Tenebrae

Tenebrae

Two or three thousand
gathered in one name
surrounding fifteen guttering candles
trying desperately to repel
the impending darkness

* * *

Slowly the lights are extinguished
two by two
and the world's darkness creeps in
Then--just one candle--
wavering in the draft.

* * *

That last candle gathers strength
only to be removed
Reverently carried out of their midst.
In the cold darkness,
gratitude that this story
does not end here.

* * *

Info on Tenebrae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenebrae

I have some new ideas for this blog. I'd like to post them and have some reactions, considering one at least depends heavily on reader involvement.

1. Revive a structured poetry "assignment." This one would require a reader to contribute a new theme or challenge every week. Poems would be written during the week and a "final" (read: not rough) draft would appear every Saturday before midnight.

2. Put the kabash on the name of the blog and turn it into a writing experiment rather than a poetry experiment. Write 500 words of the young adult novel. Posting rules same as above.

3. Attempt another round of the poetry experiment, except with poems less frequently than every day.

Strong thoughts? Let me know.

I'd appreciate feedback on the new poem if anyone has any.

Revisions

"Please?" (1st Draft)
Can we please stop this conversationright now, and pretend that it never began?I'll go outside and come back in the houseagain. You can go back to stirring the soupon the stove. Instead of telling you that I think
I'm in love with you, I'll say dinner smells good.
You'll ask me how my day was, and we'll sit down together.
We'll wash the dishes and drift into our evening reading and writing.
You'll stay the night, which is what I intended
in the first place.

Please? (Revised)

Can we just stop.
Pretend that this never began.
I'll go out and come back in again.
You, stir the pot. Add another bay leaf to the soup.
I'll come drop my keys on the table--
say dinner smells good--
You, how was your day?
Have you heard back from Duluth?
We can wash the dishes, drift into the newspaper,
then the ten o'clock news.
We'll set the alarm together and you can read to me
from the yellow backed book of poems
written for people like us.
I'll drowse off until you turn out the light,
fall asleep, then I'll whisper what
started this mess in the first place.

Finale

I wish I had a really fantastic poem to post as then final piece of this blog. Heck, I wish I had a poem to end it. In classic Kelly procrastinator/slacker fashion, I don't have anything. The conclusion of this blog was ill timed with a visit from my younger brother. Our weekend was more or less filled with bowling and goofiness, so I find myself at the end of the most structured writing project I've ever embarked on without anything profound or beautiful or even quasi-profound/beautiful to say.

Thanks for your readership and your comments. Stay posted over the next week or so. I may be back with a new writing challenge for myself.