I feel what Wild Green Heart said, yours works so well as a pantoum; it tells a real story and yet, and yet there are so many mysteries and questions hanging as openings. I especially love "It seems every gift we are given also has a cost."
This is very effective. There's space for us to question and imagine, the details are specific and grounding. And I love that if begins with 'after', that's a very powerful place to begin.
I live the specificity of the setting - after the accident, resting at the bottom of the stairway, that you’ll paint it some day….gifts have costs. But from there we have only unanswered questions. Wanting more!
Thank you all for the kind words. I’m still not sure how I feel about the last line, it almost feels out of balance. What do you think? Any suggestions?
I love the cherishing of something so personal from my Great Grandmother's hands. These are the visible links of our ancestry, links of love that hold us, give us the strength to pass them on to the next generations.
I love how these poems make you question whether we're talking about the precious item or ourselves... like these precious items hold such a profound connection to who we are!
I wear two rings, one from my late mother-in-law and one from her daughter, my estranged sister-in-law. They both died with hopes unfulfilled and it means so much to me to carry these talismans of their lives on me. Your pantoum brought all these feelings rushing in. Thank you.
My husband and I each wear a interlaced three gold banded ring. I love to roll it through my fingers from time to time. Reading your poem adds the beautiful thought of passing it along through generations. We have no kids, but will need to think about who in our family we can pass these rings onto!
That is a lovely thought and question to ponder. Who in our family we can pass these rings onto? It seems that what is passed on when there is deep connection and intention is so more than an item or in this case a ring.
I love the random line... I can open jars with my left hand. I find it perfect within this piece and reminds me that surprises are important in poetry. Thank you.
The line that fascinated me here was 'a dash of gold I may someday pawn'. It spoke to me of life's unpredictability and experience, the I of the poem goes to always keep this bangle or bracelet but knows unforeseen circumstances might change that.
This makes me laugh and think of my blue and white teapot, the first item to greet me every morning that I'm home. I make my tea and read something special. Sundays are best because I read what all of you have written in response to Padraig's prompt. xoxo
How wise that you gave Lori a gift she could cuddle and then pass on to you. Your connection remains unbroken, may your heart continue to heal and stay full of love. This poem is a beautiful reflection of unending love. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Helen. The selection of an ordinary thing can show how well you’re known. My daughter was only eight and so accurately selected something so useful that delighted me for a gift. I wear the bathrobe around the house whenever there is the slightest chill because it’s so much fun!
After Danny’s accident it was given
Now it rests at the bottom of the stairway
Visitors stop and ask if I painted it
Smiling, I shake my head and say “Some day”
Now it rests at the bottom of the stairway
A childhood road in a winters light
Smiling, I shake my head and say “Some day”
Remembering that crisp fall night
A childhood road in a winters light
It brings some kind of hope that gets lost
Remembering that crisp fall night
It seems every gift we are given also has a cost
It brings some kind of hope that gets lost
Visitors stop and ask if I painted it
It seems every gift we are given also has a cost
After Danny’s accident it was given
I feel what Wild Green Heart said, yours works so well as a pantoum; it tells a real story and yet, and yet there are so many mysteries and questions hanging as openings. I especially love "It seems every gift we are given also has a cost."
I too love that line.
Thank you!🙏
This is very effective. There's space for us to question and imagine, the details are specific and grounding. And I love that if begins with 'after', that's a very powerful place to begin.
That's gorgeous. Works so well in this form 💚
Thank you
Wonderful, so emotive
Thanks!
this is so good, and profound. I can see the starway and all the imagery in my head
Really lovely
Thank you
Wow, what beautiful mystery you express Michael. I sense the loss and cost 🙏
Thank you
For me, the line works so perfectly to end this beautiful poem and story.
Thank you!🙏
So beautiful, thank you. 💕
Welcome🙏
I live the specificity of the setting - after the accident, resting at the bottom of the stairway, that you’ll paint it some day….gifts have costs. But from there we have only unanswered questions. Wanting more!
