Every candle shows its flame,
Burning wax, reheating blame.
Maybe it is all the same
When the end upturns the game.
When the end sets up the fall
Will my candle scatter all
Flickers fighting in a brawl?
Fire the passion. Free what’s small.
Text: Linked to dVerse Quadrille. De Jackson (aka WhimsyGizmo) hosts with the theme word “fire”. I used the tanaga form for this poem after reading a poem last week by Bekkie Sanchez.
Photos: “Winter Scene with Morning Sun”, above, and “Winter Scene with Afternoon Sun”, below.
Frank! I am always, always impressed with your mastery of rhyme, and form. This one is just fantastic. THANK YOU for the introduction to a new form. That last line is a zinger, and will be sticking with me.
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I am glad you liked this, De. Thank you for the prompt!
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I wrote my first tanaga also during the weekend… so tricky with all those rhymes…. love that conclusion, we need to look at what’s little.
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This is my first tanaga as well. Having four lines all with the same rhyme sound is tricky. Thank you, Bjorn!
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Lovely lovely!!💖 Your tanaga has every bit of the fire needed during the winter scene 😊
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Today it is rather warm with no snow, but a couple weeks ago that was what I saw. Thank you, Sanaa!
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Delightful word play and alliteration!
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Thank you, Jilly!
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some good rhymes Frank with your usual clever turn of phrase, unadorned and yet not so simple as you make it seem
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These poems do go through many revisions. Thank you, Laura!
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I enjoyed your Tanaga Quadrille, Frank, and the idea of ‘reheating blame’.
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That “reheating blame” was a part I almost changed since I wasn’t sure if it fit, but then I thought “why not?” Thank you, Kim!
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Like others, love the form of this – particularly how the second stanza opens out into the big questions. Bravo.
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I like this form as well. This was my first one. Thank you, Peter!
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This is indeed thought provoking, makes us question and urge to let go of what’s small.
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Or free it so it can get larger or fly away. Thank you, Neeraj!
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True, totally agree.
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Lovely form, and clever rhymes Frank.
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Thank you, Peter! The similar rhymes almost overpowers the sound without the meter tempering the poem.
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Your poems always leave me thinking and your rhymes always leave me happy and smiling. They keep me afire, I would say!
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I am glad they keep you afire. Thank you, Mary!
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Oh my gosh, Frank. The first stanza is amazing!
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Thank you! I am glad you liked it!
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Nicely done! I, too, like the question that opens in the second stanza. Glad there are no easy answers.
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Life is more interesting without easy answers. Thank you, Charley!
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“reheating blame”… we are all quite good at that I think…
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I liked that phrase as well although I almost changed it wondering if I knew what it meant. Thank you, Margaret!
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You did wonders with this form Frank. All the rhymes make me crazy but you step on your surfboard and ride the wave to the shore. I like the thoughts of reheating blame.
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Thank you, Toni! Rhyming is like balancing on a surfboard which I’m not able to do since I can’t swim.
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I learned to sail and surf years ago in an attempt to overcome a fear of water…I still can’t swim!
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This is so clever, Frank! The rhymes are wonderful.
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Thank you, Sara! I find all four end-rhymes in the stanza being the same a bit odd, but I should get used to it.
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Love the concept that when we let fire and fury reign…words will focus on the small things instead of the problem!
dwight
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Liberate those small things. Thank you, Dwight!
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I especially like the last line and your use of the candle. A powerful write. 🙂
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Thank you!
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Green Every Leave That’s
Brown and Green
Every Leave
Every Green
And Brown
That’s Leave Every Green
Other than that Frank.. Thanks…
FoR aLL LiVinG NaTuRE You BRinG..:)
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Thank you, Fred!
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Welcome..:)
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I like the way the last line breaks into two thoughts, giving a perfect pause in the rhythm.
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Yes, it does that. Thank you, Mish!
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Interesting form. I like your conclusion.
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Thank you, Merril!
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After the fire there is new growth…”free the small.” Nice poem.
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Thank you, Annell!
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Nicely done, you did well with the form.
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Thank you!
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Great rhythm as always. I missed the Tanaga prompt…Looks like an interesting form.
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I found it a little hard getting used to, but it is growing on me. Thank you, Paul!
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I’ll have to look into the tanaga. In the meantime, your last sentence: “Free what’s small.” makes me think. Are we supposed to far our passions and live according to what is blazing or give voice to the small and quiet, free it to live out from the overbearing heat of what is big?
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I was thinking the small is that part of us we have kept small and freeing it gives it a chance to become larger in some way, but it could mean a lot of things, I suppose. Thank you, Amaya!
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The form and how you developed it worked so well for the quadrille. Simply great.
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Thank you, Victoria!
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the depth your gifted fire. beautiful!
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Thank you!
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Frank I like your use of symbolism in this…made me think…and also enjoyed the candle. The new use of fire in the last line was a nice turn.
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Thank you, Janice!
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Tight rhythms and elegant rhymes, and you use them to convey such a tour de force!
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Thank you, Frank!
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A lovely Tanaga, Frank! Stunning pictures and thoughts. That last line is truth on fire. Thank you for the mention and links that is so sweet of you. I’m waiting for dVerse today (Thursday) but it’s 10:54 am here and not up yet. Happy to say I can write since I’m not busy. Take care!
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I’m glad you wrote that tanaga. I think I’ve seen the form before, but your poem made it stand out. I may feature that form for Meeting the Bar in two weeks on dVerse. Thanks, Bekkie!
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I hope you do, I want to do more!
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