After Stravinsky

(This poetic outburst is followed closely by a more sedate revision.  Enjoy them both!)

Rite of Spring", The Philadelphia Orchestra with Ridge Theater. February 21, 2013. 
PHOTO: The Philadelphia Orchestra   by KATHERINE BLODGETT

To follow you love,

to begin the rites of spring

to awaken rainbows

of buds grown in the womb

of winter under blankets

of snow, earth, bark and root

riotously multiplying and dividing,

survival of the fittest,

hiding the effort, and

preserving the magic

Dance to love our enemy,

easier in the soft beds of gentry

where food is plentiful as manure,

easiest in community gardens

where one hand lifts up another,

best where no handouts soften the way

but crocus breaks concrete

Daffodil gold at the beginnings

of rainbows, dandelion gold and buttercups,

persistent in centers of daisies and forget-me-nots,

sodden edges of oil drenched seed pods and

the unawake able death sleep of the stifled too weak

To survive

To follow you love,

to begin the rites of northern spring

while southern winter sets in

to begin the chemistry

of resurrection

The Philadelphia Orchestra in rehearsals for "The Rite of Spring" with… (KATHERINE BLODGETT)

Revision: A Sonnet
Spring after Stravinsky

Awaken buds in ice wombs wintering

under snow blankets, earth and bark—

let them riotously multiply and

divide, survive if fittest, hide effort

and preserve the ritual magic dance

Dance in soft beds of gentry where food is

plentiful as manure, in hard beds of

community where one hand lifts to help

another, and in the concrete beds where

no handouts break ground like the crocus gold.

Gold as daffodils at the beginning

of rainbows, as dandelion and butter-

centers of daisies and forget-me-nots,

sodden edges of oil drenched seed pods and

un-wake-able death sleep of the too weak

Weakly  stretch and survive to follow you

in Rites of Spring, begin Resurrection

Posted for Open Link Night ~ 85 at dVerse Poets Pub.

Copyright © 2013 S.L.Chast