Thank you. Yeah, wanting more is a huge part of it all.
Wow! Beautiful and powerful
Thank you all for the kind words. I’m still not sure how I feel about the last line, it almost feels out of balance. What do you think? Any suggestions?
I "hear" this... thought since the form allows tweaking a bit something along the lines of "Danny's pain given over to paint."
He is so loved, thank you for this.
Nice, thank you
In a blue box from my Great Grandmother’s hands
By my pillow tucked under the quilt
She needs a wash
How often I lay awake at night and laze in the morning
By my pillow tucked under the quilt
Once white fur, a stained pink ribbon, bent whiskers
How often I lay awake at night and laze in the morning
An old, worn toy
Once white fur, a stained pink ribbon, bent whiskers
My body ached with dread and despair unnamed
An old, worn toy
My coherence and comfort
My body ached with dread and despair unnamed
She needs a wash
My coherence and comfort
In a blue box from my Great Grandmother’s hands
I love "she needs a wash."
I enjoy the care with which you stored your precious toy and the beauty your written words recall it!
I love the coherence and comfort from your Great Grandmother's hands . . . so tender
So precious. So simple and yet such lovely imagery! Thank you!
I love the cherishing of something so personal from my Great Grandmother's hands. These are the visible links of our ancestry, links of love that hold us, give us the strength to pass them on to the next generations.
wonderful , I love t
My grandmother’s wedding ring is a treasured gift.
I wear it on my left finger
Others rarely comment about the ring
It has been present to all the moments of two women’s lives
I wear it on my left finger
It is a simple gold band
It has seen the joys and struggles of two women’s lives
Others see it as a sign of commitment
It is a simple gold band
I hold it when I need to touch my deep center where love is
Others see it as a sign of commitment
It centers me and connects me to my dear grandparents.
I hold it when I need to touch my deep center where love is
Others hardly ever comment about the ring
It centers me and connects me to my dear grandparents
My grandmother’s wedding ring is a treasured gift.
I love how these poems make you question whether we're talking about the precious item or ourselves... like these precious items hold such a profound connection to who we are!
We are allways talking about ouselves
I wear two rings, one from my late mother-in-law and one from her daughter, my estranged sister-in-law. They both died with hopes unfulfilled and it means so much to me to carry these talismans of their lives on me. Your pantoum brought all these feelings rushing in. Thank you.
I wonder if our unfulfilled hopes continue to discover their fulfillment even after death on this side of the veil?
Thank you, Mary. That's a comforting thought.
Happy it brought you comfort!
'I hold it when I need to touch my deep center where love is.' I felt this line come alive as I read it. Thank you!
Agree Wendy! Simply beautiful. Thank you Deacon Joanne
I love, "It has seen the joys and struggles of two women's lives."
I pray it will journey and see the joys and struggles of many more lives as well.
My husband and I each wear a interlaced three gold banded ring. I love to roll it through my fingers from time to time. Reading your poem adds the beautiful thought of passing it along through generations. We have no kids, but will need to think about who in our family we can pass these rings onto!
That is a lovely thought and question to ponder. Who in our family we can pass these rings onto? It seems that what is passed on when there is deep connection and intention is so more than an item or in this case a ring.
I feel the circle of this band. 💕
I love that thought. Thank you so much Sue.
Love it, I also did one about my ring
From Ubud, Bali - a shop in the middle of town
I wear it on my left wrist, always
It’s different, unusual shape, nice
I can open jars with my left hand
I wear it on my left wrist, always
Silver and shiny, round and angular, light and tough
I can open jars with my left hand
A part of me, always there
Silver and shiny, round and angular, light and tough
When I get dressed, I move it over or under my clothes
A part of me, always there
A reminder of coming home to myself
When I get dressed, I move it over or under my clothes
It’s different, unusual shape, nice
A reminder of coming home to myself
From Ubud, Bali - a shop in the middle of town
I love the random line... I can open jars with my left hand. I find it perfect within this piece and reminds me that surprises are important in poetry. Thank you.
the more I read it the more it surprises me too!
