Orange Matches

 

“Orange Matches”

It’s sad that leaves burn
twice in Fall
first on the branch then
in the pyre,
Burning matches struck
by matches
a fate for Autumn colors,

A keening cloud
hides tiny hands
that tuck
the saved ‘tween leaves
of poets’ lyre

and all the children cry for one
more Autumn rain.

***

(posted and written for: #WSStudioPic (Wordsmith Studio’s Weekly Photo Prompt:This week’s theme is: Orange)and also for the November PAD Prompt 1 “Matches”)

 

Backstory:  In 1953, Frank O’Hara, a New York School of Poets poet wrote a series of twelve poems entitled: .“Oranges: 12 Pastorals” based on his theme: “Oranges.”

And yet, he never once mentions the word or color Orange. Then in 1957  he wrote a poem entitled: “Why I am not a Painter”  in which he cleverly addresses his series of Orange poems that never mention the word orange. You can read about the poem at Modern American Poetry. There’s a whole lot to say about this poem but I decided to combine his idea of not mentioning orange with the WordSmith Studio photo prompt and with the very first November 2012 PAD prompt. (Yikes, I must be mad!)

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