The Father

[Rumil]

I wrote this a few years ago after a funeral i went to. The form is a series of haiku (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables). Kabuki, by the way, is a form of Japanese theatre which is only acted by men.

The Father

Only his hands move
that hang like rags on the arch
of his walking stick.

Beyond the control
of even his composure
they clench and re-clench

while his face, an act
from some Midlands kabuki
is blank as ever.

The pale skin, marbled
with vein and blotch, is sculpted
in folds round his eyes.

The eroded cheeks
drop to expressionless mouth
like grooves in old stone.

The other mourners
respectful and embarrassed
whisper around him.

[Tar-Ancalimë]

i like this poem. very stark emotions on the surface but more complex if you delve deeper... a mark of a well written poem...

i like the form too... something very gripping about it

[Catz]

oooh i like that......the phrase "midlands Kabuki" is very effective.....the juxtaposition of the two disparate elements is great......and the use of the word marble as a description in a poem about mourning is very good......makes one think of lichen stained marble angels standing witness to innumerable funerals in graveyards all over the world.........one of the great wonders of poetry is it can create beauty in the midst of pain
:catz:

[Rumil]

Thanks a lot for the encouragement guys. The description of the father is supposed to sound like that of a tomb (he himself becomes the monument ie silent but eloquent) so i am glad this came through Catz. I used Kabuki as a performance of men - the worst thing about this guy was that he was trapped in a performance of men of his age, class who were not allowed (and didn't know how )to show feelings. I just found that silent grief awful to watch. Of course the only emotion i articulate is embarrassment - which sadly is all too common with bereavement in the west. We don't know how to act around death anymore.

[Nessa the Dancer]

I really like it.
To glance at it, it looks simple, when in actual fact the content as the other two have said is very complex. I liked the image that you created of the tomb, and even more so now that I know why.