ichor /ahy-kawr, ahy-ker/ (Poetic Adventure #7)
a poem born of quietus
Week 7 of Namratha’s Poetic Adventures has us dive into Hermit Crab style, which is a very interesting form of storytelling and poetry. It doesn’t just lay down its tale in simple sentences. In Hermit Crab, the story/poem is garbed in robes belonging to, say, a recipe, or a set of instructions, or a fill-in-the-blank questionnaire, etc. Here, we’re diving particularly into dictionary entries.
Let’s go straight in!
ichor /ahy-kawr, ahy-ker/
1. an ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods;
words cached as golden threads, sewn into each
blood cell, let loose under skin, through muscles,
tissues and bones, etched as eternal vow, sacred,
vital, like breathing fresh mountain air, an uphill
climb worth the view, abode of goddesses, gods,
names uttered not ever in vain; blessed, blessed;
2. an acrid, watery discharge, as from an ulcer or
wound; foolish, foolish; words revered nothing
but waves of winds floating past barren summit,
carrying snow, dust and dirt, imperceptible dead
wishes carved in every evanescent particle; hope-
-less from beginning, as an abscess bound to rip
apart, lay waste, and release pain in chronic pain;
3. let the rancid river rush and drain putrid promises;If you’re still here, thank you for reading till the end. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. See you next week~
Previous Poetic Adventures:
Week 1: some walls need ears to speak
Week 2: let's say we're different
Week 3: centuries past
Week 4: collage/vignette/snapshot
Week 5: Petechiae
First, the choice of word is so you, so fantastical. Not surprising, coming from you. There is a physical movement in your poem, maybe because of the pattern you choose, but it enhances what you're trying to say. The shift from where you begin to how you end this is subtle, yet marked. I am impressed by your unique and unsual choice of word and the execution.
What a unique word to work with for this prompt, Manisha! Looked like you had fun experimenting with where you could go with this.
"as an abscess bound to rip
apart, lay waste, and release pain in chronic pain;" - this shows something more is going on in the poem. I like how you give the initial definition and then take it away in your own way.