Muriel
saw herself
as Lucrezia Borgia
in trousers
Sparks
emanating
from her mercurial
pyrotechnic mind
Private solitary
religious yet
flirtatious
social salon
haute couture
Understood love
but could not
grasp its slipperiness
constantly eluding her
Others
saw her
as Morningside
with lace hankies
Muriel
obsessed with writing
talented
tormented
found a Christian God
She attempted
to squeeze him
ill fitting
into the missing pieces
of her puzzle
And still
she never really
knew peace
ha, god or otherwise, when we try to fit them into our own puzzle it seldom works...
ReplyDeleteWow, I loved not only what you wrote, but how you wrote this piece: so stark and simple, yet beautiful. I found the glimpses of characters so fleeting and wanted to know more about them! But alas, poetry =] Great job, and beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteThanks dpalasi for your comment..If you wish to know more read " Muriel Spark.The Biography" by Martin Stannard.
DeleteBlown adrift by foul winds guided by dim beacons, never finding the way. . . "but could not grasp its slipperiness."
ReplyDeleteSuccinct. Nicely done.
Cheers!
well, if you see yourself as ms. borgia you might struggle for peace. what a fun write. i love the merging of past and present characters, still struggling with what a christian god is and how it fits in our lives.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is about Muriel Spark.You should never assume poetry is autobiographical.
DeleteWhat a deft portrait, mostly ironic I think, but also sympathetic to the person. I really enjoyed the tautness of the lines as you described Muriel's contradictions, somewhat unconscious of what she's doing, but that's true of many of us, I believe. I found the following lines pretty compelling, because in it I see perhaps a bit of myself though also many another spiritual poet:
ReplyDeleteShe attempted
to squeeze him
ill fitting
into the missing pieces
of her puzzle