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Charles Ghigna - Father Goose®

the author of more than 100 award-winning books from Random House, Disney, Hyperion, Time Inc.,

Scholastic, Simon & Schuser, Capstone, Boyds Mills, Abrams, Orca, Charlesbridge and other publishers.

Mesmer Eyes

Ink Drawing by Chip Ghigna


He stares into the glare

of the blinding bright

white light

again tonight


He does not know

there is no

letting go

of the glow


Caught in its frame

like a moth to a flame

with no one to blame

but an X boxed game



©Charles Ghigna

9 comments:

Jennifer Lewis said...

I just read that you will be at the Decatur Book Festival this year! I am so excited!

Amy L V said...

This is haunting and terrifying and so lonely, perfect with the artwork. I love the rhyme scheme of this one and love the "moth to a flame" analogy too. A.

Charles Ghigna said...

Thanks, Amy. It's fun to take a risk and break the rules of rhyme to see what might happen. Two rules broken here: 1.) never rhyme more than twice in the same stanza and 2.) never ever rhyme the same word/sound (i.e. "know" "no"). That last one is definitely a "know no." ;-)

diane wurtele said...

Such Father/Son talent! You two make a good team!

Charles Ghigna said...

Thanks, Diane! Chip loved having you as his teacher at Edgewood!

Karen Stevens said...

Love,Love Love this! Definitely my favorite poet of all time but I really LOVE the artist!! So, so talented as I have always known. I will have one of his works on my
wall someday! So proud of Chip!

Joyce Ray said...

Love the title, poem and the art! And I think Wildflowers is perfectly wonderful.

Andromeda Jazmon said...

As a mom this poem sounds lonely and frightening. But from my son's point of view I think something is missing - the action in the center of the glow, that causes the attraction. There is real depth in the mystery here. Love the artwork too!

Mary Lee said...

Sad, but true.