Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Coming in from the cold



“I am cold, even though the heat of early summer is adequate. I am cold because I cannot find my heart.” ~Sebastian Barry from his novel A Long, Long Way




how years spent away made me 
    stone cold            
grey clouds hovered, 
    pewter-shivered sky 

i scribble with anxiety
    hush
           hush
as time drags me here, reluctant
    stranger fulfilling obligations-

you are patient
recounting kinship-
telling me of your journey-
from winter's white blanket of trees,
to long summer drought-

you ink past 
with lake's gentle tides
you palm today
with long unmeasured 
   breaths  
         (breathe)

tangerine sun warms, spilling of green 
light, plentiful
I (re)discover 
    beat
           beat
-my own heritage-

I find
    thump
           thump
-my own heart-



Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Hosted by Walter Wojtanik.   Please check out our interview of Laurie Kolp and our prompt is the quote above.

This is day 3 of our 5th year anniversary celebration.   Thanks for joining us.

16 comments:

  1. A familiar beat leads us forward! Well written, Grace.

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  2. Yeah, this is great. Wonderful rhythm and sprinkled visuals/indentations throughout that make this extra appealing.

    These are my faves:

    "pewter-shivered sky
    i scribble with anxiety"

    "telling me of your journey-
    from winter's white blanket of trees"

    "you ink past" ... I love, love, love this line. I'm picturing a person slipping by you, but as ink, not as skin. I think you don't even notice them until they've marked you.

    "Tangerine" is one of your favorite words, I can tell. And I'm so glad it is. It makes your work all the more ... juicy. :)

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  3. This is my favorite poem today out on the trail, Grace, for you wrote something so profound, real & oddly romantic; raising hope that one might actually be able to revisit yesterday with new eyes. I love the lines (as do others /you ink past/with lake's gentle tides/.

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  4. Oh my Grace! One of your best. I read and re-read this. The images the uses of such devices as I scribble with anxiety hush hush. Really excellent use of this throughout without seeming contrived.

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  5. Oh the imagery, so much to miss, such wonderful nostalgia with pewter juxtaposed against tangerine.

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  6. hush hush, beat beat, thump thump...i could feel that, such living words..this poem is a treat Grace....

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  7. Nicely done to reconnect with that which never left. Your consciousness may have gone on a journey my wonderful friend, but of a truth the core may be silent but it always journey's within us.

    I would have it no other way, my past is mine, my homes are all mine, my life is mine and it is finally mine to feel and identify what i feel.

    Kind of like what you have done with this prompt.

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  8. Me cold on the outside all the time but just cuz me have to preserve fire inside, friend Grace :) ... Love, cat

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  9. Such breathtaking images in this poem, Grace :D especially love the reference to 'tangerine sun warms, spilling of green
    light, plentiful.. I rediscover beat beat.. my own hertiage' Beautifully penned (as always)

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  10. Sure thump on through as the words spring from you

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  11. Love how you find your heart in the end.

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  12. So many beautiful phrases in this....I especially love "pewter-shivered sky." A wonderful view of the prompt, Grace. Absolutely stunning. We can go back, to revisit our past -- but it's a shadow of reality...our heritage is within us. Lovely write.

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  13. As others have said, I love "pewter-shivered sky" as well. The poem felt like pulsing heartbeats. Wonderful!

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