Salem

^_^ I had slow net.. Four post.

Third post... -.-

Slow net makes the comments to be post more than once...

Here is my comment from the contest's results.

The title immediately makes me think of the "Salem Witch trials" as well as it makes me wonder if the author would successfully relate the image to "Salem's town."
To my surprised, the author did a great job with the approach taken. The poet took advantage of the "honey-red" color of the eye and implemented it within the poem. The use of "Amber shades are mere reflections of . . ." creates a reminiscing effect which makes me believe this piece is based on the narrator's recollection of events and not of the character, per se. I am glad these events are narrated by a third person, and not in first person point of view. Especially after reading, "death trapped her purity," it would have been strange to imagine this woman narrating her story to us, unless she was a Witch (the type people were scared of) looking at her to be future. However, that is not what I gathered from this piece rather I thought this woman was a victim of ignorance and a victim of a trap; a trap set to her to make people believe she was a witch. The author used the metaphor "mice to cheese" to imply that ignorant people prosecutes her just as the mice prosecutes the cheese, and her as an innocent would perish. "Witches" seem to be the cheese of this poem and the mice "the devilish" ignorance. Or perhaps, what the author really intended to say metaphorically, it's that the lady was the mice who was lured by the cheese, so she could fall prey to their trap.

As far as similes go, the author used " as a lost book of shadows in a burning haystack," " as the marigold faltered in the wind of transparent anger," "like a cloud of confetti." All of these similes have something in common which are the colors yellow and red and makes the similes work with the image. However, I do have two nit picks. One in the simile "Like cloud of confetti," when I think of confetti I picture all type of colors (blue, violet, green, purple, etc.) and if I look at the picture I only see yellowish and reddish ones, which semi-distorts the image for me. Also the transition from stanza one to stanza two sounds a bit off. I mean the tone changes drastically, at least to me. I feel they don't mesh too well. Aside from those, the poet did a great job. This piece shows great narrative skills as well as creativity. If I think about it, this author focus was on the color (flames, anger, marigold, amber, burning, ignited, explosive, mice, shadows, and even cheese have the colors of the image, (red, white, black, yellow.. ) except the confetti one that includes more colors like blue and green which I don't see in the picture. :-s) However, I think the simile "like a cloud of confetti" was used to imply, the people were celebrating her demise. Well done.

P.s. on the last paragraph "The sin... the "The" would work better if it was in lower case, it seems it's a continuation/part of the third stanza.

Wow Maple, when I read your title I was not really sure about the content of them poem but it blew me away when I read it. Has to be one of your top 10 poems! ( for my opinion )

Amber shades are mere reflections
of a time long ago, hidden twixt
the iris of a mystery, such as a
lost book of shadows in a burning haystack.

- love the mystery in the opening verse, it is like you are saying between the lines, if you want to find out more then you have to read on! I really like the word twixt being used in poems, I think ot offers something antique to the poem and makes it unique. Your last line here of the book of shadows in a burning haystack, this line is just so powerful I could read it again and again without reading any other part of the poem, I love it!

She was labeled witch, but the memory
of her strength lives on, midst the flames
of devilish ignorance and mice to cheese,
the trap was set, the innocent shall succumb.

- you begin to tell us the story here and a bit of the history of the character, the judgement here by others and their views and beliefs against her own. Great metaphor use of the mouse and the cheese, shows innocence being tortured and killed when they have meant no true harm to anyone.

Death trapped her purity, as the marigold
faltered in the wind of transparent anger;

- this line is so powerful, it is like the dedication you make to her and empower her with, to tell us her story and show us her strength.

The sin was an explosive, which ignited
her spirit to feather fall, like a cloud of
confetti, landing upon a silent town called-

Salem

- and through her spirit she will live on!

I love this Maple, i thought the imagery was fantastic and the idea of it is very interesting and makes me want to know more.

incredibubble!