Wednesday, 24 July 2013

grapeling with words


you find
            your words are fire
            without flint or wind
            but with fury & shrill of the night

            how your words growl
            at the touch of another’s urge
            making your skin itch, surfacing nose

you find
             your words are water
             to the curious brow & sweet lips
             striking a cadence undeniably yours like a
             forgotten heartbeat

             your words have colors
             unfactored:   still-born moon, tender-lit sky, dark-grit storm  
             shading your heart, now spilling your guts

you find
            though you can make words
            disappear quickly
            as summer fireflies
            how they slice you open
            blue & shaken
            vulnerable as a root-




34 comments:

  1. Beautifully expressed, Grace. Love the many facets of words that you have brought out in this poem.

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  2. I love the comparison of words to fire and water. You have made excellent use of the words, Grace.

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    1. The word list from M was compelling & challenging ~ Thank you Kerry ~

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  3. Beautiful words in yet another lovely post Heaven, sometimes it's difficult to find the right words but you make it seem so easy.

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  4. ouch....words can be like water flowing, bringing comfort to the thirsty and hot...or a grenade that blows limbs off....that is for sure....

    popping in quick there is a water slide waiting for me...smiles.

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    1. Thanks for the visit Brian ~ Enjoy your summer with you children ~

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  5. Words can sure be colorful when out they spill

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  6. Oh Heaven - I'm touched by your title - it made me smile.

    I read your write aloud four times- the cadence rhythmic and compelling, the pace and sounds serving to underscore the actual words. You effectively employed parallel structure - You find - and then cascades of vivid images in each verse, self-contained but also additive to the others - they reminded me of multiple strands in a single rope, supporting and strengthening the overall tone. And then the final twisting stanza, each line like a hairpin - with that astonishing final line - vulnerable as a root.

    Thank you for this. You write beautifully. ~ M

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    1. Oh M, thanks for resurfacing and visiting my blog ~ Can I say I am missing your words & comments, smiles ~

      Your process & thoughts on writing guided me when I wrote this ~ And I love your post, how come you disabled your comments...where can I write how beautiful it is ~ Don't forget to come up for air from your hiatus, okay ~

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    2. I reactivated my blog so older posts can be read. There are a couple posts since last week, but I will likely not be contributing much to the prompts and links for a bit.

      Thank you for your support - it's easy to lose sight that my little contributions on occasion fall on willing ears. I appreciate your kindness very much. ~ M

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  7. So pith-perfection. Each word a raindrop. Cadence undeniably yours like a forgotten heartbeat.

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  8. You made these words sing, kiddo. And so brilliantly!

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  9. shrill of the night.... is no time for fight....

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  10. nice-- i love "summer fireflies/how they slice you open"

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  11. Fire and water on opposites but they flow beautifully, Grace!

    Hank

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  12. Your closing lines rock, Grace!! Love this!

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  13. This is great show how areal word nerd thinks!

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  14. "Words" how you command them..fantastic piece!

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  15. Words are like fire, water and have colors. If I want to keep myself awake, I should talk to this person whose words can be so descriptive.

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  16. I like the way you alternated your lead-in lines here, Heaven--really worked well, and your imagery was also spot on--the contrast of fire and water, and the final few lines are just excellent in the way they tell it like it is for those of us who grapple with words.

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  17. Love this! That last stanza is dangerously beautiful!

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  18. I especially love the image of words as brief as firefly lights.

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  19. This is wonderful, Grace. So many great words, great lines. I think mine would be "still-born moon, tender-lit sky, dark-grit storm"
    K

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  20. I love the final stanza-so vivid!
    Wonderfully done :D

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  21. Everything has been said so I'm simply add well done.

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  22. words are powerful as heat..
    calm as water
    and vibrant as colors.//
    just loved the whole analogy here :)

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Thanks for your visit and comments ~ I appreciate them ~