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PFP (Elegy) Legacy of an Artist

PFP (Elegy) Legacy of an Artist 900 360 Jason Stadtlander

“Legacy of an Artist”

The brush, what soft lines you have created in stroke
Your voice, trompe-l’œil at masters hand
Upon the easel do you lay in dark
Your soul, now still, living no more the dreams
The fragrance of turpentine hangs in air
Slowly thinning in the shadowy depth
Of studio now once again basement
Oh creator! Oh master! Where have you gone?
Hollow and bare of beauty that was

Your hand was an instrument, oils your note
As the music of your dream revealed worlds
Seen through the tender eyes of woman
Your view of a simpler time was woven
Your canvas, portal to antiquity
Of scenes you made dreams come true as to touch

Time continues, clouds drift across the blue
The future unravels, minutes progress
And yet on, your elegance continues
Long removed from your peaceful sleeping
Your view of life shines on in those who love
Continuing your legacy, art and soul

About This Poetry Form

Name: Elegy
Description: An elegy is a poem that follows either dactylic hexameter or pentameter, though modern elegies have followed iambic pentameter rhythm or free verse format with no set rhythm. One of the more famous elegies is Oh Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman in memory of Abraham Lincoln.

Generally an elegy is broken into three parts:

  • Part 1: Expressing sorrow at the loss
  • Part 2: Singing the praises of the person or group of people
  • Part 3: Offers solace and speaks of the peace or good of their legacy.

I have written this particular poem about my grandmother and artist Barbara Stadtlander who created several hundred paintings in her life.

About This Series

Read more about this series here.

Brotherhood

PFP (Ballade) Brotherhood

PFP (Ballade) Brotherhood 680 510 Jason Stadtlander

“Brotherhood”

The small boys walk to the edge
Staring at forever stretched beyond
And small tho they be, they both pledge
As ducks drift upon the pond
The boys are brothers with hair of blonde
The stand holding their small stone cache
They promise to be there on and on
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

The months and years pass with age
Families grow and kids are spawned
Time and stress test the gage
Of brothers promise and childhood bond
Respect is lost and none respond
The boys don’t talk as words are rash
The friendship lost by brothers kedged
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

Then come one day nearby the hedge
A brother falls upon the ground
Though words are bitter upon the ledge
They mend the years, though moribond
Hands are held counting each second
The years melt away, no longer lash
Two boys are one in brotherly fond
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

They talk of the past and fail to reason
Why they let their friendship crash
The purity of youth destroys despond
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

 

About This Poetry Form

Name: Ballade
Description: Poetry which has three stanzas of seven, eight (this poem has eight) or ten lines and a shorter final stanza of four or five. All stanzas end with the same one line refrain.

There are some variations of the ballade form that should be mentioned.

  • Ballade royal: This ballade variation uses four stanzas of seven lines instead of three stanzas of eight, lacks an envoi, and is always written in iambic pentameter.
  • Ballade supreme: A ballade variation that has three stanzas of ten lines with a rhyme scheme of “ababbccdcD” and an envoi of five or six lines with a rhyme scheme of either “ccdcD” or “ccdccD”.
  • Double-refrain ballade: A ballade variation in which line four of the first stanza, as well as line eight, become refrains. The rhyme scheme of the envoi changes as well, becoming “bBcC” to reflect the double refrain.

About This Series

Read more about this series here.

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