The candles in our house of tea – ghazal for dVerse

· by · in dVerse, ghazal, poetry. ·


you softly touch the little scar between my eyes
with your warm lips, slightly moist from Oolong tea

like feathers wet from spring rain on that young dove
we almost saved when it fell down by our house of tea

you kept it warm by blowing through its wet feathers
and I still recall the smell of that expensive Oolong tea

we fed it bread that you carefully chewed to make it soft
and I looked deep into its dark eyes in our house of tea

I briefly saw the reason for its being – just before it died
like candle flickers by the window in our house of tea

and when you touch the little scar between my eyes
I softly cry for the candle that died as we drank tea

From Wikimedia Commons

From Wikimedia Commons


This is little ghazal I will link to dVerse OLN later tonight. Pub opens at 3 PM EST.. come there and enjoy poetry with us.
—
November 10, 2013

68 responses to “The candles in our house of tea – ghazal for dVerse”

  7. A very touching and sad poem. I tried to save a few birds that fell from their nest a few years ago & couldn’t. I was disheartened for a long time after that. Death is hard, no matter what being passes away.

  8. there’s a deep tenderness but also a deeply felt sorrow in this… beautifully woven björn.. just coming back from basel where i gave a guided city tour to 72 company guests from scandinavia…DK, SE, NO.. was fun…smiles

  9. This evoked such sadness for me. I’m also aware of how much our memories are tied into sensory details, especially scent and taste–and you’ve captured all of them in this beautifully rendered Ghazal…a perfect form for this account.

  10. I agree, very tender, kissing the scar between your eyes (do you really have one?), and the smells of oolong tea (which has such a great roll off the tongue ooooooooolong). I get the feeling that the fragile bird and the flickering candle are both metaphors for something bigger, hence the sadness too.

  11. The hardest part of writing a ghazal (and I did it only once, for the words failed me) is the choice of subject and the essence of the repetive phrase. You did this beautifully, Bjorn. I truly admire your use of the form and the tender expressions of love here. Amy

  17. Beautiful, indeed: the touch, the bird, seeing its being, the candle, tea, the feathers and blowing, crying, soft, soft. Such there-ness, even for the light that goes out!

  18. Bjorn love to see how you are widening your poetic forms and flexing those poetic muscles. Your word choices were perfect here – singing a song of sensuousness, feather soft, delicate, and well articulated. Beautiful.

  19. I haven’t had the courage to attempt a ghazal yet – I fear it would sound clumsy and artificial in my hands. But it certainly doesn’t in yours – a gentle, delicate repetition, and so much tenderness.

  22. ‘I briefly saw the reason for its being – just before it died’
    Beautiful Björn, beautiful.
    Anna :o]

  28. OH, I love this…and so sad…I must learn of this -you always share things so bravely and beautifully Bjorn. I wish I could do that with my words. I have a hard time conforming them…more need to spill them out …maybe in time I will learn. Thank you for always teaching me new things!

  29. I bend a knee to thee, brother, you are the prince of poetic forms; still odd to me that you are less comfortable in the realm of open free verse, tennis with the net down; but no matter; using the classical parameters just “Works” for you, & the poetry does not suffer; did miss your taped reading at the end this time–I’m to 444 of my poems recited now.

  38. I do admire your endeavour Bjorn, always pushing into new forms, finding out things and as an Englishman, you had me at Oolong tea, house of tea and tenderly you tread, carefully like a poet. best

  39. The ghazal is associated with something delicate tender and moving and you have achieved this. It is a lovely form in the right hands.
    I like any poems with the subjects cups of tea, scars and soft birds.
    I knows this is a metaphor..a reminiscence of someone who opened this tenderness to you…lovely poem.

  43. What can I add to that of all of the above have mentioned…the feeling I’m left with of having glimpsed into your heart…the ying and yang so to speak of sadness and happiness touched us all.

  49. as if your words took flight ~ giving me images of beauty, love and sadness – exquisite write BR

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