William

His young hands were 
slender, quick and strong,
creating worlds 
in drama and in song,
busy and stained with ink;
the scratching of the pen 
spurred him to think.
But hands that once 
were softened by caress,
eager to hold and 
often poised to bless,
became stiff and 
talon-like with age,
faltering fingers 
fought to fill a page 
of parchment with a quill,
the hands of Shakespeare -
also known as Will.

Kim M. Russell, 23rd April 2022

Today is St George’s Day, possibly Shakespeare’s birthday, and the twenty-third day of NaPoWriMo, with an excellent challenge for those of us who like writing short, snappy poems with rhyme and sound play. We are writing poems in the style of Kay Ryan; I really enjoyed reading the example poems.  As my sight is still somewhat impaired, and in honour of Shakespeare’s ‘maybe birthday’, I took an old poem I wrote in 2016 and gave it the Kay Ryan treatment.

17 thoughts on “William”

  3. I like it, Kim. Best I get out my “Complete works” and read one today. (I bought it at the bookstore in Stratford. ) Your mod reads well. It is a shame that suffer aging handicaps when it interferes with works of outlets for their talents. Mrs. Jim’s viola has been sitting idle for a few years now. Silenced the piano also. My favorite contemporary artist, Peter Max, now has dementia.
    ..

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    1. Thanks Jim! I would like to go to Stratford soon. I’m visiting my daughter in Hampshire in July and plan to visit the Jane Austen house. But Shakespeare and Dickens are my first loves.

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  6. I like this, the language and the rhythm, much better than Kay Ryan’s whose work I don’t really warm to. And the subject is such a good one. The description of the hands stands out for me. I had an odd crossing of wires reading ‘poised to bless’ and my brain understood it as blesse as in wound. I thought of Shakespeare’s caustic pen, and how yes, that fits!

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  7. What a treat to read this brilliantly crafted piece Kim. Also read Jane’s comment above and learnt to read your lines ‘properly’. Masterful indeed.

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