For poesy you must first find your voice
many poets clamour on social media
The clamour of poems all in English
I could almost write a poem in French
I almost know how to voice in French
above subtitles I hear foreign word sounds
Foreign word sounds do not always translate well
the English mongrel tongue spews many clues
Clues to meanings I roll around my tongue
multilingual knowledge dies with its host
Poems are multilingual cries to each other
our legacy is flying in the ether
For legacy to gain a firm foothold
in poesy you must first find your voice…
Written for dVerse Poets Pub where Merril set us the challenge of writing a Duplex poem…
© Andrew Wilson, 2023
I really like this, especially “Poems are multilingual cries to each other . . .” I imagine all these poems speaking with each other. And it’s funny that feeling about almost knowing a language. I always feel like I know Italian and French–but I don’t. I feel like I could speak those languages in my dreams (and I do watch a lot of subtitled films and shows). 🙂
thanks Merril – perhaps I should put my money where my schoolboy French mouth is…
Wow, wow! 😀 Absolutely STUNNING work on the form, Andrew! ❤️❤️
Thanks Sanaa – a few weeks ago I wrote a long free verse poem on this theme of the poet’s voice which prepared me for this much compressed form – glad you liked it so much…
oh, wow, Andrew ~ I relate to this one deeply.
I think about poetry in different languages a lot, actually, and you’ve really given voice to many of my own feelings and thoughts…
Bravo!
<3
David
Thanks David – I will send you a fuller poem I wrote too.
that poem you sent me is also wonderful 🙂
did you publish it online too?
I haven’t yet although I was thinking of posting it together with the Words, Sounds, Voices, Poesy because although the longer one contains a lot more information I kind of feel the short one says almost the same thing about finding one’s voice – definitely, the longer prepared me for the shorter – so is it an example of poetic compression or do they stand separately? What do you think, David?
Wonderful! You know your voice … and I so appreciate it.
Thank you so much Helen and thank you for visiting…
I love this! Especially since I love ❤️ language so much and the origin of words and their roots.
Excellent writing with the form.
Thanks Melissa, my theme in the A2Z Challenge in April this year was on phrases whose meaning we know but whose origins we may have forgotten which you may enjoy – it brought me into contact with a lot of other poetry writers…
The hope of finding legacy, true voice, integrity, you raise that very human need.
Indeed Paul, thanks for visiting…
You have a strong voice, Andrew.
Thank you Sara, that means a lot…