aha, she cries
Jul. 30th, 2003 01:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
incandescensSomewhat self-congratulatory mood at the end of the day, after tearing my hair through most of it; persuaded Impromptu (which I'm not experienced in using) to give me a big block of data which I needed. I'm going to have to trim it down with Excel anyhow, but at least I now know where I am.
A good feeling, that.
Now this is a poetic form -- the pantoum -- that I haven't heard of before. Apparently it's also an altered pantoum in that it's different from usual. Intriguing, though. (Apparently the usual form is written in four-line stanzas; and the second and fourth line of each stanza become the first and third of the succeeding stanza. In the last stanza, the second and fourth lines are the third and first of the first stanza; so that the opening and closing lines of the pantoum are identical. The rhyme scheme would then be: 1, 2, 1, 2; 2, 3, 2, 3; 3, 4, 3, 4; . . . n, 1, n, 1.
---
Juggler, Magician, Fool - A Pantoum
You mysterious jongleur, abstracted, absorbed, you slowly pace the street.
You stare, detached, through a curtain: silver balls in the air.
You slowly pace the street, tossing coins, cups, scarves,
silver balls in the air, making a skydance ---
tossing coins, cups, scarves, each in their separate paths,
making a skydance, chaotic, hypnotic;
each in their separate paths, dancing
(chaotic, hypnotic) the random paths of stars;
dancing through and around;
the random paths of stars, moons, comets, and the sudden flare-fade streak
through and around everything, the mystical hands tossing destinies;
moons, comets, and the sudden flare-fade streak of your hands ordering
everything. The mystical hands tossing destinies --- the feel
of your hands ordering the planets to dance.
The feel of chaos put in order. Tell
the planets to dance on your palm.
Of chaos put in order, tell the stars in their places in the lines
on your palm. Whirl
the stars in their places in the lines. You stare, detached, through a curtain.
Whirl, you mysterious jongleur, abstracted, absorbed.
-- Peter Schaeffer
A good feeling, that.
Now this is a poetic form -- the pantoum -- that I haven't heard of before. Apparently it's also an altered pantoum in that it's different from usual. Intriguing, though. (Apparently the usual form is written in four-line stanzas; and the second and fourth line of each stanza become the first and third of the succeeding stanza. In the last stanza, the second and fourth lines are the third and first of the first stanza; so that the opening and closing lines of the pantoum are identical. The rhyme scheme would then be: 1, 2, 1, 2; 2, 3, 2, 3; 3, 4, 3, 4; . . . n, 1, n, 1.
---
Juggler, Magician, Fool - A Pantoum
You mysterious jongleur, abstracted, absorbed, you slowly pace the street.
You stare, detached, through a curtain: silver balls in the air.
You slowly pace the street, tossing coins, cups, scarves,
silver balls in the air, making a skydance ---
tossing coins, cups, scarves, each in their separate paths,
making a skydance, chaotic, hypnotic;
each in their separate paths, dancing
(chaotic, hypnotic) the random paths of stars;
dancing through and around;
the random paths of stars, moons, comets, and the sudden flare-fade streak
through and around everything, the mystical hands tossing destinies;
moons, comets, and the sudden flare-fade streak of your hands ordering
everything. The mystical hands tossing destinies --- the feel
of your hands ordering the planets to dance.
The feel of chaos put in order. Tell
the planets to dance on your palm.
Of chaos put in order, tell the stars in their places in the lines
on your palm. Whirl
the stars in their places in the lines. You stare, detached, through a curtain.
Whirl, you mysterious jongleur, abstracted, absorbed.
-- Peter Schaeffer
