LETTER FROM NOWHERE Options

[Cybele]

LETTER FROM NOWHERE

(Found by a comrade beside a body in a trench in Ypres 1915)


I have seen fifteen colours in your hair,
in summer twenty shine
to weave a rainbow wave.
Here we have but three;

the gun-metal grey sky,
the sea of khaki mud and
the crimson tide of blood.

I cannot mention where I am;
it matters not my love,
without you by my side
I am nowhere.


Without your presence
in my mind and heart
what sweet release 'twould be
to let my soul to peace de....




(All rights reserved as an unpublished work by Grace Galton)


N.B – This piece was inspired by a letter in a collection of 236 on display at Compton Verney, England. They were written by Ivor Luper to his beloved sweetheart, Carrie from the trenches. Ivor did not die, but married Carrie on his return from the war.  These letters were found posthumously by his son and have been preserved.

[Guest_Tao_*]

Dear Grace,

I've been away myself, though my computer was not the cause. This piece is wonderful, such beauty from the trenches of khaki mud. Loved S1! And the unfinished ending...poetic and perfect! :)

Love
David

[Aphrodite]

Hello Grace~

How I have missed your heartfelt and stunning work!

This is haunting and superbly evocative,  just beautiful!

Blessings,  
Lindi

[Cybele]

Hello David,

The first line of this piece is an extract from one of Ivor's letters and probably the most romantic line I have ever read.  

The letters were all framed and displayed around the walls of one room.  Unfortunately most seemed to have been written when it was raining, (on top of all the hardships these poor souls were suffering) and the ink had run making quite a few illegible. I am at present, trying to find out if Ivor's son managed to decipher any of the damaged ones.

Lovely to hear from you and I am so pleased that you enjoyed it.

Love to Mei

Grace

[Cybele]

Good morning Lindi,    

It's good to hear from you. I have been away for awhile touring England. I find I have to fill my days as much as possible to help me through them and the trip did give me inspiration for two new pieces. thank goodness.

I am so pleased you enjoyed this. I am haunted by that first line, such a wonderful metaphor from a man sunk deep in the misery of war.

Love

Grace

[Guest_Tao_*]

Hi Grace,

Mei and I are both fine, recovering from a long trip ourselves. While you were touring England, we spent three weeks keeping my ill grandmother company. Just got back.

The first line does strike me as it did you. It was so simple and direct, often the best approach for anything I guess. There are many ways to express adoration without saying the "L" word, for example "as you wish" from the Princess Bride! You took the fifteen colors and ran with them. Good show!

Love
David

[Guest__*]

Dear Grace,

This is quite a poet's-ear view ! Unique.

Coupla tinies :

I have seen fifteen colours in your hair,
in summer twenty shine
to weave a rainbow wave.
Here we have but three;
the gun-metal grey sky,
the sea of khaki mud and
the crimson tide of blood.

I cannot mention where I am;
it matters not my love,
without you by my side... --don't think "..." adds anything here, not needed.
I am nowhere.


Without your presence
in my mind and heart
what sweet release 'twould be
to let my soul to peace de.......... -- On another site I was recently torn to shreds (quite nicely) that elipsis should only be 3 dots, except at the end where 4 is OK. Apparently there are grammar rules even for this ....

Love
Alan

[Cybele]

Good Sir Knight,  

I bow to your superior knowledge. Thanks for the tip. We live and learn don't we?  

Love

Grace

[JustDaniel]

You've done a remarkably wonderful job of bringing the opening line to life, Grace!  May I take lessons from you?  Would you have patience with a dull-eyed impetuous student?

deLightedly, Daniel  :sun:

[Cybele]

Hi Daniel,  

You've done a remarkably wonderful job of bringing the opening line to life, Grace!  May I take lessons from you?  Would you have patience with a dull-eyed impetuous student?

Oh my, Daniel such fulsome praise

I would never presume to try to teach anyone, anything ! Especially someone whose work I sincerely admire and whose ready wit alway cheers my day. We all try to do what we do to the best of our ability and just hope that one day we may get it right!!

