Wednesday 16 December 2015

POETS UNITED - DESIGN

“We design our world, while our world acts back on us and designs us.” - Anne-Marie Willis

This week, Poets United has the theme of “design” and participants are asked to contribute a poem having this motif. Here is mine:

The Weaver

The old woman sits weaving
And weaving, and weaving…
The shuttle flies, the threads lock,
The woven cloth lengthens.

The yarns of many colours,
Form endlessly intricate designs.
And the old woman weaves,
And weaves, and weaves…

The cloth is wound up,
As the shuttle flies.
The loom sings,
The loom cries, tak, tak, tak…

And she weaves on,
Using the yarn until it ends,
Or until it’s cut, or until it breaks –
And the cloth keeps getting woven.

Fancy weaves, and decorations,
Variations, and improvised designs,
Difficult or easy with a myriad of colours
And with a thousand threads.

But the old crone ignores my pleas,
And she sits silent, ever working,
Refusing to weave
Into my life’s cloth, your yarn.

18 comments:

  1. I wonder if that worker weaves her designs or follows a pattern in order to receive her (minimal) pay...which perhaps is a metaphor for life in general...we weave patterns..aim for some pretty picture..but those knots and twists and sticky machines often hinder that which we seek - but maybe that's all part of the design...a reason to keep weaving..

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  2. Brilliant! And what if we get what we ask for? I love the image of the old woman weaving without ceasing, a new myth to replace the old fates, and one equally resilient to our own designs. And then, what a way to say nay to one who will not be our future! To say nay to violence and hate.

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  3. Think we picked the same theme, more or less!!! :)

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  4. an interesting capture of a designer....

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  5. A fatalistic view of unrequited love, Nicholas... But beautiful!

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  6. Each of us are part of a design are we not? - the weaver listens not to the thread.

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  7. Sometimes we try so hard for someone to include us in his or her life but sadly they just don't want to. I try to be selfless as much as possible. thanks for the enlightenment.

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  8. Weaving is so much a part of her that she does it automatically. What a beautiful play on words was your last verse.

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  9. I love the mythic undertones to all of this... like weaving is mixed up with the Fates.

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  10. I like the mystery in this one.You give clues and leave it to the reader's interpretation. The weaver is in control and is deaf to your pleas. It is doubtful that she will be open to suggestions of change. I suppose you could crash tackle her and pin her to the spinning wheel..LOL...sorry,have been overtaken by Christmas cheer ... tis the silly season after all....Merry Christmas Nick !

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  11. I like the ending. We cannot be designed into someone's heart. Enjoyed the image of the weaver working relentlessly while ignoring the narrator's pleas. An excellent write that leaves much up to interpretation.

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  12. I like the ending. We cannot be designed into someone's heart. Enjoyed the image of the weaver working relentlessly while ignoring the narrator's pleas. An excellent write that leaves much up to interpretation.

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  13. A persistent weaver. The loom seems to have become her life, and she will not be deterred. Only she determines the design. The photo works so well with the poem! Merry Christmas, Nick! See you in 2016.

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  14. Weaving her years away.........a wonderful response to the prompt! Intriguing closing lines, as well.

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  15. Feels like separation and loneliness prevail...maybe more time required for her to understand that you are here...when she's ready... persistent rhythm of poem imitating the working machine and weaving process with pampering heart and thoughts. Wonderful poem.

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  16. This is beautiful for its timelessness, its constancy, its validity and sound words

    much love...

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