Day: October 7, 2021

Hell’s Kitchen

~ JezzieG

Hell’s Kitchen
Form: English Sonnet

In the kitchens of hell the oven hid,
Trembling with fear from the glowing furnace.
Anger and rage were brewing under war's lid
A storm stewing in the depths of darkness.
Sins so deadly combine inside the fire,
Avarice and envy sparing in flame.
Lust in confusion of a love's desire
Fingers pointing with no-one left to blame.
Over-indulgence pitted with hunger
Whilst fools laze in the comfort of false pride.
A world of vice left to the fear monger
And those with no care along for the ride.
Look beneath with thought pry under hell's lid
And see for your eyes why the oven hid

©JGFarmer2008

Self Portrait, Head Between Hands by Claude Cahun

~ JezzieG
Self Portrait, Head Between Hands by Claude Cahun

Self Portrait, Head Between Hands
1920
Identity Politics, Photography
Photographic print

A striking photograph, ‘Self-Portrait, Head Between Hands’ depicts how Cahun has transitioned from their childhood and teenage female identity to the gender-neutral persona. A shaved scalp replaces the long hair effectively stripping away the social traditions of the alluring flowing locks of femininity. Cahun portrays themselves with an air of detachment and a lack of feeling, however the hands are placed either side of their head giving a sense of intensity of their lived experience. However this image is more than a comment on shifting gender politics, Cahun was also Jewish, physically stripped of identity and sex in the mounting prejudice against Jews and women.

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun
Modern Photography, Dada, Surrealism, Photomontage, Collage, Proto-Feminist Artists
Born: 25 October 1894, Nantes, France
Nationality: French
Died: 8 December 1954, Jersey, GB

Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob, better known as Claude Cahun, was a lesbian photographer, sculptor, and writer. Assuming the name in 1917, Cahun is best known for self-portraits, in which the artist assumed a variety of personae. Their work was political and personal, often undermining traditional concepts of stereotypical gender roles. In their autobiography, Disavowals, Cahun explained ‘Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.’

Curls of Smoke

~ JezzieG

Curls of Smoke
Form: Rondeau
Theme: Love
Subject: A cigarette

The afterglow, a quiet smoke
No words, passion already spoke
Of the deepest love we declared
In intimate moments we shared
A love only we can invoke
For love is truly that bespoke
With desires that the heart awoke
When our two souls as one were paired
The afterglow
In the curls of cigarette smoke
Embraced by love none can revoke
For love finds its way unimpaired
By mundane words the others shared
We were one when ‘I love you’ spoke
The afterglow

©JGFarmer2021

Negative Love by John Donne

~ JezzieG

Negative Love

I never stoop’d so low, as they
Which on an eye, cheeke, lip, can prey,
Seldom to them, which soare no higher
Than vertue or the minde to’admire,
For sense, and understanding may
Know, what gives fuell to their fire:
My love, though silly, is more brave,
For may I misse, when ere I crave,
If I know yet, what I would have.

If that be simply perfectest
Which can by no way be exprest
But Negatives, my love is so.
To All, which all love, I say no.
If any who deciphers best,
What we know not, our selves, can know,
Let him teach mee that nothing; This
As yet my ease, and comfort is,
Though I speed not, I cannot misse

John Donne

John Donne
Born: 22 January 1572, London, UK
Nationality: English
Died: 31 March 1631, London, UK

Donne was a poet, scholar, soldier and secretary. Born to a recusant family, he later became a cleric in the Church of England. He was made Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, London under royal patronage. Donne is considered a preeminent metaphysical poet with poetry renowned for their metaphysical and sensual style, including sonnets, religious poems, love poems, elegies and satires. Donne is also renowned for his sermons

#Writephoto – Witterings of Sir Jeff

~ JezzieG ~ 15 Comments

Uhoh, I feel a disturbance yn the realms of chivalry. KL I thynk ye may have awoken Sir Jeff from his slumber. Thank ye , fair lady KL, for an excellent prompt that other scribes may fynd here https://new2writing.wordpress.com/2021/10/07/writephoto-tomb/

and I hope the ynk floweth freely from their pens

The Tomb – Image by KL Caley

Witterings of Sir Jeff
Form: Free Verse

Who was it who woketh me
at my rest, disturbed yn the long nyght
I wander
unseen
unheard
I wander forgotten
with restless eyes readyng the eald words
that remayn amid the ruyns of sanctuary
and I wonders
what happened to this world
as I sitteth on the side of my restyng place
faded and worn
I mutters of the strange thyngs I hath seen
yn my cherlish tongue
of speedyng wagons with no horses
and what of the maidens
dressed yn trousers liketh worn by men
and their undergarments on display
oh, my love, my Arabella,
howe dismayed youre heart wolde be
oh my heart, howe we once danced
as youre silk dresses floated yn swirls
with gentil sound of a summer's breeze
and I wonder howe we wolde slepen
with the glowyng yelow lights
without the power of god
for god makes not the buzzyng sound
it must be then
that god is dead
for no more are the hymns of the lord sungeth here
and this world hath no place for holy presence
this world hath no place for me
without ye my Arabella
howe can I goon on alone yn confusion
alas my words speak as olde as these ruyns
perhaps I should return to my rest
and yn the heaven I will dance with ye

©JGFarmer2021

#WRITEPHOTO – TOMB

~ JezzieG

New2Writing

Afternoon Everyone,

Welcome to the weekly prompt!

I’m always intrigued by tombs. Just human curiosity, nothing grizzly. Although, I also love a good ghost story and actually there is one to go with this site, but I’ll tell you more about that in the write-up.

I can’t wait to read your entries with this one, I think it could prove an interesting one!

The Tomb
The Tomb – Image by KL Caley

For visually challenged writers, the image shows a table tomb. Whilst a lot of the stonework is eroded, it is obvious this was quite an ornate tomb in its time.

The regulars already know this bit, but for those that don’t:

  • EachThursdayatNoon GMTI will post the prompt
  • Use the image and prompt as inspiration to create a post on your own blog… poetry, prose, humour… light or dark, whatever you choose, as…

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