Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

L'Étoile

When you were young
And travelled buoyant on
the air,

When you bore beauty,
yet were a little easier
to bear

When, you had a keen rasping
sigh,

And scarce knew how
to tell a lie,

In substance, when you,
were smaller in humility, yet holier than now,

And love was boundless
regardless of how

Life’s purpose went, demanding definition
there you were:

In a constellation, with all the others,
yet brighter than any above us,

Defying time,
there you are, a signal fire,
a guiding star.

About This Poem

Last Few Words: Sort of structured - a recollection of an earlier time, and a painting, L'Étoile (The Star) by one of the Impressionists - can't recall who.

Style/Type: Structured: Western

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Region, Country: Tasmania, AUS

Favorite Poets: Glen Richards, Thomas Hardy, Phillip Larkin, Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Carol Ann Duffy , Ani DiFranco, Seamus Heaney, Emily Dickinson, T. S. Elliot

More from this author

Comments

Rula

Rula

10 years 5 months ago

Our first time to meet Chris

I am happy I haven't missed this one. Awesome and enjoyable read.
I am also happy you've mentioned the story of the title. I am not so keen on using a different language to title the piece, but this is a different case here.
Thank you, No suggestion I can think of at the moment, but much appreciation indeed.

vandiemenspeak

vandiemenspeak

10 years 5 months ago

Yeah, I was worried it would sound a bit pretentious Rula, but..

There you go - that's was the inspiration, a print in a little book of the impressionists, and some vague memories of another time. I did a little research, and found it was by Degas (detail here: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Degas.etoile.jpg) I'm not sure if that's the artist in the wings, looking on, or what the story behind it was, always found it interesting, there you go!
Thank you - glad you enjoyed.

Take care - as always - will take some time to look at your poems too.

Seeya,

Chris.