on the day lightning struck the Vatican, i
was drinking wine &
thinking about penitence,
thumbing through possibilities
of ever after. i have known much
of bleeding, after all, of
bea(u)tification, and now
it’s Ash Wednesday, as they say
in the French, and all
the red roses are gone
from my hair, and it’s
raining but
we still dream in blades and
villanelles and other vague
heart shapes.
to our own
very great surprise
we have survived the night,
came through in stereo,
with beads on, and
glowing.



Especially liked these lines:
we still dream in blades and
villanelles and other vague
heart shapes.
February 13, 2013 at 2:47 pm
thanks, Tony. i guess ’tis the season for vague heart shapes..
February 15, 2013 at 1:37 pm
smiles…i would hope a pleasant surprise to have survived you know…there are times though you have to wonder…especially with love’s track record….dream in blades….goodness…smiles…and all the red roses gone from my hair jumped out at me joanna
February 13, 2013 at 2:50 pm
you do have to wonder at times, i think, b. or at least i do. smiles. thanks for dropping by
February 15, 2013 at 1:41 pm
Lovely poem!
February 13, 2013 at 2:51 pm
thanks! stop by anytime!
February 15, 2013 at 1:41 pm
What a great image -
… drinking wine &
thinking about penitence,
thumbing through possibilities
of ever after.
do they have a book? how do I get a copy? Then glad to see…
we have survived the night,
came through in stereo,
with beads on, and
glowing
Lovely as ever, J.S.Lee
February 13, 2013 at 3:00 pm
thank ya, dear! hope your Valentine’s was simply lovely!
February 15, 2013 at 1:39 pm
This year for Lent I am giving up soda, cookies, candy and chocolate (these should be the sacrifices of a 9 year-old, rather than a 49 year-old), but not giving up sweets, and this actually comes out sweet. Loved that you see the link between beautification and beatification. Enjoy some wine for your sober friend in California. I loved the ending of this – glowing. I can see it all the way across the USA. Happy Valentine’s Day! Your devoted reader and friend, Moskowitz
February 13, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Mosk, so glad you appreciated my beatification/beautification bit… i thought it was rather clever, meself.
it has been several years since i’ve actually given up something for Lent… but some Catholic habits die hard. i keep telling myself i’m going to get back to Mass one of these days.
hope you had a wonderful, love-studded V-day, yourself.
Hugs from
Joanna
February 15, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Fantastic poem, colourful and witty.
February 13, 2013 at 5:13 pm
Thanks so much Adriana, and for stopping by!
February 15, 2013 at 1:45 pm
I love the images in this and the way it flows as if in a stream of consciousness. Nice.
February 13, 2013 at 9:58 pm
thank you!
February 15, 2013 at 1:38 pm
This poem had such a good ‘flow’… like each word caught hold of the last & then stretched onward… like a poetic vine, if that makes sense. Anyway, I really like your writing style.
February 17, 2013 at 9:50 pm
thanks so much, goldberry
(lovely, lovely name, by the way)
February 20, 2013 at 1:31 pm