Storm Clouds
It’s only bluster, clap and clang,
The hoist of flags above mankind
And all the flags are rags in rain.
A soldier’s wife recalls the pain
Attends his grave her heart resigned
It’s only bluster, clap and clang.
With all his friends he marched and sang
Convinced they fought for humankind
And all the flags are rags in rain.
She kneels and thinks that it’s profane
What God and country have enshrined
It’s only bluster, clap and clang.
He braved the storm and felt no blame
For horror, honor intertwined
And all the flags are rags in rain.
And she will never be the same
Her son will never be so blind
It’s only bluster, clap and clang
And all the flags are rags in rain.
Judge’s comments
To prepare, I read villanelles by Bishop, Dunn, Kees, and Levertov. Then I looked in the 34 poems in this category for the traditional (19 lines, consistent syllable count, rhyme scheme) elements, plus intriguing choice of subject, image, diction, enjambment, and other characteristics of outstanding poems. A challenge; a pleasure.
“Storm Clouds” meditates on the consequences of war. The two repeated lines are highly effective: the hard sounds of “bluster, clap and clang” contrast with the soft mourning sounds in “And all the flags are rags in rain.” This 8-syllable-per-line lament uses feminine rhymes, much echoing soundwork, and a traditional subject of loss.
Originally from New Orleans, John McPherson has lived in Portland for the past forty years. His interests include poetry of course, woodworking, origami, and genealogy.