Over at Today’s Little Ditty, Carol Hinz challenged us to write a poem that finds beauty in something that is not usually considered beautiful. On a family Thanksgiving Day walk to City Park in New Orleans, we came upon an old outside bar covered in overgrown weeds and graffiti. On the walls were a few amazing black and white drawings. One of them caught my eye and then inspired a poem.
At Violet Nesdoly’s blog, I discovered a new-to-me poetry form, Shadorma. The form is a Spanish version of the haiku with six lines and a syllable count of 3,5,3,3,7,5. The form fit well to what I wanted to say about the Graffiti Girl.
Graffiti Girl
I am drawn
in hard black charcoal
staring out
of stone walls
yet when you see my image
your heart cries for me.If you could
hold this star light high
a mirror
in my eyes
step into my wall, hold me,
would you come so near?–Margaret Simon, all rights reserved
oooooooooh, a new form to play with. Thank you! And, what a provocative inspiration in that art. I love your ending with a question. A delightful poem that invites in and invites again. It’s so nice to see you ensconced in family. Happy Thanksgiving, Margaret.
Thanks Linda, I know how you, like me, love to find new forms to play with. I hope you are having a restful time after all your travels.
Oh Margaret, what an amazing find! All the more special because you had to peer through what was overgrown in order to uncover this beauty. Thank you for writing about your discovery and allowing us to share the rewards.
I love when inspiration finds me. We just have to notice.
So many layers here! The poetry challenge, the beautiful graffiti, the pain in that young girl’s eyes, and a new to me poetry form besides. Wow! I want to know more about this beautiful young girl. Who is she? What is the story behind that deep sadness?
That is what I saw despite the fact that she is holding the sun. I so want to hug her and make it better. One of the greatest sadnesses in this world is that not everyone can be saved.
The saddest thing is the bits left after the party is over, and a painted girl, left behind is saddest of all. Great story, photos and poem.
It is amazing to me to see the talent that graffiti artists have. I love the picture of the abandoned bar, and this graffiti is amazing. You’re written a poem for this young woman, Margaret, the question end is one to think about.
What a gorgeous bit of graffiti and an amazing poem to go with it! Huzzah!
I just read Violet’s post, so it was nice to next come here and read your shadorma! Will have to try this form too. Love the haunting voice and the question at the end of graffiti girl.
Your title “Graffiti Girl” draws me in immediately. The shadorma does fit your poem very well Margaret, it has a slow, yet syncopated rhythm to it. I was also taken by these lines of your poem
“hold this star light high
a mirror
in my eyes
step into my wall, hold me,”
Glad you took this walk. Thanks for sharing your poem and the shadorma form too!
Wow. I love the form, and I super-love what you did with it. So very powerful
Hey, you tried a shadorma! Your poem is stunning, and goes so well with the mural/drawing. It’s haunting. I love it!
Thank you for sharing a new form, and I enjoyed hearing your story behind your poem after reading it over on the padlet.