"Dancing Fairies" by August Malmström‘Curtain Up!’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore The Society June 11, 2018 Beauty, Poetry 18 Comments Curtain Up! Sunset and the robins sing, nightingales reply song that summer evenings bring, weeping willows sigh from lawns and from thickets a chorus of crickets ____serenades but remains out of sight as we stroll hand-in-hand while this heavenly band ____entertains in the silver moonlight. The Dance of Life Performance of unending grace, the dance of life proceeds apace to rhythms played throughout the years transcendent music of the spheres, exquisite movements intertwine their choreography divine, a work in progress, parts for all, the never-ending curtain call. Dancing Whitecaps Down the great river wide many whitecaps did dance and the wind and the tide their technique did enhance. Some leaped onto docks others burst into spray some chased around rocks like young children at play Some danced in a line never turning to look at the rolling grey brine or the buoys they shook And one stowed away on a passing red tug but long did not stay and rolled off with a shrug. When the storm finally passed and the waves were no more, we collected sea glass as we walked on the shore. The Youngest Rose Photo by Joe Tessitore The youngest rose, a single tear the pain she knows that draws me near. Within me grows the need to share Should I expose how much I care? And so it goes this summer morn emotion flows pricked by the thorn. Joe Tessitore is a retired New York City resident and poet. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. 18 Responses Fr. Richard Libby June 11, 2018 “Curtain Up!” is a very fitting title, considering the wonderful display of poetry that follows! I enjoyed all of them very much. Congratulations, Mr. Tessitore! Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks very much Father! Reply Sally Cook June 11, 2018 Hi Joe – Nice! I enjoy seeing you not afraid to try different things in your poems. You are one fast learner. Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks Sally! Reply Amy Foreman June 11, 2018 These were a pleasure to read, Joe, as always! “Dancing Whitecaps” reminds me of the well-loved Robert Louis Stevenson vignettes in “A Child’s Garden of Verses,” the favorite poetry collection of my childhood. And though you have crafted these poems to be accessible enough for younger readers, they remain captivating and pleasing for the rest of us, too! Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks very much, Amy! Reply Leo Yankevich June 11, 2018 Indeed, these are all a pleasure to read, Joe. Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks very much Leo! Reply David Paul Behrens June 11, 2018 Beautifully worded poetry, and smooth. Reply David Paul Behrens June 11, 2018 Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Ye came and ye shall go. We don’t die, the bodies must, Fall the curtain, end of show. Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thank you David Paul! Reply C.B. Anderson June 11, 2018 Joe, These are nice, but I know you can better normalize standard English punctuation — as in when to put a full stop (a period) or a half stop (semicolon). And don’t forget about commas. They are useful to separate clauses (especially restrictive ones) and to make phrases stick to the other clauses to which they refer. Let’s take “The Youngest Rose”: Would not this punctuation have better expressed your idea? The youngest rose, A single tear. [Apposition] The pain she knows That draws me near. [This is another sentence fragment, but so be it.] Within me grows the need to share. [a semicolon might do as well.] Should I expose how much I care? And so it goes this summer morn; [a colon would have worked here] emotion flows, pricked by the thorn. Joe, this is a really nice example of lyric poetry, and I hope that my comments won’t come across as too nitpicky. But English grammar is one of the tools we have been given, and I trust that any poet should make the best use of it. I also applaud your use of iambic dimeter, where the writer is forced to come up with plausible rhymes at a moment’s notice. Here is one example I came up with: http://shitcreek.auszine.com/issue14/issue14index/goats/ So keep on keeping on and never lose faith, because someday your name will be written in the stellar constellations, as sure as Orion is the master hunter. But keep your dogs in line. Reply Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks very much,C.B., but, truth be told, I wrote these with no punctuation at all. My editor suggested all of the punctuation that you see. I am grateful for your advice and do take it seriously. I will revert to punctuation in the future and do my best to “keep (my) dogs in line”. Reply David Watt June 12, 2018 Joe, I enjoyed your lively and varied group of poems! I find the personification in ‘Dancing Whitecaps’ most appealing. Reply Joe Tessitore June 12, 2018 Thanks David, very much! Reply James Sale June 12, 2018 Found the Youngest Rose especially affecting – simple and sincere, really good writing, Joe – well done. Reply Charles Southerland June 12, 2018 Really nice work, Joe. Salut! Reply David Hollywood June 16, 2018 These are lovely poems. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Fr. Richard Libby June 11, 2018 “Curtain Up!” is a very fitting title, considering the wonderful display of poetry that follows! I enjoyed all of them very much. Congratulations, Mr. Tessitore! Reply
Sally Cook June 11, 2018 Hi Joe – Nice! I enjoy seeing you not afraid to try different things in your poems. You are one fast learner. Reply
Amy Foreman June 11, 2018 These were a pleasure to read, Joe, as always! “Dancing Whitecaps” reminds me of the well-loved Robert Louis Stevenson vignettes in “A Child’s Garden of Verses,” the favorite poetry collection of my childhood. And though you have crafted these poems to be accessible enough for younger readers, they remain captivating and pleasing for the rest of us, too! Reply
David Paul Behrens June 11, 2018 Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Ye came and ye shall go. We don’t die, the bodies must, Fall the curtain, end of show. Reply
C.B. Anderson June 11, 2018 Joe, These are nice, but I know you can better normalize standard English punctuation — as in when to put a full stop (a period) or a half stop (semicolon). And don’t forget about commas. They are useful to separate clauses (especially restrictive ones) and to make phrases stick to the other clauses to which they refer. Let’s take “The Youngest Rose”: Would not this punctuation have better expressed your idea? The youngest rose, A single tear. [Apposition] The pain she knows That draws me near. [This is another sentence fragment, but so be it.] Within me grows the need to share. [a semicolon might do as well.] Should I expose how much I care? And so it goes this summer morn; [a colon would have worked here] emotion flows, pricked by the thorn. Joe, this is a really nice example of lyric poetry, and I hope that my comments won’t come across as too nitpicky. But English grammar is one of the tools we have been given, and I trust that any poet should make the best use of it. I also applaud your use of iambic dimeter, where the writer is forced to come up with plausible rhymes at a moment’s notice. Here is one example I came up with: http://shitcreek.auszine.com/issue14/issue14index/goats/ So keep on keeping on and never lose faith, because someday your name will be written in the stellar constellations, as sure as Orion is the master hunter. But keep your dogs in line. Reply
Joe Tessitore June 11, 2018 Thanks very much,C.B., but, truth be told, I wrote these with no punctuation at all. My editor suggested all of the punctuation that you see. I am grateful for your advice and do take it seriously. I will revert to punctuation in the future and do my best to “keep (my) dogs in line”. Reply
David Watt June 12, 2018 Joe, I enjoyed your lively and varied group of poems! I find the personification in ‘Dancing Whitecaps’ most appealing. Reply
James Sale June 12, 2018 Found the Youngest Rose especially affecting – simple and sincere, really good writing, Joe – well done. Reply
