"An artichoke,"
Maria thought,
"too human to grow
with other greens.
Cabbage same
throughout
and leaves
hide nothing,
or
children of the
grapevine
lost in wine,
all lost in
earthen alchemy.
Or those in ground,
earth and creepers
a lamina over
carrots and tubers,
bulbs always slept
and never bloom
but once a year.
No, an artichoke,
like eggs,
a human thing
armored by
a cupola of thorns
that,
saga done,
reveals
the heart of the matter."
***
This was the result of another in-class assignment in my Experience of Poetry class. Assignment follows.
Inspiration: "Ode to an Artichoke," by Pablo Neruda
Title has to be "Ode to an Artichoke." Short lines, no stanza breaks. May NOT use any version of the verb "to be", for instance is, are, was, etc. You also must use each of the following words at least once: Armor, Cupola, Lamina, Saga, Creepers, Tubers, Greens, Ground, Slept, Carrot, Heart, Grapevine, Wine, Cabbage, Leaf, Commands, Maria, Egg.
Like last time, you have ten minutes (I get five in class, plus the time it takes about half the class to read). I wanna see poetry, people! :P