20 Lines A Day

A Community of Writers and Photographers

Notes on a melody

| 14 Comments

A young girl brushes her hair, humming.

Perhaps she is alone.
A canary will stop singing
if you put a mirror in its cage
finding in the reflection a mate,
company, its creation the cobblestone
along the narrow lane of loneliness.

Perhaps she is in love.  Consider
the singing plants of Damanhur,
so connected to the earth
they sing an otherworldly song
on electric frequency that
can be heard with electrode  and microphone.

And what of music borne of fight
or on the rhythm of the sailors’ oars
the beat of birds’ wings
a clatter of prejudices falling to the floor.

Perhaps creation, found in each part,
pain the hedgerow for a house of love,
struggle comes and goes like weather,
faithfulness a lamp in a window.

A young girl brushes her hair, humming.

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Author: Melissa Hassard

Content marketing. Social Media Strategy. Writer. Speaker. Poet. "I am always doing things I can't do. That's how I get to do them." -- Pablo Picasso

14 thoughts on “Notes on a melody

  1. Your poetry is extraordinary. Damanhur was new to me, and I followed your link and looked it up. Rare and beautiful.

  2. I forgot to add (it’s late!) that it reminded me of some of Conrad Aiken’s poetry, but with a quality all its own.

    • That is a new poet for me, and I have just looked him up and happened to read Chance Meetings as a first taste of his poetry. It’s wonderful and for even drawing a comparison is a tremendous compliment, Loren, thank you.

      (Yes, I agree, late, I feel sort of fuzzy and posting that poem with this sleepiness draping over me like a veil.)

  3. I just love this poem!! So many interesting details with a nice rhythm to it, too.

  4. Very, very nice, Melissa. Your poem has such a rhythm and depth. I like it so much.

  5. This is really good Melissa !

  6. Loving @ a clatter of prejudices falling to the floor. wow very nice … :)

  7. Pingback: Guest Blogger, Pamela Allard — Poetry and Photography « 20 Lines A Day

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