Pulchritude Sates


  Akjiwani, Wikimedia Commons

 




Pulchritude sates,

shiny as a silver dollar,

untouched by hand,

spit-shined,




Peremptory in nature

eclipsing the view.



Hormones engage

and fantasies light fires,

a way to dreams of defilement

burnished by waxy spit.


Yes, pulchritude sates,

and defilement deafens

as we reach

to touch its essence.






copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2012




Shared with Real Toads and Poets United Pantry #119

Comments

  1. Yes you touched the "heart of poetry". The draw it seems is to get at the essence of those two things -- beauty and violation. Precise write and extremely effective!

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  2. yes, it is that always reaching that keeps us writing.
    love the word pulchritude

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  3. really nice dance to your words audrey...the rhyming and meter....esp love that last stanza...

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  4. Spit and polish. A very polished write Audrey. Lovely imagery.

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  5. Wow! I am speechless. What a wonderful piece of poetry! Thank you. I love it

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  6. Spit-shined! :-)

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    1. Thank you so much for the read and comments! Enjoy the pub!

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  7. I really like the interplay here and so appreciate your diction.

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  8. Beautiful poem- our Nakedness is pure- but we have to touch.....

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  9. I think its part of our journey ~ Lovely write today ~

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    1. Thank you Heaven--I am glad that you enjoyed it!

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    2. I already read this..he..he...Thanks for sharing again ~

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  10. Maybe...but personally, I never get enough of pulchritude.

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  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  12. Let's try it again without the typos--Interesting contrast, and some true words, I think. There is something empty about pulchritude, the too-too attractive, just as there is about the defiled.

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    1. Interesting--I hadn't thought about the vacuous nature of both

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  13. Very dualistic in its tone and expression, you tie it very well. ~ Rose

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  14. What! Wow! Wonderful. I need to read this again... and I totally guessed learned a new word. :-)
    Thank you for leaving this for us to share.

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  15. So interesting to combine pulchritude and spit - as if it is born of the mouth - good for a poet. K.

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    1. Thank you so much--I had not thought about that correlation--Cheers!

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  16. You made me look up pulchritude lol kewl write

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  17. reaching to touch its essence..i like that much...that goes deep..

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  18. Concise and captivating. Truth expressed with authenticity and a great economy of language. Fabulous job.

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  19. Dearest DiveLounger, I have no idea what this poem is about but... I absolutely freaking LOVE it!!

    I think it might be about a chubby happy person having a good time?

    Whatever brought these words to this page, I'm glad it did.

    xo

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  20. Audrey,

    There is something very special in your words....Awaiting the perfect moment...
    A lovely poetic discovery.

    Eileen

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    1. Thank you so much for reading this Eileen and for your kind words---

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  21. Well, you sent me to the dictionary to define pulchritude!! Smiles.

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    1. I had to look it up too! Sometimes the words come before I really know what they mean--Thank you so much Mary!

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  22. Pulchritude

    That's a good word to know. Nicely Audrey!

    Hank

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  23. Beautiful poem and it makes me think of "living simply" and "fulfilling your dreams" at the same time. :) PS - once I looked up pulchritude, I thought it was SO PERFECT for this poem.

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  24. I enjoyed the duality expressed here. And so economically! Nicely written! (Loved pulchritude too)

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    1. Thank you so much Barbara--I am glad that you enjoyed this piece!

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  25. Replies
    1. Thank you so much for reading Patricia! Greatly appreciated!

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  26. Pairing "deafens" with "essence" made great sound.

    I'm a huge fan of vocabulary, too. I enjoyed the word choices throughout.

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  27. Such lovely words to roll around the tongue!

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  28. Shelley had once spoken of love's dad satiety. its also true that pulchritude and defilement go hand in hand, even though we like to think otherwise.the last time i read pulchritude was in Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. nicely done!

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  29. Oh, yes... and then that beauty fades. Terrific diction and inferences make this a strong piece stated in a unique way.

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  30. absolutely killer last stanza in a brilliant poem! amazing!

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  31. aloha Audrey - it seems to me you've set out one of the paradoxes of being human. that which we find beautiful and satisfying we often seem to crush and destroy in attempting to possess... one of the not so pleasant characteristics of being human i suspect. well written. aloha.

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