Lovely
I love the care you take to keep your honor your Ubas Bali bracelet(?)
“A reminder of coming home to myself” ❤️
On the wrong side of town,
close to my body,
you kept it.
I am waiting, still hoping.
Close to my body
a small tarnished amulet.
I am waiting, still hoping,
unsure.
A small tarnished amulet
in a time of despair.
Unsure,
close your eyes and let go.
In a time of despair
you kept it.
Close your eyes and let go
on the wrong side of town.
My goodness. It's so beautiful. The short lines say so much. "Unsure" feels like a chant, or a wish...
What a lovely thing to say, many thanks
really love the short lines, so effective, wonderful
Sublime... thank you for what feels like delicate bluntness... the depth of haiku. sharp and caressing. Unsure. And the end...
I love this!
That's stunning. Love it! 🔥
Thank you, that's kind of you to say
Found by my son in a cleft beside the river
Holy and enchanted, kept upon my altar
"Beautiful" some say, though most are silent
The secret of his death tucked deep inside
Holy and enchanted, kept upon my altar
Delicately slender, smooth and sharp
The secret of his death tucked deep inside
Others see a husk of what once was
Delicately slender, smooth and sharp
Bestowed a place of honour at my party
Others see a husk of what once was
But I see living water in these bones
Bestowed a place of honour at my party
"Beautiful" some say, though most are silent
But I see living water in these bones
Found by my son in a cleft beside the river
*
This was a beautifully simple prompt, Padraig, and fun to make. Thank you
such beautiful rhythm and subtle changes. radiance.
Thank you, deeply 🙏🏼
Left for me by my beloved grandad
Permanently worn on my left hand
Wow, you're young to be married
It's twin meant more to Grandma
Permanently worn on my left hand
Delicately solid, surprisingly suited
It's twin meant more to Grandma
Less blokey than most can bare
Delicately solid, surprisingly suited
As she slipped it, promised, glowed
Less blokey than most can bare
I'm loved to the grave and beyond
As she slipped it, promised, glowed
Wow, you're young to be married
I'm loved to the grave and beyond
Left for me by my beloved grandad
I'm loved to the grave and beyond. What a precious line. Your poem gave me images of your grandparents, and their story as well as yours. thank you.
Love it - less blokey than most can bare !
Another ring carrying a lot of weight, permanence, meaning, solidity, suitability and a love so powerful it transcends even death.
Three Letters from Thirty Years Ago
He wrote them to me when I moved away at nineteen.
I kept them in a box under my desk, by my left ankle.
No one else knew about them, how often I read them.
I wished I had been more mature, able to answer.
I kept them in a box under my desk, by my left ankle.
One said, When you come back, let’s go straight to bed.
I wished I had been more mature, able to answer.
Only my therapist knew about them, all that time.
One said, When you come back, let’s go straight to bed.
I read them every time my now ex-husband made me cry.
Only my therapist knew about them, all that time.
They were a promise that, one day, we would reunite.
I read them every time my now ex-husband made me cry.
No one else knew about them, how often I read them.
They were a promise that, one day, we would reunite.
He wrote them to me when I moved away at nineteen.
Oh how moving Stefanie. The yearning.
Thank you, Padraig!! I loved this prompt so much and learning how to write a pantoum :)
Oh the ache...this is eloquent. May you smile some day knowing you are beyond allowing others to make you cry.
Thank you, Patty 🙏🙏🙏 I’m thankful that I already am. 💜☺️
Love this so much, 'by my left ankle'
I long for you to reunite !
Thank you!! 🙏😌
Roads not taken. Makes me wonder, is the person around still? Beautiful words.
