April 2022 Poetry Challenge: Prime Verse

Seven poets from six nations braved a new poetry form this month; prime verse. I think they did a marvelous job of expressing the wonder of the universe and the sometimes lesser wonders of the world of humankind. Thanks to all the poet participants and readers!

Abril 2022 Reto poético: Verso número primo

Siete poetas de seis naciones se enfrentaron con coraje a una forma poética nueva este mes: el verso número primo. Creo que hicieron un trabajo maravilloso de expresar el asombro del universo y a veces lo menos asombroso del mundo de los humanos. ¡Gracias a l@s poetas participantes y a l@s lectores!

Water lily/Neúnfar Photo: R. Cuningham

Scotland

Мир

Мир, a Russian word.
Means peace and world, universe.
Мир, also a quiet Ukrainian word.
Means peace and world, universe.
Great concept, superb!
Peace-World, World-Peace, give us Мир!
Village, Kingdom, Community. Please, world, peace!
When will words come true?
Мир, a distant peace dream, a world overdue.
–Britta

Мир

Palabra rusa:
paz, mundo, y universo.
Мир, palabra ucrania tranquila:
paz, mundo, y universo.
¡Concepto óptimo!
Mundo de paz, ¡dános Мир!
Pueblo, reino, comunidad pacífic@
¿Cuándo llegará?
Мир, sueño tarde y distante de paz.
–Britta (traducción por Rebecca)

Fire Juggler Photo: R. Cuningham

USA

SAD WONDER
He arrived today
although none saw him coming.
He had been here before, been quickly ignored,
despite his pleas and prayers,
they twisted his words
to suit their venal desires,
his message forever lost in translation.
They were not ready,
and in their hate fueled world, they might never be.
– Lou Faber

Triste asombro
Hoy el hombre llegó
nadie le vió venir.
Visitó antes, quedó ignorado,
a pesar de rezar, sus
citas torcidas
justifican deseos,
mensaje perdido en la traducción
No están listos,
y en el mundo de odio, cuando estarían.
– Lou Faber (traducción por Rebecca)

Earth Ball/Pelota del mundo Photo: RC

England

The wonder of our Earth.
A sensitive eye
Looks through our eternity
In wonder spinning, spinning sea, ground and sky
Bluewhitegrey, brownblackgrey, RED
Our planet eye Earth
A beautiful eye in tears
Cry my Earth eye you are honest when you cry
Your blues, browns, greys, RED
How I long to wipe your eternal sad eye.

–Sandy

Tierra de asombro
Ojo sensible mira
por la eternidad
Girando asombroso mar, tierra y cielo
azulblancogris cafénegrogris, ROJO
Planeta ojo, Tierra
Ojo hermoso lágrimas
Llora mi ojo, honestamente llora
Azul, café, gris, ROJO
Como quiero limpiar tu ojo triste.

–Sandy (traducción por Rebecca)

Bonfire/Fogata Photo: RC

India

It is a slow night,
A symphony just for me,
With a cool breeze flowing and fireflies dancing.
It’s teaching me how to breathe,
A disarming sight,
Poetic souls stir within,
The trees are swaying as if in shared delight.
I wish nothing more,
Than to make my way onto the peaceful shore.

–Enchanted Words

Una noche lenta
Sinfonía para mí
Brisa fresca fluye, luciérnagas bailan
Me enseña respirar
Encantadora
Dentro almas poéticas
Arboles felices hacen su vaivén
Nada más quiero
Que avanzar a la orilla tranquila.
–Enchanted Words (traducción por Rebecca)

Fireworks/Fuegos artificiales

USA

Look at the night sky –
the moon, stars, and velvet dark –
and know: you’re looking out, into, on, not up.
Do you tremble to be small?
Does it frighten you?
Or, instead, do you marvel,
find wonder, splendor, in the vastness of it?
Look at the night sky
and know: a whole world, the universe, is nigh.

–Katie

Cielo nocturno
luna, estrellas, oscuridad
sabes: ves para fuera, no para arriba.
¿Temblas, por ser pequeñ@?
¿Tienes miedo tú?
O, es maravilloso,
¿descubres asombro, esplendor, grandeza?
Cielo nocturno
sé que ves el universo completo.
–Katie (traducción por Rebecca)

Yellow Iris/Iris Amarillo Photo: RC

Canada

Elixir

mortal labyrinth
renaissance elixir stirs
a pristine paradox in a cup— life:
sanguine silhouettes,
trysts ‘pon helix stars,
Ethereal spirits—breathing,
weaving daily axioms skirting Earth’s axis
womb tranquil succor
on the Mississippi reading Tom Sawyer
–Suzette

Elíxir

laberinto mortal
renacimiento elíxir
paradoja prístina – copa de vida
helices astrales,
siluetas de sangre,
Espíritus etéreos respiran,
tejen axiomas por eje terrenal
matriz tranquilo
leer Tom Sawyer en río Mississippi
–Suzette (traducción por Rebecca)

Sunlight on a prairie pond (B&W) Photo: R. Cuningham

World Poet

Starry nights entice
Stand under the open night sky
Gaze at the twinkling lights of heaven, amazed
Can you solve the mystery
Of time and space
Can you really understand how
And when it all began and where it ends
We admire the view
Our wonderment of grandeur born anew
–Sadje

Noche estrellada
Parado bajo el cielo
Ver intermitentes luces, asombrad@
Captas el misterio
tiempo y espacio
Comprendes de verdad
¿Cuándo empezó y dónde terminará?
Vista admirada
Renace nuestro asombro de grandeza.
–Sadje (traducción por Rebecca)

~~~

¡Gracias por leer los poemas! Ahora, favor de dejar un recado con tus pensamientos sobre sus creaciones en los comentarios. Para ver la descripción de verso número primo, haz un clic aquí. Muchas gracias, ¡olé! –Rebecca

Thanks for reading these new poems. Please let the poets know your thoughts about this fine lineup in the comments below. To see the full description of Prime Verse, click here. Muchas gracias, ¡olé! –Rebecca

Rebecca Cuningham

24 thoughts on “April 2022 Poetry Challenge: Prime Verse

  1. Amazing poetry by all poets! Thank you Rebecca for this challenge. It is a pleasure to write to a new form. Your are a trailblazer. Thank you.
    Como siempre, disfruto de sus traducciones al español.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Thanks for the challenge, Rebecca! It’s now my badge of honour that I wrote the third ever Prime Verse in the history of poetry. Yay!!! And I love your Spanish translation. It feels like such a treat to read my poem in translation. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks to you, Britta, for speaking of peace in such a beautiful way. I’m glad you like the translation. I love how you say, and very accurately, “the third ever Prime Verse in the history of poetry!” 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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