15 Apr 2012

Labour Of Love

For this week's Mag #113 prompt Tess gave us a picture by  Marc Chagall, called 'Red Roofs'.
I have taken a detail and adapted it to fit my tale, told in four shadormas - syllabic verses which follow a pattern of 3/5/3/3/7/5, in six lines.

Weary man
wipes perspiration
on his sleeve.
Fixing tiles
is not an occupation
which he can enjoy.

Heat reflects
upwards from the roof.
Summer sun
on his back
burns through the material
of a cotton shirt.

Only fear
of coming winter's
wind and rain
motivates
him to continue labour
with no thought of rest.

But when storms
rage round his homestead,
he'll rejoice
and recall
this day's work with gratitude,
all pain forgotten.

28 comments:

  1. Isn't that the truth. He may resent the labour but, when winter comes, will be so glad he did it.
    Very nice adaption of the pic and lovely prose to compliment it Jinksy.

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  2. laying tile can def be back breaking work, but winter is a good motivator...sometimes storms are just the relief we need...smiles.

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  3. you have painted his pain very well

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  4. Definitely a farmer's life. I think of Steinbeck when I read this.

    I like the image, as well.

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  5. I like the "roofer" take here Jinksy...nice...

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  6. love your take on the prompt picture...x

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  7. No procrastinator, he. Earthy take, to be sure.

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  8. I like the roofer image -- nice take on this prompt!

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    Replies
    1. What a great piece ! labor intensive indeed- thanks.

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  9. Shelter is a basic need. A home with the roof not intact will loose the ability to be a shelter very quickly. As essential as food and water, we need a stable shelter we call home. We also need art to create, interpret and enjoy. You have wrapped this whole idea of basic needs up inside your shadormas, through the roofer's toil, Jinksy. Thank you for sharing them.

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  10. I like how you extract and excerpt from the piece as a whole and make it your own. Weary man, indeed!

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  11. Strengthen the container, man !

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  12. How very impressive ... your poetic form. Thoroughly enjoyable, Penny.

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  13. You write to the form so skilfully. Kudos.

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  14. Like Helen and Other Mary, I am impressed at how well you used the form. It was so well constructed that it flowed, so the form did not intrude itself into the story or the poetic expression. Clever and satisfying.

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  15. I think you put as much labour into this poem as its subject did! Wonderful words, and a clever representstion of the painting.

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  16. I love what you did with the image. The summer heat sure would reflect off all those red roofs. Great!

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  17. love this form- and nothing better than a non-leaky roof!

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  18. You have conformed to the form with great skill and the result is a very enjoyable write.

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  19. His feet may be on the roof, but yours are still firmly planted on the ground. Just as it should be. Love it.

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  20. Beautifully expressed!'
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  21. Nice thought... reminds me of lessons learned from Aesop's fables. :)

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  22. Lovely form beautifully spoken! :-)

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  23. This is great! Labor's fruits sure are worth the sacrifice.

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