And You Thought You Read Him

 

You've read the author's work

Yet, have you looked upon his face?

His eyes won't tell the whole of it

Their seeming mirth- truth out of place

 

The story's in every mark and line

That some think speak only of age

Failing to understand the tale

That goes beyond the final page

 

As limestone weathered in sun

His nose speaks of life without shade

With all the pits and furrows there

Finely rendered by time's blade

 

'Round those eyes and not within

The story unfolds in sharp creases

I see in them the volumes read

How, in the quiet, thought never ceases

 

His mouth is parched, lips fading

Just at the corners, laugh-lines drawn

Yet underneath them furrows:

Times, he's had naught to smile upon

 

See, the story he wrote for you

Is not his own autobiography

It's a dream of his, in truth

He drew the world he wants to be

 

Do seek the author's picture

When finished with a book

For therein lies another tale

If all would care to look

Author's Note

The photo I used is actually Hemingway, but I wrote the poem before seeking out the picture- just thoughts that grouped together yesterday and wrote themselves out today.

Reviews

[JohnL]

Constance, I find this to be an exceptional poem. The style is smoothly rythmic and the rhyme unobtrusive(something difficult to achieve - rhyme without it seeming forced) and then in the final three quatrains, you divest yourself of rhyme and do it seamlessly. Please accept my genuine admiration of this work.

As to the material; you are telling us that we are all authors regardless of our literary desires or abilities. We carry our books very publicly and erasure and editing can be achieved but only over time and by real effort within. The book of our face is revealing and cannot be hidden. Thank you for this work.
John

[Susan S.]

This is one of the best poems for content I have had the pleasure to read. It speaks directly to a lifelong philosophy that the lines of the face are the autobiography of the person. When I was 6, I used to pinch the corners of my eyes so that I would get laugh lines like my mom had.

The rhyming is quite good too, although I'm surprised you chose this format for a contest on the best rhymes.Well, good luck with that.

Susan

[Tovli]

very nice thoughts, like a journal entry made poetic. nicely done. tovli

[C.T. Bailey]

What an ingenius and creative write. For some reason the pics do not show up for me and I can tell I'm missing alot because of it. This is terrific.
"'Round those eyes and not within

The story unfolds in sharp creases

I see in them the volumes read

How, in the quiet, thought never ceases"
Very very nice...
Todd

[Emily Elizabeth]

i always look at the poet/author's pictures, but mainly because I'm nosey.
Another brilliant poem! So wonderfully styled, and yet so poignant, you always write in a voice that demands to be read, and engages the reader until they've finished the poem. And even then, your words stick in their minds.
Another brilliant piece! Thanks for sharing it!