These were originally written for a “Full Moon Social” celebration hosted by Jeff Schwaner in October 2014..
October 8, 1914
Listen…
three silences
none harsher than your breath
dissipating into the night’s
bright mouth.
Later
Rainfall
and wind. How I
would like to have touched you
if only with words trembling from
my lips.
October 8, 2014
A moon
that we might share
from mountain to the sea
a gift belonging to no one
but you.
Adelaide Crapsey’s last full moon lit the skies on October 4, 1914. She died four days later, at age 36. A poet well ahead of her time, she created the American cinquain, a five-line form of 22 syllables which I have followed in these three poems.
I discovered only after-the-fact that the Full Moon Social Jeff Schwaner hosted on October 8, 2014 fell on the 100th anniversary of Adelaide’s death. These poems were written with that particular evening still looming brightly in mind, to honor Adelaide Crapsey and the moon, whose separate but entwined lights we still share and celebrate.
In my hand is a copy of a slim volume of her poetry, titled Verse and published posthumously in 1915. The following cinquain is from this book:
Moon-Shadows
Still as
On windless nights
The moon-cast shadows are,
So still will be my heart when I
Am dead.
Those interested in further details on Adelaide Crapsey might look here: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/adelaide-crapsey
O at the Edges 
Beautiful, Robert. I love Adelaide’s cinquain form. Looking forward to trying it.
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Thanks, Sarah. It’s an interesting form – almost haiku-like.
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Beautiful individually and collectively. I especially like your notion of lingering separate but entwined lights … a poem in itself!
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Thank you, Jazz. These are the only cinquains I’ve written, but one of these days I’ll return to the form.
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Really beautiful works. You keep getting better and better…if such a thing is possible at your level of absolute mastery.
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Thanks, Daniel. I was quite taken with her poetry when I first read them, and had to attempt the form.
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Just beautiful. Thank you. I always leave this site with a good feeling.
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You’ve made my day, Barbara! Thank you.
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I have heard of the cinquian but never really practiced it until now. I kind of like the form. It is similar to the haiku but for my purposes seems to work better.
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You can achieve a similar effect with the cinquain.
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I agree.
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Nice!
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Thank you.
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No problem
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Thank you Robert, your honourable tribute has enlightened my day.
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Thanks, Ivor. It’s an interesting form. You might try it.
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I like your poems, but am saddened by Adelaide’s early death
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Tragic!
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A poetic tribute in every way, Bob.
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Thanks, Cate. Adelaide Crapsey deserves to be remembered.
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Lovely tribute. Adding to my lists of poets and forms. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe. I have a copy of the original edition of her book, but need to purchase the last edition, as it contains poems the first does not. One of these days!
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Our lists have lists…
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So true…
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A fine tribute. Bob.
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Thanks, Ken. She wrote some powerful pieces.
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