A ‘Mayfly’ Day … (IP)

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 04 May 2015
  • 2347 reads
7 comments
 

– early evening swarm
above the stream –
mating mayflies shimmer;
with the setting sun
eggs descend,
mayfly die,
and are no more
until …
nymphs hatch,
mouths algae munch,
many months,
deep by the mud,
in underwater world
until …
one early summer day
they float,
cast off their nymphal skin
are snapped by birds or fish
or shelter on the bank
to moult again,
emerging glistening
ready to swarm –
another mayfly haze
ephemeral*.

(*the latin name of their ‘order’ is Ephemeroptera)

[IP: May Day - or Mayday — but I've taken a bit of liberty with that I suppose!]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by london_calling79 on

Long vowel assonance. Such a lovely technique to draw out your beautiful, hazy imagery.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, it's odd, but I'm not really familiar with the term 'assonance' (had to look it up again!) but I am familiar with using near repetition of vowels and consonants, internal sounds and half-rhymes to give a shape and music to verse, from my Welsh poetry background. I'm so glad you felt the final form gave that hazy feel. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for the cherries, Eds! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

Lovely poem this - and again we are being educated.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jean. I enjoyed checking out some of the detail, and trying to put it into a suitable form. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Stephen Thom on

yes lovely use of sound throughout, vowels sounds give it a lovely swell that compliment the natural. have you read any mark doty? i like that you see so much beauty in nature and project it so well :-)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Stephen. I appreciate your comment very much. No, I haven't read any Mark Doty. I must do a little research! Rhiannon