Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

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Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Antcliff » Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:59 pm

The first sound is a bird cheep
by our open bedroom window.
The first smell is the meadowsweet
from the fallow field beneath.
The first thing touched is you.

A bat scratch is the last sound
(or a mouse?) and 'round midnight
the flowers nipped from the basil
spread a scent tuned to the heather.
The last thing touched is you.
Last edited by Antcliff on Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:18 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby David » Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:55 pm

You know what you're going to get for this, don't you?



Maybe I should think of my own award, as this one is really in your gift. I'll do that.

Good title too.

Cheers

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Antcliff » Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:41 pm

Hooray! Thanks David. The meadowsweet is so grand today.

I now have a My Fair Lady Award (+1), a self-awarded G. Hill Award (-1) = overall score = 0. Onwards!

seth
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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby David » Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:46 pm

OK, here's my True Love award. This puts you to +1, at least.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Ros » Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:04 pm

Aw. Sweet.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Lake » Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:42 pm

That's very sweet. Love the basil smell, too.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Antcliff » Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:00 pm

David,
The True Love Award = the award. And Nat of course...can't go wrong with Nat.

Ros,
I thank you

Lake,
I love the basil. I grow it in the sun lounge and it is now coming to flower. I eat little leaves when I pass!

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Magpie Jane » Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:31 pm

Delightful, Seth.
And sweet -- in the slow, green way. The meadowsweet is a good item here.
Funny title, by the way; but it feels right.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby ray miller » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:34 pm

Lovely, Seth. Only I don't understand why 'round midnight when the metre seems to require around midnight.
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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Ros » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:02 pm

I'm with Ray on the 'round. I don't think you need the commas at the end of either first line.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Antcliff » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:09 pm

Thanks Magpie-J,
Hooray for slow sweetness to the right title.
there is so much meadowsweet in the croft at the moment..

Thanks Ray+Ros,
thanks for sweet and lovely (from the sweet+the lovely!)

Okay, that is two votes 'gainst my fun 'r (Thelonious Monk in head perhaps). It had better go..along with those commas Ros. Thanks both.

Seth
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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Macavity » Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:55 pm

spread a scent tuned to the meadow.


A nice touch of synaesthesia there in my mind.

The cheep/sweet rhyme made me look for an echo in the second book-end.

I like that weave of sound/smell/touch.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Antcliff » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:36 pm

Thanks Mac!

synaesthesia..drawn more and more to it.

Yes it would be nice to extend sweet/etc into second bookend. I held off because I have used a few other rhymes for meadowsweet on another (sadder) one. Still, as you say. Hmm..will ponder.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby David » Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:41 pm

Antcliff wrote:Okay, that is two votes 'gainst my fun 'r (Thelonious Monk in head perhaps). It had better go..along with those commas Ros. Thanks both.

I am voting for the round - although I had Miles in mind - but I didn't realise that the inverted comma is an integral part of the song's title. So keep it, say I.
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Re: Hebridean Bookends

Postby Antcliff » Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:26 pm

Hmm...might be restored then..pondering..

Let's hear it for Wes, king o' smooth.




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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Antcliff » Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:41 pm

I have modified "spread a scent" to "play a scent". Does anybody think this is better/worse/just the same?

Seth
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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Ryan P. » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:20 pm

Antcliff wrote:I have modified "spread a scent" to "play a scent". Does anybody think this is better/worse/just the same?

Seth


I like the change. The alliteration is nice and 'spread,' to me, feels girthier when read aloud. I also think it works better for the sake of imagery. Good choice, I think, albeit a small one.
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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Antcliff » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:52 am

Thanks Ryan P.!
Duly noted.

Best wishes
Seth
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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby twoleftfeet » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:08 pm

Seth,

I almost missed this.
Almost perfect, IMHO, except for
"the last touched thing is you"

- I can't help feeling that "thing" is not quite right.
How about "the last touch is yours" ?
- yes, I know it's ambiguous but the ambiguity is kinda growing on me and adds to the lurv.

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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Antcliff » Fri Jul 20, 2012 11:40 am

twoleftfeet wrote:- I can't help feeling that "thing" is not quite right.
How about "the last touch is yours" ?
- yes, I know it's ambiguous but the ambiguity is kinda growing on me and adds to the lurv.

George


Thanks George,
yeh, "thing" is not right. Gotta go. Milady agrees.
Contemplating your alternative..thanks for it! I can see the appeal in the ambiguity. Hmm.

Seth
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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Macavity » Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:33 am

hi Seth

'play' is smoother and more poetic, 'spread' is peculiar and more earthy - me being me naturally prefers the latter

play/tuned are more obvious

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Re: Hebridean Bookends (minor tweak)

Postby Antcliff » Sat Jul 21, 2012 10:32 am

Macavity wrote:hi Seth

'play' is smoother and more poetic, 'spread' is peculiar and more earthy - me being me naturally prefers the latter

play/tuned are more obvious

mac


Thanks Mac!
yeh, I prefer the "spread"!. I'm with you..earthy is better than smooth.

seth
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