What mystery dumped us
in midlife of our imagination
where we find ourselves
dizzy, spinning, sputtering
that we have so little time
to do so much
words half-strangling us,
need a place to be
like fat round words
trying to find a seat
on an already traveling bus
who shall we blame
when the last poem is not written
because we shorted ourselves
with world-worry
look, sister, the world is waiting
hands outstretched for us,
heads leaned in and listening
for ways to find smoother paths
have we offered that, yet
or have we stumbled, like tumbleweed
tricked into one fence after another
by willful fateful winds
that have blown tattered souls to us
and kept us from spinning wonderfully wild
what chance there is, for one more moving phrase,
we must grasp at and let it fly us
from this dowry of love that has had us
stumble in the first place
into words that bind us, hold us caught
in between that life and this life
where landscape runs red
with dry dear things that left welts
on this home we call our own
uproot yourself, dear heart,
soar wherever wild wings
and deep dear swing of fresh air takes you
what staleness this is that holds its breath
while we hang, half-strung between poems
and birthdates
Author notes
For my dear soulsister..happy today!!!!!!!!
In a list
- Written for Pen Friends and A Pack of Poets • next in list
- My Favorite AP Poets • next in list
- List of Poems Written for Me by AP Poets (under construction) • next in list
A contest entry
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIGHT HOPE CONTEST!!!!! by Elvis.
1000 points, ended September 26, 2007, 5 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 48 of 48
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a lovely gift to Night Hope
This a gift to any one who reads it! well penned
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Excellent description, i could imagine it all like a picture, creative choice of words, they were really captivating and so true! This poem was really different, each comparison brought another aspect to the poem!
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excellent
Fantastic poem. Hope I'm not too late already in wishing Wanda a fab birthday!
"All life is poetry" ... my ultimate philosophy these days, in good and bad times. Takes the edge away from things and lends a little clarity to a topsy-turvy world!
Life is the ultra-muse for the poet-spirit, so much can happen in a short time. We're all wandering through a maze of moments: to quote a line from Roma Ryan ... "How far is it from beginning to end?" They say "always follow the heart", and I lend my own nodding head to that sentiment, but what of the way, when one's heart is lost?!!! I wonder!
The everyday life is not all life, though even in its ritualistic nature there are many things we may glean for poetry; each poet's eyes hold the way of the world in a different light. The visions of the collective of poets is a vast spectrum indeed! From all life we can draw poetry .. written words from spoken dialogues ... from the visuals of nature and the world around us ... not forgetting from dreams and the world within us.
Time is short. To quote Roma again, using the English translation of her lyrics ...
"The eyes of a child can lay asleep
not knowing
time could never be enough.
The eyes of a child can cry.
I cry.
The same child within me cries.
I grew to remember the promises of youth,
and walked the road of destiny,
and walked the road that was to be mine."
There is never time enough, nor chance, to write "that last poem," because the one we each may write - before our journey's end - would not intentionally be "our last" - with more days under our names we would write further into time, more poems would be generated ... fate defines which words shall be our last. I say we should always make each poem count!
I like to go "out there" amid life ... to place myself among the whirl and swirl of humanity ... to situate myself in the serene nature spots ... sometimes too, I enjoy the solitude within my walls. A balance of all things keeps the creative spirit enlivened! Fortunate am I that I have the next three years free in which to write full time, indoors or out!
A wonderful poem, Shewolf. Lots of thoughts can be drawn from this!
And a happy birthday to Wanda, be my greeting belated or otherwise, lol!
Stuart
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An excellent poem and a well-deserved winner--congratulations!
Bill
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Dear Carol, this is not just a birthday poem, but one for turning from yesterday to today. I love your phrase "we stumbled, like tumbleweed", and throughout your metaphors describe the seeker truly. Congratulations on your gold, very worthy.
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aw, brother....how I wish to be up with you guys in these next few weeks, but I do have a grandaughter who will need to meet her grandmother as soon as her ittle eyes open.
I love you,brother...but then, you know that. 
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ty, carol.... I know you better in real life...and I sure do miss your gentle sweet spirit sometimes.... when I need a hug... here's one jsut so I can get one in return *grin
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So touching and beautiful from one wonderful poetic soul to another....
Beautiful poem, Carol and
Happy birthday to Wanda!
Lynda
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I am so lucky to have such a friend as Wanda.
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I can't believe the year has passed and I have danced to delightfully in all the beauty and insight you have created. Shewolf has again captured beautifully you and given insightful vision of you and as you do. I could go on but it would only gild the lily. Happy Birthday Wanda
and thank you shewolfnative may the jubilation of creation live long and full of joy.
~ Tom B.
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We have known each other so deeply, wihtout ever meeting...and this two years have really been something special to me.... such friends are hard to find.
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Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I am left speechless my sister. You are indeed Wanda's soul sister.
"who shall we blame
when the last poem is not written
because we shorted ourselves
with world-worry"
I contemplate these lines and savor their essence.
Splendid work! The best to you in this tribute challenge. Got to get my entry in here.
Much Love ♥
Renee
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There is not much to say that has not been said of Wanda...so I chose what was in my heart.
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This is such a heartfelt, and precious gift you have given her, wow. I wish I could've said this as well~ my mind goes blank on paying tribute to dear friends, I don't know why. But thank you for sharing this, I loved this. Wanda deserves only the best, and this is it.
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I felt really humble doing this for her..I stalled and stalled because so much has already been said of her..then, I realized it woudl do her injsutice not to write one..so I opened my heart and this is what scrolled out.
