What was I thinking when I challenged my Inklings writing group to write a ghazal for this month’s challenge? Woah, who knew there were so many rules/ guidelines? I had attended the Poetry Foundation’s Summer Teachers Institute and watched a presentation about using repetition in poetry. The presenter talked about two poetry forms, the villanelle and the ghazal. So I said to myself that in order to teach these forms, I needed to write in these forms.
The ghazal is an ancient Arabic and Persian language poetic form. It has couplets (two-line stanzas) that end with repeated end words or phrases. You can also add that traditionally the author’s name appears in the last couplet.
Looks easy, right? Well, this definition was somewhat incomplete. At Poets.org, there is this more complete definition. And Molly directed us to this guidance on Tweetspeak. The most help, as always, came from the Inkling group’s dedication to the craft of poetry and to each other. Their critique was invaluable.
I wanted my poem to say something, to express my longing as a grandmother for the grandmother I never knew. This portrait of her was painted in the 1940’s when my mother was a young girl. It now hangs in my dining room, life-size.
Grandmother’s Song
She never held me in her arms long to sing.
Death took her breath–she was not wrong to sing.Within her eyes a lullaby still stares
from a frame to invite me along to sing.Her portrait-hands caress violin strings;
Like the songbird’s voice, they echo strong to sing.Now I wonder if an angel sings to me.
I want to know whose song to sing.I have her name–Margaret–a spelling tune,
Margaret Simon, ghazal, all rights reserved.
like a young child, I know I belong to sing.
Click on the links to read more ghazals by our amazing poetry group.
Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
Linda Mitchell at A Word Edgewise
Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
Molly Hogan at Nix the Comfort Zone
Mary Lee Hahn at A(nother) Year of Reading
Reflections on the Teche 
[…] Heidi has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at my juicy little universe, and here are all the other Inklings’ ghazals:CatherineLindaMargaretMolly […]
Thank you for showing us the portrait in the photo as well is in your words/emotions. Life-size! WOW! But how wonderful that she is with you still and that you carry her name with you always.
Those last two stanzas are still my favorites. Lovely, strong, and beautiful just like you…and her!
Margaret, what a special poem about this special person and painting, and you her namesake. It was a perfect form to use to add your name in that last stanza. So beautiful! And to think of your grandchildren growing up to see their great great grandmother with her violin. That will surely bless them and give them thoughts to sing, as well. Love it. I also think I can see the resemblance.
Thank you for making a connection to something that feels so personal.
Margaret, your longing definitely comes through in this poem, and I love that you, her namesake, have her portrait hanging in your home. There’s poetry in that, too! My favorite line is “I want to know whose song to sing,” but I also love how effortlessly you wove your name into that final stanza.
I’m glad you threw out a ghazal challenge. Now that I played with the form, I feel like I grew. In the end, it was fun. I wish, wish, wish I had a portrait of either of my grandmothers. I miss them so much. And, I wonder about them as I get older. This connection to your grandmother is very special. I love that you paired the poem with her portrait. You weave words all through that bring us to the idea of portrait too. That’s really nice.
Margaret, I have seen the portrait of your grandmother before but today I am looking into the painting. There is a grace about Margaret from the 40s and there is no doubt that she is the “angel” who sings to you. I love this stanza that holds this wording, ” want to know whose song to sing.” I am impressed by the ghazal challenge and what you accomplished. As I told Linda, the instructions seemed so complicated but your group of writers work so beautifully together that the ghazal has moved to center stage. I look forward to reading the other members’ poems.
You tasked your group with a challenging form. I can see why you would want to write to a meaningful topic – and can feel your heart and yearning through your poem; your song. (Also, what a stunning portrait. How fortunate you are to have it and share the name.)
How lovely–I’ve never attempted a ghazal but have enjoyed reading everyone’s! Life-size! And your tribute makes her even larger than life. I love “Her portrait-hands caress violin strings;”
That’s really neat, Margaret. I am impressed by your ghazal! You’ve added so much to the portrait of your grandmother and brought her into the present.
I love this tribute to your grandmother, Margaret, and that she had an influence on you even though you never knew her. Ghazal’s are quite challenging, but I’m glad you pushed us to flex our poetry muscles!
How special to choose to write in this challenging way for your dear grandmother, Margaret. I love the idea of ‘song’ wafting in and out of your thoughts. “Now I wonder if an angel sings to me.” is perfect for the special thoughts you keep of her. The painting is lovely!
What a lovely portrait and what a challenging poetic form! I am impressed by all the ghazals I’ve seen this week. Your poem is a beautiful tribute to your grandmother.
Oh, how affecting to look into that portrait, searching for clues to YOU! This is what your ghazal does too. I love the detail of “portrait-hands” caressing violin strings, and the 4th stanza carries all that yearning. I don’t know how you did this at all with everything else going on!
What a wonderful portrait, both picture and poem! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
[…] week the new named Poetry Group, the Inklings, including Margaret Simon, Catherine Flynn, Linda Mitchell, Heidi Mordhorst, Molly Hogan, and Mary Lee Hahn, challenged […]