Lost verses adrift in a spirit vessel, enraptured by the sea
Entwining lovers share secret vows, intone a bellwether song.
She expands and contracts infinitely in fractals of complexity
He paints the interstices of the soul, awakening her at dawn.
Eros’ love transgresses the boundaries of her aureate sanctuary
Psyche draws ley lines on the cartography of his pleasure, they belong.
Awestruck his arrant desire broke upon a volcanic shore
Ravaged tempest of bliss, hinterlands of her treasure redrawn.
He inscribes numinous glyphs, sacred awe, upon her salt-stained skin
Frenetic gulls scry along the gracile edge of a sunburnt sea, feathered throng.
Love’s touch shimmers along her skin, transmits a niveous joy
His mystical embrace calls her to transcendence, to Avalon.
Noctilucent clouds string traces of his artistry unraveling
Coruscant lines of love disperse, spoken and forever gone.
A Ghazal written for dVerse: Meeting the Bar. I have only tried this form thrice because of the need for syllable counts (each line should have the same number, in this poem it’s 16), 5-15 couplets that can each stand alone, and a rhyming scheme. While this ghazal does not conform to the letter of the poetic law I do hope it captures the spirit. It is dedicated to my soulmate and fellow poet, Dave.
Chromapoetica 
Hi Anna..lots of sonic pleasures in this one…coruscant, niveous, fractals of complexity, aureate , sanctuary, gracile edge…well done!
Thank you, I love the process of gathering words for a poem, layering their allusions, discovering the nuances in their music, and the beauty in their amalgamation.
I like all the ways of making marks on the world woven in and out of the couplets. Your rhymes provide a nice rhythm. (K)
Thank you, I rhyme once in a very blue moon so I appreciate you think it works here.
Beautiful sensuality!
Thank you, Bryan!
I can’t improve on the comment by sdtp33. The musicality inspires!
Thank you, the requirements of the form reinforce it.
Oh, this is exquisite, melodic, and deeply intimate, even though speaking in 2nd person. Forget about the traditional or contemporary rules; this is art. I’ve read it multiple times and this is a deep cut.
I am returning to poetry after an adventure in academia that required all my writing energy. Thank you for this feast of a comment, it made me feel that I’ve been warmly welcomed back home.
This is an outstanding ghazal Anna. Love the sensual and joyful ghazal specially this part:
Love’s touch shimmers along her skin, transmits a niveous joy
His mystical embrace calls her to transcendence, to Avalon.
So nice to read you again. Hope you are well and enjoying the summer.
My first attempts at the form were stilted. I was determined to manage something more refined on this fourth attempt. I’m happy to see you’re at the Pub and happier to read your beautiful work again! Thank you for the visit.
This is stellar… love how you captured the intensity of true passion… each couplet works standalone but together they form an epic.
Thank you, Björn, so happy you think it works; the ghazal can be tricky!
I adore it!
Thank you very much for visiting!
Wow wow wow! This is sensual, quintessential and BEAUTIFUL! I loved every nuance. It took me back to the sea (as you know I left the beach over five years ago). It’s good to read your work again. Every poem you’ve written that I’ve read has been special but this certainly captures the spirit of the Ghazal and captures your unique expression simultaneously. Always a joy to read you, Anna!
Gay, what a beautiful comment to get first thing in the morning! You’ve made my day! Thank you for the visit and the excellent prompt. You gave me a chance to see if it was possible for the ghazal and my style to coexist. I’m happy to hear you think I succeeded.
I love the verse where he paints her soul…
Thank you!
This has certainly worked itself into a beautiful poem and the images convey such sensuality. Very rich and you have refined or honed your ghazal skills to affect the reader.
Thank you, I’m happy to hear you think it works.