Sunday, July 21, 2013

The Absence



I grip the banister,
touch each sleepless stair
the door's salutation
sounds sadder in the dark.

Night swallows me,
one naked shoulder at a time.

I hear your voice in the crickets
fireflies remind me of the distance,
how each nocturnal window twinkles
from counties to countries.

How stars scatter
differently across your sky.


tk/July 2013 



Man and The Moon, 1990 by Andrew Wyeth 

39 comments:

  1. Delicious with a backstory that leaves me thinking about it long after I've read it. :)

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  2. I love this. One of my new favorite of yours, Tess.

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  3. beautiful. quiet evocation of night's magic and unrequited love. Ronaldo looking spruce, freshly shaved and sport-shirted.

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    1. Thanks Suki...he cleans up well, doesn't he?

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  4. Lovely write. The second stanza is stunning.

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  5. I echo Margaret's comment ... the painting and your poem mesmerize.

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    1. Forgot to add ... Mr. Stainforth is looking quite attractive in that blue shirt.

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    2. Love when he steps out of his black-and-white world...

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  6. "Night swallows me,
    one naked shoulder at a time."

    Lovely, lovely!

    Anna :o]

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  7. Distance... how it illuminates the face of that which we miss. And Nature, ever so sweet, reminding us that even across miles and miles we still share the same universe.

    This was lovely.

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  8. Forgive the classical music reference, but your poem reminded me so much of Beethoven's "To the Far-Off Loved One" ("An die ferne Geliebte").

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    1. A classical music reference never needs apology, Mr. B...

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  9. Oh Tess , I love this one. Such a melancholy mood ...

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  10. A sad poem but a beautiful one, as well. Some day I'd like to hear "the rest of the story."

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  11. Really enjoyed your poem. Great sound as well as imagery

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  12. Yup being apart is hard, love the last 2 lines.

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  13. WoW! I just love the swallowing of the shoulders. Astounding!

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  14. I can understand. It is a kind of art.

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  15. Tess- could you please remove my link as my Blogger is being naughty and I am trying to fix it! Thanks!

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  16. Tess- I fixed the problem= blog looks goofy, but it cn be read- so dont delete it- thanks!

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  17. Tess this poem is exquisite- lovely to read and hear.

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  18. very evocative.

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  19. How stars scatter
    differently across your sky

    The night is the same the world over, but still retains the difference. It takes the keen eye to detect it. Truly said Tess!

    Hank

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  20. I can well imagine a man sans culottes being assailed by such thoughts as he contemplates his motor-bike.

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  21. Oh, but are you just seeing the stars in a different same light?

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  22. Lovely. Your nocturnal window inspired my portal:)

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  23. Love this one, Tess. I find it haunting, and thought-provoking.

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  24. Lovely poem. Each sleepless stair... I hear your voice in crickets.

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  25. He's not black and white! Ok, sorry, now I'll go back and read/listen to the poem. :o)

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  26. Oh, I can taste the wistful in this one. Brilliant.

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  27. Beautiful poem Tess; and RADS in colour too!!

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  28. Oh how I have missed your words Tess....I love the way you have expressed absense and how great it grows in the dark of night.

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  29. This is stunning, I wish I could write like this! Wow

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  30. Night swallows me,
    one naked shoulder at a time.....wonderful write!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)