 comments:

Brian Miller said...

to echo with life...if only we could breath life in these old places...really i find them fascinating...

Beachanny said...

Everything old is (or can be with time and money) new again. Everything worthwhile resurrected. Everything beautiful can glow, glitter and beguile just as it did once. And so you write and so it's true. Well done.

Justine said...

this flower is absolutely beautiful, what a lovely shot in black and white. Have you changed your blog layout? it looks nice!

Anonymous said...

beautifully written! i love this.

Ginnie Hart said...

LOL again at the lies vs. lays question. :) You'll be delighted to hear you used the correct form! Always think of "is he/it laying an egg?" and if the answer is NO, the correct form is lies. Another way to remember is to use the word 'puts' instead of lays. He puts/lays the book on the table. He lies down....but he puts/lays himself down. Hope that makes sense? :)

dustus said...

Beautiful poem. "Regal proscenium" is a very nice turn of phrase among many. I think the spirit and appeal of what makes theatre a worthy art is present in the lines of your poem, in particular the ability of words to come to life through different people over the span of time, many generations even. And indeed, the flower shot is amazing. Such detail close up makes me want to invest in a macro lens. Cheers, Margaret

Kala said...

I absolutely love that rose in monochrome.

Margaret said...

Brian, Beachanny, Haikulovesongs & Dustus - Thank you as this is a poem I really feel. We are a "theatre" family - from our participating in community theatre, to a conservatory university for my son to Broadway and anywhere else we can breath in the theatre... we just love it. Loved the interview and the photo. And Dustus, believe it or not, I put my camera on the "flower" automatic setting and use the 2 second timer and use a tripod - that way NO vibrations, which means less "noise". I am so wanting a new camera though, but it won't happen anytime soon...

Ginnie - :) I took a wild guess and I was grammatically correct!! That doesn't happen very often. (and i like the "is he laying an egg?... I can remember that!) LOL

Justine - I'm addicted to flower macros - and my camera isn't that great so I have to take a TON of them!

Rosie Grey said...

This rose is so fantastic, Margaret - the perfect rose! And how gorgeous it looks in black and white! As to your poem - I really wonder where you take all those beautiful words from - so wonderful!

Unknown said...

Between photo and verse, I felt the essence of that place; smelled the musty, dusty scent of disarray and neglect.

Margaret said...

Rosie - Truly, thank you. I took tons of photos of my oriental lilies this morning. Will be posting them all week, I think. And the poetry... I approach almost every poem with an "I don't think I can do it this time" attitude. I'm facing one right now for "Magpie Tales" and the prompt is garlic.... ? But, I am formulating an idea - but I certainly NEVER would have done this on my own. So, we will see if I bomb!

Kim - You "felt" my poem. The highest possible praise indeed! Thank you.

Claudia said...

ha - my comment is gone...not sure where...
just said - i sometimes can feel this breath that you describe in old buildings, cathedrals, theaters - and i love this feeling

Gina Kleinworth said...

Really really love all those photos say to me. They draw me in & I could look at them for hours.

Margaret said...

Claudia & Chic H. M. - Thank you!