Poem: Serenity

Books & Poetry

Wednesday July 30, 2014 Comments

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Poet’s Corner contributor Melanie Rees, who has her own literary blog and is currently studying professional writing at the Adelaide College of the Arts, offers up her definition of serenity and advice on “how to taste a poem”.

Serenity

Serenity is silk sheets
upon bare skin.
Woollen socks
cuddling toes
on a Winter morn.
Fido’s sandpapery slobbering tongue
licking cheeks barely awake.
A southerly breeze tousling hair
After a 43 degree Adelaidean day,
and keyboard felt under fingertips
as words escape the soul.

How to taste a poem

A mouthful of metaphor
a spoonful of stanzas
a forkful of free verse
washed down
with a thematic punch
warming head and heart.

Senses alight on first bite
flavours swirled together
teasing taste buds
kindling memories.
Spices cause goose bumps
to prickle the skin.
Keep chewing on symbolism
til it melts in the mouth.

The taste tantalises.
Each mouthful
leaves me hungrier
than ever before.

Hand me the ladle
indulge me in a second serve.

Melanie Rees grew up on a farm in the Eastern Hills and Murray Plains catchment area, and now lives on the Fleurieu Peninsula. She runs her own environmental consultancy business, and writes both fiction and poetry. Melanie has a literary blog at www.flexirees.wordpress.com.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems up to 30 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.

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<h1>Poem: Serenity</h1>

<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							Poet’s Corner contributor Melanie Rees, who has her own literary blog and is currently studying professional writing at the Adelaide College of the Arts, offers up her definition of serenity and advice on “how to taste a poem”.
<h4><a href="#serenity" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="serenity"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>Serenity</h4>
Serenity is silk sheets 
upon bare skin. 
Woollen socks 
cuddling toes 
on a Winter morn. 
Fido’s sandpapery slobbering tongue 
licking cheeks barely awake. 
A southerly breeze tousling hair 
After a 43 degree Adelaidean day, 
and keyboard felt under fingertips 
as words escape the soul.
<h4><a href="#how-to-taste-a-poem" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="how-to-taste-a-poem"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a>How to taste a poem</h4>
A mouthful of metaphor 
a spoonful of stanzas 
a forkful of free verse 
washed down 
with a thematic punch 
warming head and heart.
Senses alight on first bite 
flavours swirled together 
teasing taste buds 
kindling memories. 
Spices cause goose bumps 
to prickle the skin. 
Keep chewing on symbolism 
til it melts in the mouth.
The taste tantalises. 
Each mouthful 
leaves me hungrier 
than ever before.
Hand me the ladle 
indulge me in a second serve.
Melanie Rees grew up on a farm in the Eastern Hills and Murray Plains catchment area, and now lives on the Fleurieu Peninsula. She runs her own environmental consultancy business, and writes both fiction and poetry. Melanie has a literary blog at www.flexirees.wordpress.com.
Readers’ original and unpublished poems up to 30 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to <a href="mailto:poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au">poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au</a>. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.
							This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2014/07/30/poem-serenity/" target=_blank rel="canonical">original article</a>.
							<link href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2014/07/30/poem-serenity/" rel="canonical">

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