This is so sad and beautiful. I feel like I've had a glimpse of your soul.
Thank you, Jo. Truly. That is such a beautiful thing to say.
Such a huge story in so few lines, echoing within my own stories. Thank you.
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad it resonated.
Late one afternoon a friend and I played together and as I left she gave me her ukulele.
It rests on the wall next to three others. Sometimes, it rests on the lounge or on my bed.
How pretty is its grain and shape—a tenor and larger than the ones most people see.
Only we know the way it makes my bones sing, our secret until I pluck its strings.
---
It rests on the wall next to three others. Sometimes, it rests on the lounge or on my lap.
Dark and yellow tan timber, curvaceous, a pretty face and, oh, a joy to hold.
I know the way, if held close, it will make my bones sing, our secret, until I play.
Aligned with Hawaiian beach songs, frivolous and nothing to be taken seriously.
---
Dark and yellow tan timber, curvaceous, a pretty face and, oh, a joy to behold.
Late this evening I played softly so as not to wake my friend—a study in F.
Aligned with Hawaiian summer songs, frivolous and nothing to be taken seriously.
An allegretto into presence, a timeless sensuality, an aliveness of my senses.
---
Late this evening I played softly so as not to wake my friend—a slow and graceful study.
How pretty is its grain and shape, a tenor, larger than the ones most people know.
An allegretto into presence, a timeless sensuality. I am reminded to experience my self.
Late one afternoon a friend and I played together and she gave me her ukulele.
---
Thanks for letting me into your world. String instrument really do rainwater in your bones I need to get mine repaired
There is something mystical in playing strings. Please remember to fix and play that thing. 🙂
You make me want to pick up my long neglected beautiful ukulele and PLAY it....just keep learning.
really lovely
What a lovely gift. This really expressed how a shared love can bring people together and that echo can last a lifetime.
Just the word ukulele and I’m in love! Beautiful pantoum
We picked it up on a shopping street.
I carry it with me every day.
It's so thin, they barely see it.
I take it out when I'm unsure about something.
I wear it on me every day.
A dash of gold I may someday pawn.
I take it out when I'm unsure about something.
A solid show of stability and success.
A dash of gold I hope I'll always keep with me.
In fleeting moments, I recall how much I love him.
A solid show of stability and success.
I'd wear another if it were from the same man.
Sometimes it crosses my mind how much I love him--
So thin, they barely see it.
I'd only accept another if it were the same man.
We picked it up on a shopping street.
I love the revelation and mystery combined in this pantoum as well; the love is clear, the man a bit hidden.
The line that fascinated me here was 'a dash of gold I may someday pawn'. It spoke to me of life's unpredictability and experience, the I of the poem goes to always keep this bangle or bracelet but knows unforeseen circumstances might change that.
recalling in fleeting moments, whether "they" are aware, of how much I love him
thank you !
a gift
in the kitchen cabinet
not much
our daily meeting time
in the kitchen cabinet
blueish, wide top, hefty handle
our daily meeting time
mostly unnoticed
blueish, wide top, hefty handle
won’t tell you
mostly unnoticed
morning delight
won’t tell you
not much
morning delight
a gift
This makes me laugh and think of my blue and white teapot, the first item to greet me every morning that I'm home. I make my tea and read something special. Sundays are best because I read what all of you have written in response to Padraig's prompt. xoxo
'wont tell you' - wonderful
Jack O- Lantern
I find it on a shelf
The top shelf of a library
Others say its scary
Its a Halloween memory
The top shelf of a library
Black and White
Its a Halloween memory
Sits out on a grey mantle
Black and White
When the leaves fall
Sits out on a grey mantle
Its a mystery
When the leaves fall
Others say its scary
Its a mystery
I keep it on a shelf.
