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Spanish Lace: Perception Poetry Prompt

By Heather Eure 9 Comments

For this week’s Spanish Lace poetry prompt, we consider the Spanish and Castilian people, and those who inspired the coveted lace. A country of artists, craftsmen, and musicians. Listen to the Spanish guitar as the dancers take their place, the clicking drum of castanets, the pounding heels of the footwork. The swirl of color and cloth by the Matador. A narrative of mystery and passion.

Write a poem about the people of Spain, or a single person. Who are they? What do you observe? Capture a moment in the life.

Thanks to all who participated in our photo and poetry prompt. Here is a recent poem written by Richard that we enjoyed:

My European Education

Mother loved the Spanish gentleman,
his sapient ways, his voice that rolled
off the dark oils of Goya in Seville.

Altar to altar she followed him,
with her prayers and lace, her sacrifices,
broken from their lives like fruit from trees.

On the veranda she raised her demitasse:
to Granada, the Alhambra―her dream for us,
purged of the calloused and quotidian.

Along the esplanades she followed him,
gesturing to the ancient relief dropping tears
over the inspirited coins, its sanguine pool
quivering as she passed.

—Richard Maxson

Photo by Elaine, Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Heather Eure.

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Heather Eure
Heather Eure
Heather Eure has served as the Poetry Editor for the late Burnside Collective and Special Projects Editor for us at Tweetspeak Poetry. Her poems have appeared at Every Day Poems. Her wit has appeared just about everywhere she's ever showed up, and if you're lucky you were there to hear it.
Heather Eure
Latest posts by Heather Eure (see all)
  • Poetry Prompt: Misunderstood Lion - March 19, 2018
  • Animate: Lions & Lambs Poetry Prompt - March 12, 2018
  • Poetry Prompt: Behind the Velvet Rope - February 26, 2018

Filed Under: Blog, Lace Poems, poetry, poetry prompt, poetry teaching resources, Spanish Lace, Themed Writing Projects, writing prompts

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Comments

  1. Marcy Terwilliger says

    February 24, 2014 at 11:53 pm

    Richard, such words I never dream of using that make up a poem so lovely. The voice that rolled off the dark oils, relief dropping tears, such beautiful works. I raise a glass of red wine to you.

    I had a question for you from a poem you wrote where the last sentence has bothered me so. Your talking about the house your in and the last sentence was something like the sound of grains being pushed over the nail. This has been over four to six weeks ago but I need to know what you meant by that last statement?

    Reply
    • Richard Maxson says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:23 am

      Marcy, thank you for your kind words. The last line in the poem you speak of, “A Kind of Sleep,” represents the voice of a house through the wood grain settling around a nail. Long ago I was a carpenter and spent a lot of time in old houses.

      Reply
  2. Richard Maxson says

    February 25, 2014 at 9:27 am

    Sagrada Familia

    Like another Mary, my mother fled,
    with her children, and a simple man
    with hands cut and scarred
    making lace from glass.

    In Barcelona, we stood
    in the shadows of Sagrada Familia,
    in its tangled web, like beach sand
    dripped wet to make its spires.

    Too young then to realize the sadness
    frozen in the cowled faces,
    the toil and beauty of Gaudi’s
    impossible basilica, I remain

    now captured with them, listening
    to the mourning doves coo.
    Listening for the silent Christ to speak
    his lines of no escapement;

    listening to the sound of machines
    drowning a vision; a baby born, simply
    a dream of hope, buried in monuments,
    and a photograph of a family lost in time.

    Reply
    • Maureen Doallas says

      February 25, 2014 at 9:51 am

      Excellent, Richard. Wonderful opening and closing quatrains. You have a lovely feel for something deep and mysterious in the Spanish temperament.

      Reply
      • Richard Maxson says

        February 25, 2014 at 5:30 pm

        Thank you, Maureen.

        Reply
    • Heather Eure says

      February 25, 2014 at 10:01 am

      Wonderful! Full. Rich. I like what Maureen said– deep and mysterious…

      Reply
      • Richard Maxson says

        February 25, 2014 at 5:30 pm

        Thanks, Heather and thank you for posting my previous poem.

        Reply

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  1. Sagrada Familia | The Imagined Jay says:
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  2. Ode To Rice Krispies: Playlist and Poetry Prompt | says:
    March 3, 2014 at 8:02 am

    […] to everyone who participated in last week’s poetry prompt. Here’s a recent poem by Maureen that we […]

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