In the spirit of the Persian ruba'i, an ambitious unfinished epic rendering of the form in 36 parts...
The Ruba’iyat of Créteil Lake – Part One
Lone gold Venus nears the sickle moon in the late autumn sky
She lies naked dreaming with one leg tucked under her thigh
The pallor of her silvery skin simmering with tide
A lone white swan trundles on one webbed foot heaving a sigh
Her tiara of amber and halogen loose by her side
The gold-braided brocade and studded raiments on one side
Gushing tresses hang loose by twinkling broaches on her back
Heady scents from pubic island and dark armpits fester inside
Wintry winds sweep through weeping willows tickling her fancy
Sway clumps of yarrow stalks huddling fearless coots in colony
She turns and heaves a sigh thinking of Old Khayyam’s ardour
Stars in his eyes and ruby red wine coursing through glory
Over the mobile hips and seductive slopes of her hills
Come calling Canada geese and wild duck in squawking trills
All messengers from Tundra’s ever clasping hoary past
Will she remember you O! Omar! when freezing water kills
The hoar frost wheezes under-foot along her silken robes
And the lone otter dares not venture out in his last throes
Even the sea gulls swoop no more for deep hugging blind fish
While she slumbers through blared Canada geese trumpeting oboes!
Good Morning, Ron, from Créteil Lake! You're absolutely right to query about place, period and personalities in this poem which, I think, is my most ambitious effort at a long sequence serving many literary planes and depths, both recitative and metaphorical. Just one hint for the moment: you must have guessed it alright - the lake stands "personified". Read on, if you will and things will become clear as the story develops. Thanks as usual. Every good wish.
The bulk of the collection is eight short stories that are set in yesteryear. The compilation is filled out with four entertaining fantasy pieces and three poems.
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