Elusive Silver

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Mon, 17 May 2021
  • 2178 reads
13 comments
 

An enigmatic colour this
on the scales of a herring or a ‘silverfish,’
and the reflecting sheen
of a mirror’s screen,
greyer than white,
whiter than grey
shining bright
as a moonlight ray
silvers the path on the sea,
and all that we see in the night by its light;
Honesty’s pennies shimmering
when the cases are shed,
or the crown of wisdom on an aging head,
slivers of metal, silvery shavings,
and the slugs and snails
leave silvery trails.

[IP: choose a colour]

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

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

What a great original idea for the I P, I would never have thought about designing a poem like this around the colour of silver. Nice one.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks, Jenny. I had done a lot of 'Colours for Kids' awhile back - probably started by an IP, So I was wondering is there another colour I could do, not necessarily for children. I began thinking about silver and realised how difficult it is to define, as the shininess is part of it. So it proved interesting and fun, thinking this out! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the red cherries for silver! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

A good choice and a well-crafted poem, Rhiannon. 

Best wishes, Luigi

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Well, thank you, Luigi. It was certainly fun trying to think it through! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Beautiful poetry except for the topic. Those little silverfish are horrible little things. But seem harmless enough. I have always wondered, where they come from? Seems to just spontaneosly appear there, in you bath and basin and whatever.

I really think this is excellent poetry Rhiannon. Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

They can be a bit cringing when you first see them, can't they, Tom! But I think they really are quite harmless, and apparently I think they like old books - I'm not sure if it's the glue or the paper. They seem to swim, skitter across the floor so quickly.

But they aren't the subject of the poem, just incidental. I thought to use the picture as it was eye-catching, and I don't think I could reproduce the shininess of silver on a screen image. Thank you for your comment. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

All your colour poems are magic, you gather such diverse and beautiful examples, held together with your brilliant rhymes. I like the title particularly in this one

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Di. It was certainly instructive thinking about silver as a colour, and the examples. And getting the bit of alliteration in the title and its linking to enigmatic was satisfying!

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Rhiannon

Such a good poem, but I must admit the subject reminds me of my childhood when my mother would shriek, SILVERFISH"   and we knew things were not clean enough in the house. 

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks! That seems to have been people's reaction, but I think it has been shown that silverfish have no connection with a house being dirty, they just like old books etc! But a bit of a shock if you see them when you put on the light in the bathroom in the middle of the night! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by hilary west on

Hi Rhiannon,

I too think silverfish are awful things, but this was a most interesting poem. Very creative !

hilary  laugh

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Hilary. Poor little silverfish! It's their odd shape and scuttle, I think! Rhiannon