Honorable Mention in the Reuben Rose Poetry Competition 2006

 

Hanging Rainbows

 

When the sky is grey and there’s no sign

of the sun shining through –

can I hang rainbows on the line?

 

When the day grimaces and you

think there’s no chance of light, no chance

of the sun shining through,

 

can I still get up and dance,

tossing such thoughts across mountains to the seas –

that there’s no chance of light, no chance

 

of gold-winged butterflies riding the breeze?

Can I drape indigo, violet and pink

and toss such thoughts across mountains to the seas,

 

knowing that the sun can smile in an eye’s blink –

azures and reds of morning –

can I drape indigo, violet and pink

 

on miracles unfurling?

When the sky is grey and there’s no sign

of azures and reds of morning –

can I hang rainbows on the line?

Comments of the judge, Vera Rich:

“Hanging rainbows” counterpointed rhyme and repetition against varying line-length, producing a kind of jerky effect beautifully evocative of the behaviour of washing hung out on a windy day’

BACK

NEXT

HOME

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws