New Poetry by Phillip Ellis

What Truly Never Ends (for Clare)

I keep wanting to begin these sonnets
with "Time is like..." and so forth. Suddenly
it seems less amusing than wearisome
to me, as if I cannot think about
anything other than this theme, this one
never-ending refrain of story. This
is what it is like for me, echoing
so softly, like cat purrs in hollow rooms.

But what truly never ends for my mind
are the echoes of your name in my room--
the word 'fern' reminds me of your country
for one thing, and ferns are etched in my mind--
and I can't stumble around in my head
without these joyous reminders of you.


- Phillip Ellis 2011


Waitomo (for Clare)

In a certain land, in a certain cave,
glow-worms breathe blue light into the darkness
over the water, and having seen them
suspend their filaments, and set their lures
for whatsoever may fly nearby, also
having seen their constellations, I know
that this certain cave, in this certain land,
is nothing short of beautiful, like you.

I have not dreamt of comparing you
to these glow-worms: you do not emit their light
in the darkness, rather, when it is night,
you are as a constant pole-star in skies
that this mariner reads as he travels,
marking his charts with sonnets, villanelles.


- Phillip Ellis 2011


A Villanelle for Clare

For I would write a villanelle
for you, O Clare, alone and sweet,
for you, as sweet as any bell

that ever rang, and I'd write well
with rhythm fair, and tripping feet,
for I would write a villanelle

that would delight to make you swell
with happiness, that is complete
for you, as sweet as any bell

I've ever heard, from birds in dell
or church in Armidale, for, Sweet,
for I would write a villanelle

for you alone, as well as tell
the world your songs are fair and fleet,
for you, as sweet as any bell,

I would but write, not terzanelle
nor rondelet nor ode complete,
for I would write a villanelle
for you, as sweet as any bell.


- Phillip A. Ellis 2011


Author:
The Flayed Man: http://www.amazon.com/
Symptoms Positive and Negative:
https://sites.google.com/site/symptomspositiveandnegative/
A Harvest: Poetry: coming soon

Blogs:
The Cruellest Month: http://the-cruellest-month.blogspot.com/