Rooms to let, furnished

[Variol Farseer]

A hearth with seasoned oak and tinder laid
awaits a spark to set the fuel ablaze,
and on the mantel, blooms that never fade
defy the count of days.
A royal feast sits covered on the board,
rare vintages in faithful bottles stand,
and silver plate and napery lie in hoard,
untouched by living hand.

There is no key to pass these lockless doors
flung open in an empty-armed embrace,
no footprint to disturb the dusty floors
of this forgotten place.
No lover comes to warm the bridal bed,
or disarray the downy counterpane,
or scent the scarlet petals that are spread
in welcome and in vain.

No memory can tell what vanished host
prepared these rooms for what forgetful guest;
no spell can lay the long-forsaken ghost,
or ease it to its rest.
In longing without hope it dwells apart,
haunting this too untenanted address,
as vacant as the mansions of my heart
still kept in readiness.

[lucimay]

VF...sorry you had to mention this in another thread to get me to come here and read it but am ever so glad you did!!

it's WONDERFUL!! great piece. i read it to my husband who also thought it wonderful. just lovely.

great title! i don't want to analyze it or unpack it here...it's just a wonderful use of language and style! again...lovely.





(oh and ps...i don't think i've ever seen you comment on any of MY work either!! hell...only Sarge, Avatar, and Esmer read my stuff! hahaha! maybe drew on occasion! i don't know what that says about MY work!!! hahahahaah!!! )

[I'm Murrin]

(I read this just after it was posted, just haven't gotten round to commenting yet.)
I like it. It has an atmosphere and tone to it that I think works really well.

[Worm of Despite]

Yep. Ditto to all. Very nice rhythm and flow.

[Variol Farseer]

(oh and ps...i don't think i've ever seen you comment on any of MY work either!! hell...only Sarge, Avatar, and Esmer read my stuff! hahaha! maybe drew on occasion! i don't know what that says about MY work!!! hahahahaah!!! )

To tell you the truth, it doesn't say a thing. I'm rather afraid to comment on other people's work, and shy away from the responsibility. I expect many others are the same.

I wasn't really expecting comment on this piece, but I'm glad to see some people have read it.

[sgt.null]

i enjoyed it, and loved the title. enjoyed the rhythm.

[Seareach]

To tell you the truth, it doesn't say a thing. I'm rather afraid to comment on other people's work, and shy away from the responsibility. I expect many others are the same.

I'll admit I'm one of those "many others".

I wasn't really expecting comment on this piece, but I'm glad to see some people have read it.

I read it after you posted it, but any "comment" or "response" from me would have been, I guess I could say, "deeply personal". So I didn't a) post a response on this board, and b) since I don't know you, I didn't pm you a response because I thought you might think I was a nutter!

[Variol Farseer]

I didn't pm you a response because I thought you might think I was a nutter!

Oh, by all means fire away if you have something to say. We're all nutters in this together.

[Loredoctor]

I love this work. Excellent stuff, my friend.

[Lord Mhoram]

Great rhythm. Nice work, Farseer.

[Variol Farseer]

Thanks, everyone. I'm humbled and a bit overwhelmed.

[dlbpharmd]

I like it too, and that's saying alot because I'm not a poetry kind of guy. I can't help but think of "My heart has rooms that sigh with dust" from WGW - that's my favorite SRD poem.

VF, with some of the crap that I've been going through lately, this poem has spoken to me, and I thank you for that.

[Avatar]

It shares one important characteristic with the other pieces of yours I've read: It's very very good.

Enough has been said about the rythym and flow of it that I'll just echo earlier sentiments. I like it.

--A

[Wyldewode]

I just discovered this, and I wanted to say that I think it is tremendous. Thank you for posting!