Challenge 106

[foxrafer.livejournal.com]

This week's challenge: a poem by Marilyn Krysl. You can think about the entire poem or focus on individual lines or phrases; whatever inspires you.

Sutra
by Marilyn Krysl

Looking back now, I see
I was dispassionate too often,
dismissing the robin as common,
and now can't remember what
robin song sounds like. I hoarded
my days, as though to keep them
safe from depletion, and meantime
I kept busy being lonely. This
took up the bulk of my time,
and I did not speak to strangers
because they might be boring,
and there were those I feared

would ask me for money. I was
clumsy around the confident,
and the well bred, standing on
their parapets, enthralled me,
but when one approached, I
fled. I also feared the street's
down and outs, anxious lest
they look at me closely, and
afraid I would see their misery.

I feared my father who feared
me and did not touch me,
which made me more afraid.
My mother feared him too,
and as I grew to be like him,
she became afraid of me also.
I kept busy avoiding dangers
of many colors, fleeing from
those with whom I had much

in common. Now afternoon,
one chair in the garden. Late
low light, the lilies still open,
sky beyond them preparing
to close for the night. I'd
made money, but had I kissed

a single lily? On the chair's
arm my empty cup. Its curved
lip struck, bright in late light.
I watch that last light going,
leaving behind its brief burning
which will come to nothing.

The lilies still open, waiting.

Let me be that last sliver of light.
Let me be that last gleaming sliver of silver,
there for an instant on the lily's petal,

light speaking in tongues, tongues of flame.


Original fic, any fandom, any genre; real and fictional person pairings; slash, gen or het; fics, graphics, or videos. The goal is to inspire creation of any stripe and color. And most importantly, have fun.

If this interests or intrigues you, if you think you'd like to play around with the theme, or if you already have an idea that's just itching to be realized, please comment to this post to express your interest. This doesn't commit you to creating something based on this challenge; it just gives us an idea about what things the community members find most compelling.

Questions? Check out the info on the profile page. Otherwise, please contact me by PM or email.