PASS A POEM: "Fragrance of an Idea" by David Elkins

The Pass a Poem Project is an idea initiated by Miles A. Coon, President of Palm Beach Poetry Festival, Inc.

I received a request to participate from Ann Campbell of Catamount Arts and passed the request on (as requested) to 20 other people, including singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton in New Orleans.

Carsie in turn passed the request to artist and all-around-extraordinary Tilke Elkins. Tilke sent me this poem by her father (and graciously allowed me the opportunity to post it here):

Fragrance of an Idea
by David Elkins

The perfume of an idea hangs in the air all afternoon —
We go over the wall of the Alhambra at midnight
A thin sliver of a silver moon
coaxes luminous roses
to just hold their color in the pale night
Spicy air presses down on spilling pools,
filled with the same stars
the old kingdom wept under
and lost.

We brim with a catching beauty —
for all we imagine we are —
and may not become.


Thank you, Tilke. At this point you're the only person to send me a poem. If my arithmetic is correct I could receive as many as 400 (I sent out 20 requests to people who were also asked to send out 20 requests each). We'll see . .