O’er bouldered log yet undeterred ye fly,
A season's store of waters' head has sent, Thy foaming rage ‘spite calm winds from July, On mission which ye surely seem hell-bent, To carve this gorge and widen this crevasse, 'Tween two of us, who once meandered past, Those peaceful pines and beck’ning blue bear grass, To find a love I'd thought became steadfast, But you’ve since come and now it seems you’ll go, Amid the mist of waterfall’s reglow, While they ye've cut are stranded in ox bow, I close my eyes and dream of green meadow, Where you and I can see from eye to eye, And love each other without asking why. - Scott Alexander McKenzie Diff’rence and great distance lay ‘tween us,
For petty disappointments that we found, Have ‘come malignant matters we discuss, O’er desert now devoid of common ground, ‘Tis desolation once was fertile land, Where roses bloom’d ‘neath summer’s florid glow, Now wither ‘mid these shifting arid sands, T’are blown by winds of misery and woe, But haven ‘plete with palm tree filigree, Between us rises up to hea’en above, ‘Tis no mirage; ‘tis real as you and me, Who frolicked once in heart spring’s well of love, I’m seeking this oasis where we met, Please meet me in the middle, Juliet. - Scott Alexander McKenzie It has been an interesting seven months since I published Volume IV. To be sure, the world is upside-down at the moment! Despite the turmoil, we persevere. I’ve been staying busy with a few projects… keeping my head down and focusing on my life and the lives of those near and dear to me, while keeping a weather eye on the political scene.
Accordingly, you won’t find any politically themed sonnets here in Volume V. You will find my bread-and-butter themes of Love and Longing. Of those, my current favorites include “Petrarca’s Muse,” which is based on Francesco Petrarca, a poet of early Renaissance Italy. Petrarca polished and perfected the sonnet form inherited from Giacomo da Lentini, which was widely used by Dante in his Vita Nuova to popularize the new courtly love of the Dolce Stil Novo. I feel a kinship with Petrarca, because he wrote often about his love for Laura, a woman he saw in church one day, and who (probably unknowingly,) became the inspiration for much of his work. You’ll also find that some of my Volume V sonnets are inspired by a young woman and mother I’ve come to know and love who, despite her difficult past, has persevered and is now diligently transforming her life and the lives of her children. When you read “Savage Butterfly” and “Rebirth,” you’ll get a sense of what I’m talking about. Lastly, I’m quite pleased with two poems I penned about the love of my life, with whom I just celebrated our sixth anniversary. She has been a true blessing to me in every way. Please take a look at “She is Light,” and “Sand and Salvation.” As always, thank you for all the kind comments, support, and inspiration. I’m especially thankful for the spark I receive from my Muses (you know who you are,) but it’s a pleasure to know that my finished work resonates with so many others. Please do keep in touch! I hope you'll find this volume (and my first four volumes,) worthy of your bookshelf. It would be an honor. To purchase copies for yourself or your poetry-loving friend, please visit The Bookstore. |
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