LJ Idol, Wheel of Chaos 2: “If It's Any Consolation"

[roina_arwen]

Author's Note: This is a Cento (a collage poem), which is a poetic form composed entirely of lines from poems by other poets. I only use one line per author and have given them credit at the bottom, in the order that their line appears here. The only change I make is to add or delete a comma or period at the end of a line where needed, to help my poem flow in the manner that I need it to. Enjoy!


If It's Any Consolation...

I was not aware of the moment when
Forever ends. Never a moment holds
before a casket with a princess motif.
Having found the water behind a thousand mirages,
A stream went voiceless by, still deadened more
In your lifetime. A rush
to come and sit on a torn old abandoned chair
and sailing in the graying zenith of woe,
where the sleepless claim the stars talk.

He pushes on with right good will,
Patting goodbye, doubtless they told the lad
those final hours she couldn't speak,
but no one really expects us to solve anything
and here there is sleeping a buxom young girl
A spirit, though with human eyes,
your daughter's likeness must now remain.
For now, for guilty, for guiltless, no matter, the world offers neither
when she offered me as consolation.


(c) LJB 2025
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Stanza one credits: Rabindranath Tagore; Ishion Hutchinson; Kim Addonizio; Khaled Mattawa; John Keats; Katharine Coles; P. K.; Garrett Hongo; Chad Davidson.

Stanza two credits: Robert Louis Stevenson; Wilfred Owen; Michael Ryan; John Surowiecki; Johannes V. Jensen; George Parsons Lathrop; Richard Howard; Jeffrey Schultz; Hélder Faife.

Comments

[inkstainedfingertips]

I have never heard of this type of poetry before. It is fascinating. I really like how you've woven all these different bits together to create something that feels haunting and poignant. Really creative and really good read.

[roina_arwen]

Thank you so much! ❤️