It wasn’t the rain
that evening in June,
but the glare of laburnum,
and his arms
with your laughter.
I watched
you move closer;
while closing your eyes.
It wasn’t the rain
soaking your blouse
but the reek
of his finger
touching your cheek.
Man and woman by Edvard Munch.
Today it’s Quadrille again at dVerse. Kim hosts and the word is rain. A Quadrille is simply a poem in exactly 44 words not including the selected word.
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May 21, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I feel his despair. Ugh. Is the Munch piece a woodcut? I love it. Pairs perfectly with the poem.
Yes it’s a woodcut… Munch has done some fantastic ones…
Indeed!
This is very good. And I just looked up laburnum; how gorgeous!
Soon the laburnum will bloom… and it’s also called golden rain… (it’s also poisonous which is part of the reason I used the name)
I read about it. It looks kind of like yellow wisteria clusters.
I love your poems because you create these whole little worlds with just a few words — but also because you’re always teaching me something new about poetry. I’m going to try to work “quadrille” into a sentence in your honor today. 🙂
quadrille is also a dance of course…
I love the ‘glare of laburnum’ – we have some in our garden – which suggests something noxious, and the ‘the reek of his finger’ suggests all sorts of things. If all the Quadrilles are like this one, this evening will be steamy, Bjorn!
Thank you… there is a poem about jealousy in Swedish featuring the laburnum… it blooms at the best of times, when emotions run high
Love the understated emotions Bjorn ~ I want to see those lovely laburnum when it blooms ~
Laburnums are so very common in gardens around us… usually follow the lilacs in time…
Laburnum is one of those trees that remind me of my childhood. Every garden had one. I’ve seen them growing wild here, but never cultivated.
Apparently people believed them to be much more poisonous than it really is… I do love laburnum as well…
I think there was a vogue for them in Edwardian times that lasted until people began to get scared about the poison aspect. I think you’re right, the seeds aren’t mortal but we panic very easily these days.
I love that ending.
I have a soft spot for laburnum, even though it’s poisonous.
Apparently much less poisonous than we were led to believe as kids.
A great write, I love how you use the ‘the glare of laburnum’ here, which was always a symbol for poison
Poison as that of an intruder…
I love the tone and the emotions here…quite strong, I feel.
I actually felt a lot of fear when writing this too…
Wow..
Well done symbolism with the laburnum – adds so much!
Arms, laughter, touching a cheek even in the rain can be memorable.
Ouch! Heavy with powerful emotions- bitterness, jealousy, and I sense regret as well. You do so much with so few words.
This is excellent and what you write gives so much power to what’s between the lines! And great piece drawn out of the Munch woodcut
Masterful! The beautiful, the poisonous… the rain (tree).
Love the emotions portayed in this poem, Bjorn. Such a strong vibe of jealousy and pain coupled beautifully with “the glare of laburnum.” 💖
Wow – you write beautifully about poison and beauty all in one piece!
Powerful voice here, very effective with that “reek of his finger”….
You made me look up “laburnum”.
You got me with the reek of his finger on her cheek!!
Devastating, Bjorn! Heartwrenching in so few words!
Wonderful! Love the nuanced layers that are delicious – to say nothing of intriguing. The kind of poem that – if one lingers, for a time – will lead you in, yet another, direction.
“the reek / of his finger” — that’s great. In the eyes and mind of the watcher, even mere touch reeks. Nice job.
Sometimes you don’t even notice the rain.
kaykuala
Yellow flowers despite being poisonous can still be beautiful when in bloom. Yes, good choice Bjorn!
Hank
you have used laburnum as a metaphor for the poison of jealousy! Beautifully succint with your poetic paintrbrush
Intense emotions reign in this! Interesting that laburnum also means “golden rain”…perhaps her hair?
Oh, the use of “reek” in that last stanza – spectacular.
This is so intense. I actually didn’t know what laburnum was. The idea of its poison though–wonderful. I love that Munch print, too.
Oh my. Nice piece.
The use of the glare of the laburnum (golden rain) and the reek of his finger was so effective!
Laburnum. Resembling tears, a bitter rain, I imagine, but also I’ve learned, the seeds are poisonous. You’ve set the mood well with this one.
The toxic rain of a deep jealous pain, summed up so poignantly by so few words. Bravo.
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jealousy, poison… rain… what a setting!
Oh! “the reek of his finger” is so strong with envy and all the other inexplicable feelings that can give one a headrush. I love the setting and mood here. 🙂
Beautifully done – the words ‘glare’ and ‘reek’ sufficient to make the speaker/observer’s viewpoint clear.
How easy it was to be the observer when reading this. A beautifully expressed poem of jealousy.
At first I couldn’t decide whether it was a loving scene or a chilling one. I had to look up laburnum and discovered it’s seeds are poisonous. Also, glare and reek led me to feel the foreboding.
I can feel the anguish of seeing one held so close, the poison running through the veins of betrayal of sorts.
You seem to be a master of darkness these days. I feel the darkness in an altered reality.
How painful to witness one’s beloved enticed away by someone else!
The reek of that finger….one worries for the woman. Well written, Bjorn.
We have a laburnum avenue here, lined with the trees. the jealousy is more poisonous than the trees I think. Good mix with the poison rain.
The writer sure sounds like he would love to break the other guys finger! Looked up laburnum. Like the way it rolls off my tongue.
Lovely, the way you combine the flower of golden rain, with rain and pain. You are not only clever but so talented. This was delightful to read.
A challenge well done.
How obscene beauty is in extremis.
You have captured the feelings of someone looking on at what they have missed so amazingly Bjorn! A beautifully done Quadrille!
Some wonderful contrasts and juxtapositions in this. I had to look up laburnum – which I discovered is a golden ornamental with poisonous seeds … After that: ‘the glare of laburnum’, quite blew me away.
OUCH! …the seeds are poisonous…
That last stanza… such hot passion, as if the speaker could take that finger and rip it off to keep it from spreading its stench.
oh wow, the emotions so well portrayed!
and the illustration goes so well with the words.
I love the layers in this lovely poem!
kaykuala
but the glare of laburnum,
and his arms
with your laughter
A ladies’ voice can be hurtful. More hurting if there is a semblance of feelings between them and the lady is with someone else then
Hank