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sorry, forgot your clappies - i must be forgetting things, its an age thing i'm sure
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i would not have expected anything less than outstanding from this poet and i am blessed to see such a wonderful tribute to an amazing poet - both of you such prolific writers, both such steadfast friends. funny, (odd funny, not ha ha funny) i just had my fifty ninth on the twenty third. Happy Birthday, you sure deserve a good one.
blessings and best wishes,
~richard
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ah..I turned 60 the end of July...hwo that happened, I will enver know...but it has..and I still feel fairly spring chicken..
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bravo
A wonderful and most terrific poem here! I loved this twice potent lines:
or have we stumbled, like tumbleweed
tricked into one fence after another
by willful fateful winds
that have blown tattered souls to us
and kept us from spinning wonderfully wild
fine, fine poem.... bravo... bravo...
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ty pen friend...to write such a poem for such a writer is indeed something to clamor for the very best... I am glad everyone liked it.
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49
So what is a number? Lovely poem about a beautiful and talented poet! This will make her very proud indeed I think!
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Our friendship is amazing to me...one never knows when stars will cross and someone extra special lands both feet right in front of your screen.
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Tumbleweed heaven....
There are times when I seriously wonder if I'll ever be able to put my full thoughts to words on paper, feel the fresh breath of imagination, to set words aflame from the heart to share with the world the way you just did. What would it be like to find oneself "spinning wonderfully wild" with the joy and vibrance of a whirling child just full of being and nothing else to hinder delight and epression, creation and beauty.
"Hung between half-spun poems and birthdates"...half-baked dreams and time, half-finished painting, or a language only half learned, seeds sometimes planted too late for summer, endangered by the end of a growing season. It takes living to finish it all and find the beginning, doesn't it? And we should not be afraid to speak it.
I can't help falling into your words. Hope yet. ~ K
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yes yes...and the glory of all of it is what waits jsut around the corner.. I knwos it
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So many poems, so little time. It's sort of like trying to grow up when young and growing young when we're old. Our lives are occasionally an exclamation mark, sometimes a question mark, but when love is near and leaves its mark...when it's time to come or go, let's do it gently.
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Oh yes timpthy...rae and gloriously gently....but never quietly
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every word of this write is a treasure [but that is exactly what I have come to know from such a wonderful lady]I hope your thoughts and your pen never stop sharing......
and for you sweetie[Wanda], "have a wonderful birthday-soar wherever wild wings and deap dear swing of fresh air takes you"
much love to both of you
xoxoxoxo
reenie
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how dear you are to me with the comments you give, my friend...
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<
Yep, she surely did.
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words half-strangling us,
need a place to be
like fat round words
trying to find a seat
on an already traveling bus..
This is the Wanda I know, always needing to place some words....always something wonderful and wonderous to say and always knowing exactly how to say them.
have we offered that, yet
My answer would be yes...and the offering is and always will be grand.
What a wonderful poem for such a beautiful soul...my friend Wanda.
~Lyrical
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ty pen friend...she is wonder to me, for sure.
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what staleness this is that holds its breath
while we hang,
such a thought to ponder.
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lfie sure can hold us in some dead air space sometimes.... when we know each other as well as Wanda and I do...sometimes those dead air spaces happen at the very danged same time. ty for your comments.
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"look, sister, the world is waiting
hands outstretched for us,
heads leaned in and listening
for ways to find smoother paths
have we offered that, yet
or have we stumbled, like tumbleweed
tricked into one fence after another
by willful fateful winds
that have blown tattered souls to us
and kept us from spinning wonderfully wild"
Whoaaa. Ya had me from "hello" & there will n'er be a "goodbye". I hear ya, my Sister. Loud & clear. I love your writing almost as much as I love you..."'cause God said I could." Nicky told me you'd written a poem for my birthday. He didn't say it had a map to salvation & peace written all over it. Geez, Woman. You speak in a glorious whisper that my heart & soul cannot help but hear & heed. Thank you will never be enough. Those times when words fail even Poets??? This is one of 'em. I'm watching the first episode of "Saving Grace" again. You couldn't have penned this at a better time. Good luck in Cherokee's contest, Sweetie. Thank you for Being, my dear, dear Friend. 
Wanda
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oh, watch beaches... that is myf avorite alltime girlfriend movie.
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I've seen it more than a few times. I love Bette Midler. 
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what a nice poem for a birthday. superb.
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ty Michael Thomas.....she truly is a tresure to me.
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"uproot yourself, dear heart,
soar wherever wild wings"
and this too:
"what staleness this is that holds its breath
while we hang, half-strung between poems
and birthdates"
Aah but the poems, the poems the two of your.. I can only applaud and say amen, sisters. Beautiful birthday poem for Wanda (Vlindertjie), my friend...this one grabbed me by the heart! Fly on, up up and away....!
~ Nicolette
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you as well as I ....we are such humble recipients of her hoenst, pure and lvoely friendship...isn't life grand for that?
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You've given your Soul Sister some straight from the shoulder advice... Damn, I was so caught up in your words, it got me a thinkin' too...
"what chance there is, for one more moving phrase,
we must grasp at and let it fly us
from this dowry of love that has had us
stumble in the first place
into words that bind us, hold us caught
in between that life and this life"
Wanda will eat it up, my Friend!
What a wonderful birthday gift!
~ Nicky♥
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hee he...did I say I don't have hidden agendas? hee hee
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AWESOME!!!!!
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ty cherokee.... an honor, truly.
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