Thank you for reading and commenting.

Love

Grace
 

[Cleo_Serapis]

Hi Grace..

How about a slight change to the last line:
to let my soul to peace de....

to:

to let my soul to peace leave?

I enjoyed this one when first posted and now am *bumping it up too...

Cheers!
~Cleo

[Guest_Toumai_*]

Dear Grace,

What a poignant story. I'm so glad Cleo has been looking thru the archives to find gems like this - so many of us are relatively new and haven't had a chance to go thru the forums as thoroughly as they deserve.

Fran

[Guest_Nina_*]

Hi Grace

I can only echo what Fran said.  It is a very touching story and it was interesting to read where the inspiration came from and that it had a happy ending

Nina

[Guest_Cathy_*]

I enjoyed this and I like the way you've left it open-ended.

Cathy

[Ephiny]

Hello Grace

I've never read this one either..it is a great idea to look back through the archives every once in a while!!

This is so beautifully written..a wonderful tribute to what you saw, and full of respect and empathy too.

The switch through the poem from the loving descriptions.."I have seen fifteen colours in your hair" and the sights and horror that he was living with, is powerfully and cleverly done.  A few years ago in a garage sale, I found some postcards also written by a soldier to his sweetheart..it was sad to see them just thrown out in boxes so I have them now and often wonder what happened to him.  It's great to know that the couple you were inspired by were reunited after the war.

I love the third stanza..and the title..I'm really pleased that I got a chance to read this

[Cybele]

Good morning Lori  

What a surprise to return from more of my wanderings and find this one resurrected!  

Hi Grace..

How about a slight change to the last line:
to let my soul to peace de....

to:

to let my soul to peace leave?

I enjoyed this one when first posted and now am *bumping it up too...

Cheers!
~Cleo

I see your meaning here Lori, but the unfinished word is 'depart', which word I feel fits in better with the way this man would have written in 1915. They had a much more poetic turn of phrase then (presumably because they read more good literature and weren't inundated with trashy TV programmes

Also there is irony in the way he was writing of 'departing' when he took the fatal bullet.

Thank you so much for 'bumping' this and thereby reminding me of the wonderful day I spent at Compton Derney.  

[Cybele]

Hello Fran,

Forgive my tardiness in answering but I have been dashing about visiting friends since I returned from Jamaica and haven't had much time to spare.

I was most surprised to see this one appear again but I am very glad you enjoyed it. It's amazing how a few words or a glimpsed picture can trigger a poem isn't it?

I felt such empathy with this man and his love letters.

[Cybele]

Good morning Nina,

It is lovely to have new reactions to a piece I thought was buried deep in the archives.

I am very pleased you enjoyed tis and thank you for reading and kindly commenting.

[Cybele]

Hello Lucie  :cheer:

I've never read this one either..it is a great idea to look back through the archives every once in a while!!

This is so beautifully written..a wonderful tribute to what you saw, and full of respect and empathy too.

The switch through the poem from the loving descriptions.."I have seen fifteen colours in your hair" and the sights and horror that he was living with, is powerfully and cleverly done.  A few years ago in a garage sale, I found some postcards also written by a soldier to his sweetheart..it was sad to see them just thrown out in boxes so I have them now and often wonder what happened to him.  It's great to know that the couple you were inspired by were reunited after the war.

I love the third stanza..and the title..I'm really pleased that I got a chance to read this  

I am so glad you preserved this soldiers letters. In an age when very few men think of writing love letters such things are to be treasured. I have every letter and card that Ralph and I sent to each other over a period of 22 years and they give me great solace to read and re-read. Every woman should have a few love letters tied with ribbon ~ but then I am an incurable romantic!!  :blush21:

[Cybele]

Good morning Cathy,

I am very glad you enjoyed this.

I know I used poetic licence with the ending, but this was done deliberately as a tribute to all the sons and lovers who gave their lives in the trenches in the First World War.