Today we have another great Folding Mirror poem by Sarah James.
eTips Folding Mirror Feature
But firstly I’d just like to mention that Caroline Gill has written a substantial feature on the Folding Mirror poetry form in the eTips summer issue, which is edited by Wendy Webb.
There are Folding Mirror poems by Caroline, myself and several other poets, as well as lots of other great poetry, writing and advice.
If you’d like a PDF copy please let me know, or ask Wendy at eTips.
Sarah James and Mistress Clover
Now over to Sarah James for her epic new Folding Mirror, which is preceded by her explanation.
The Form Blossoms and Grows
Over the past week, I’ve been folding and unfolding the possibilities of Marc’s form. My poem Mistress Clover was consciously written as a folding mirror poem. Initially, a simple observation of rain on clover in my garden, this soon became a metaphor for luck (as seen in card games), power and fickleness, in the form of infidelity. The triangular nature of such a relationship is symbolised by the clover’s three leaves, ironically one short of the supposedly lucky four leaves.
I liked the fact that the folded mirror form gave me the two women (sides) fighting over one man, and the swing from mistress back to wife (as well as the swinging nature of luck). But I then decided to try folding the poem again – so that each stanza/mirror side folded in the pivotal line ‘aced’ is itself folded around a pivotal mirror line (‘count’ and ‘ring’). The claustrophobic, disorientating/deceptive ‘hall of mirrors’ effect of the multiple folding seemed ideal for the subject matter…
Three-leaved but still lucky enough, maybe,
your club hand catches each jewel
of rain intact
count
them as teardrops
see how each one gives you
the perfect poker hand over her
aced
but in the end the Queen
of true hearts may reclaim them
for her diamond
ring
sometimes love’s pale
spaded flowers produce the strongest suit
bleed luck to keep a promise
mistYmuse 
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