Siobhan, a pantoum
I bought her online as a gift for Lori during her journey with cancer
Now that Lori is dead, Siobhan stays in my bedroom on my grandmother’s chair
She is a good companion helping me with feelings of loss
She and I often talk with each other
Now that Lori is dead, Siobhan stays in my bedroom on my grandmother’s chair
Siobhan is a sweet stuffed teddy bear with expressive eyes
She and I often talk with each other
Others have seen photos of Lori with Siobhan and found comfort in that
Siobhan is a sweet stuffed teddy bear with expressive eyes
When my grief for Lori is intense I sometimes hold and hug Siobhan
Others have seen photos of Lori with Siobhan and found comfort in that
Siobhan remains a direct connection between Lori and me
When my grief for Lori is intense I sometimes hold and hug Siobhan
She is a good companion helping me with feelings of loss
Siobhan remains a direct connection between Lori and me
I bought her online as a gift for Lori during her journey with cancer
Absolutely beautiful. I love the line, "When my grief for Lori is intense I sometimes hold and hug Siobhan."
Really lovely, I can feel your love for Lori and for Siobhan.
How wise that you gave Lori a gift she could cuddle and then pass on to you. Your connection remains unbroken, may your heart continue to heal and stay full of love. This poem is a beautiful reflection of unending love. Thank you for sharing this.
beautiful
I’m so sorry Lori died. I hear the grief in your poem.
Beautiful 🥰
Devil’s Claw
Tucson desert, rocky, dry
Now hanging from atop a jar
It cannot be from here or now
Made to last beyond time or place
Atop a jar , a curled claw hanging
Two long arms embrace an empty pod
Unchanged time expressed
Looking like a prehistoric remnant
Two long arms embrace an empty pod
Kept safe while moving home to home
Looking like a prehistoric remnant
A continuity of life, unchanging
Kept safe while moving coast to coast
It cannot be from here or now
A continuity of life unaging
Tucson desert, rock, sand, life.
Oh, I love the change in the line . . . a continuity of life, unchanging . . .. a continuity of life unaging . . . brilliant !
The Best Present
Bought for me by the one who knows me through and through.
Hanging up, honored by the use of one of the precious few hooks.
“It’s so gaudy. What you’re wearing is tasteless showiness.”
It knows the response of the temperature of my skin rising.
Hanging up, honored by the use of one of the precious few hooks.
The softest brightest pink you have ever seen. A regal bathrobe.
It knows the response of the temperature of my skin rising.
Can I keep my skin in contact with the furry cuddly warmth of it?
The softest brightest pink you have ever seen. A regal bathrobe.
If I’m constricting from the cold, it’s wrapped my body neck down.
Can I keep my skin in contact with the furry cuddly warmth of it?
It means my daughter loves me. I am lovable. I am a queen, free.
If I’m constricting from the cold, it’s wrapped my body neck down.
“It’s so gaudy. What you’re wearing is tasteless showiness.”
It means my daughter loves me. I am lovable. I am a queen, free.
Bought for me by the one who knows me through and through.
Oh Queen! You have a lovely daughter - who has great taste!
Thanks for feeling that!
I love that such an ordinary thing can carry a meaning so strong as 'it means my daughter loves me."
Thanks Helen. The selection of an ordinary thing can show how well you’re known. My daughter was only eight and so accurately selected something so useful that delighted me for a gift. I wear the bathrobe around the house whenever there is the slightest chill because it’s so much fun!
The old green quilt
She came to me with the old house
She travels with me wherever I go
Folks says she is warm and soft
She soothes the tight pull of wounds and scars
She travels with me wherever I go
In flowing greens of summer she is clothed
She soothes the tight pull of wounds and scars
Unremarkable, she beckons with her soft, sure ways
In flowing greens of summer she is clothed
Far away, for a time she went missing
Unremarkable, yet she beckons with her soft and sure ways
She wraps around me as a mother‘s arms
Far away, for a time she went missing
Folks say she is soft and warm
She wraps around me as a mother’s arms
She came to me with the old house .