In my previous poetry post (7/27 - Silens, Yu Sperets!) I presented what I call a “reverse ballad.” Stylistically, the slowly evolving refrain leads and shapes the narrative, rather than responding to, and commenting on it.
Here, Heloise, in her convent, has just received a letter from Abelard, after his abandonment of her (more or less). She is composing this response to him. Have you seen this woman lately?
The Werld Dizzolvd in a Teerdrop
Tu him hu wuz a Gode,
Or rather, Ruler ov the miendz ov Frans;
My harts konkerer, or rather,
Him hu haz alwayz inhabbitted my Sol;
My Abballar, frum yur Helloweez, Bride ov Ajez.
The oenlee revvellaten I am evver knowen
Iz that ov yur tuch, the intens knowen
Ov plezzher liting my boddee like a lamp.
Wut iz relijjen but a pale shade
Ov the holee yuenyen* that we knu so well? *union
A koppee ov yur letter sekretlee arrievd,
Yur "Kullammittee" yu kawl it. Bitter frute we plukt,
And now I am muther tu a rase ov sorroez.
I koud nevver hav immajjind this loenleeness I feel.
I koud nevver hav immajjind that the werld iz so strong,
And we, so herowek, so eezellee vangkwisht.
We! So prowd! so eezelee fell.
The sheets ov yur letter ar spred arownd my sell.
I kannot reed them a paje at a time,
Eech hidden moment, eech unreveeld werd.
I kannot endure the leeving ov time.
Evree surfas ov my rume yu ar userp.
Teerz bler my eyz and drip on yur werdz.
Thay lift the eenk and make it swerl,
Yur werdz take on a life ov thaer oen.
Wun werd straenjlee tranzformd intu Heebru
Annuther fannd owt tu a snoeflake, a star.
Like a staend glass windo intu yur Sol.
Behiend eech werd iz a hidden werld.
Behiend eech letter, behiend eech thot
Iz a seekret life. My teerz fawl;
Thay peers the serfas, and an aenjel eskaeps,
Singing himmz, he sez I wuns toeld him,
But the werdz ar tuu suttel for me now tu hoeld.
If oenlee yu wer here tu interpret...
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