Poems: Lady Pool & From the Nunnery

With two poems – the first written 50 years ago on Kangaroo Island, the second a companion piece penned recently in Victoria’s Dandenongs – Junette Schoell offers a Guinevere and Lancelot atmosphere for this week’s Poet’s Corner.

Wednesday October 28, 2015 Comments

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Lady Pool (The Invitation)

(1965)

You are a pool of sheen,
a sinister lady lying in repose,
gleaming jet satin shimmering
closely to your form.
Cool and inviting,
you are caressed lightly
by reedy fingers on your lustrous side.
Surely you tempt man to your depths…
but what lurks beneath?
Unrippled silence your only reply.

From the Nunnery…

(2015)

Cast forth to the nunnery
with body bereft,
the lady is a deserted plain
never again to quiver
at her lover’s touch…

No more erotism here.

Meditation,
stillness to quieten the heart
confession to whiten the spirit.

But suddenly
in dream states,
unexpected and uninvited
the black swan comes.

Twin energies collide,
fusing opposites of black and white
uniting body and spirit.

Soul’s sacred desire
dances,
igniting
fierce passion and fire,
awakening,
pulsating in the blood –
again.

Junette Schoell has appeared in Poet’s Corner with poem settings from around Australia. She was born in the Barossa Valley and now lives on the slopes of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. She began writing poetry as a young teacher on Kangaroo Island, with her verse coming from strong personal moments and challenges, and the experiences of nature both old and renewed.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au.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>Poems: Lady Pool & From the Nunnery</h1>

<p><p>With two poems – the first written 50 years ago on Kangaroo Island, the second a companion piece penned recently in Victoria’s Dandenongs – Junette Schoell offers a Guinevere and Lancelot atmosphere for this week’s Poet’s Corner.</p>
</p>
																		<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<h4><a href="#lady-pool-the-invitation" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="lady-pool-the-invitation"><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><strong>Lady Pool (The Invitation)</strong></h4>
<h6><a href="#1965" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="1965"><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><em>(1965)</em></h6>
<p>You are a pool of sheen,<br />
a sinister lady lying in repose,<br />
gleaming jet satin shimmering<br />
closely to your form.<br />
Cool and inviting,<br />
you are caressed lightly<br />
by reedy fingers on your lustrous side.<br />
Surely you tempt man to your depths…<br />
but what lurks beneath?<br />
Unrippled silence your only reply.</p>
<h4><a href="#from-the-nunnery" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="from-the-nunnery"><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><strong>From the Nunnery…</strong></h4>
<h6><a href="#2015" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="2015"><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><em>(2015)</em></h6>
<p>Cast forth to the nunnery<br />
with body bereft,<br />
the lady is a deserted plain<br />
never again to quiver<br />
at her lover’s touch…</p>
<p>No more erotism here.</p>
<p>Meditation,<br />
stillness to quieten the heart<br />
confession to whiten the spirit.</p>
<p>But suddenly<br />
in dream states,<br />
unexpected and uninvited<br />
the black swan comes.</p>
<p>Twin energies collide,<br />
fusing opposites of black and white<br />
uniting body and spirit.</p>
<p>Soul’s sacred desire<br />
dances,<br />
igniting<br />
fierce passion and fire,<br />
awakening,<br />
pulsating in the blood –<br />
again.</p>
<p><em>Junette Schoell has appeared in Poet’s Corner with poem settings from around Australia. She was born in the Barossa Valley and now lives on the slopes of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. She began writing poetry as a young teacher on Kangaroo Island, with her verse coming from strong personal moments and challenges, and the experiences of nature both old and renewed.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 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.</em></strong></p>
							<p>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/2015/10/28/poems-lady-pool-from-the-nunnery/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
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