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Open Poetry #46
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OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa

0 posted 2010-12-26 04:18 PM



UNINHABITAT
3 July 2010

Dream shards
pierce your sun-walls
and inner cardio-sanctum,
but halcyon skies
of yesteryear
can hold tomorrow’s
fluffy snow-white reveries,
and hope
though dim,
wavers
in my sorrowed heart.

Owl


© Copyright 2010 Diana van den Berg - All Rights Reserved
Alison
Deputy Moderator 5 ToursDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 TourDeputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Rara Avis
since 2008-01-27
Posts 9318
Lumpy oatmeal makes me crazy!
1 posted 2010-12-26 04:56 PM


As I admire the way you write and your use of words to create a rainbow of poetry, I want to reach through the sceen and hug you as I time-travel back to July.

How's that for a sentence?

Love you, Owly.

A

secondhanddreampoet
Member Ascendant
since 2006-11-07
Posts 6394
a 'Universalist' !
2 posted 2010-12-26 04:58 PM


love those "halcyon skies ...
(and) fluffy snow-white reveries(!)"

Margherita
Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236
Eternity
3 posted 2010-12-26 05:25 PM


Dear Diana, your poem is incredibly poignant and almost mystic.

Love and hugs.
Margherita

JerryPat
Senior Member
since 2010-10-30
Posts 1991
Louisiana/America
4 posted 2010-12-26 06:41 PM


Where there lies a beating heart
A chance for love a la carte

. . . and the raven said, )!(%!~@~#&$ . . .

Marchmadness
Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 9271
So. El Monte, California
5 posted 2010-12-26 08:02 PM


Beautiful words, Owl. A powerful creation.
                      Ida

OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa
6 posted 2010-12-27 01:34 AM


Thank you my very dear friend, Alison.  Love you too.  You actually did reach through the screen because I got the hug and it did wonders for me.  I have become a bit of a hermit as my precious Daisy-dog went to Heaven on 18 December 2009 at the age of 14½ and my precious Tigger-cat went to Heaven on 26 October 2010 at the age of 15½.  I know others are going through much worse, but I just feel so lost and dead inside without my babies, although Flicka and Daisy and Tigger are altogether and happy and all send me cloud messages every day.  Besides I don’t have much time as I have a 4-day a week job at which I earn half a peanut and am trying to get my company moving but it isn’t easy on 1 day a week and then the community takes up a lot of my time too.  I come into Pip and read now and then and want to reply, but just haven’t brought myself around to it, but I will.  I haven’t written much at all either.  If I was rich enough, I would place an order for you to create me a time-machine too, so that I could be with Flicka, Tigger and Daisy again – it would have to be the very best time machine there is because it would have to be simultaneously for before Flicka went to Heaven (28/04/2002) and after I becames Daisy’s (24/05/2004), but if anyone can do that, I know that you would be able to.

Thank you, Bruce.  Yes, with your intimate bond with Nature, especially the skies and especially lately, I know you understand that part particularly.

Thank you, Margherita – you “got it” completely!  

Thank you, JerryPat.  It seems you are right, though I found it difficult to believe it was possible.

Thank you, Ida for your kind and appreciative words.

This poem was about the house next door.  I have lived next door to it since May 1983 and have had several neighbours, but the last ones were there for about 12 years and were my favourites.  Their family broke up and they left over a period of many months.  At first, the house was standing empty over weekends and the wife and youngest child were there during the week.  Then they left and the house stood empty for ages.  Then the husband and girl friend were there over the weekends and then sometimes stayed during the week.  They eventually left and said goodbye to me around the end of November.  The new neighbours took a couple of weeks or so to move in.  Before they moved in they cut the grass; then they fixed the roof; then they painted the roof (my 3rd-favourite green for a roof, but nice nevertheless); then they painted the house outside and it appears inside too.  The colour on the outside walls was a very elegant very pale stone colour which looked good with the roof, but more elegant than warm.  I loved the previous warm colour – a sunkissed pale peach that glowed happiness in the early and late afternoon sunshine.  They have now moved in properly and I found them to be lovely, lovely people when I went to welcome them and tell them about the community networks.  Thankfully, they have small children so there have been and will be more sounds of children playing next door.

At the time I wrote the poem, the wife and youngest daughter were staying in the house during the week as the child (Amahle) was going to the local school.  The other children were already staying with relations and at other schools.  I missed the sound of children playing next door.  I missed seeing the family and chatting over the wall from time to time.  I ached for the house.  It felt as though the situation was going on forever and that it would never be inhabited again (and in fact it was truly months before the new people moved in).  The house seemed so lonely and sad even when the sun hugged it in the late afternoon.  It had had children playing there for so many years – my own children played there with the then neighbours’ children so long ago too – I just couldn’t bear the house’s pain.  However, I had been sad for the house before, and yet it had had renewed happiness with new inhabitants several times over and I knew academically, that it could happen again, though emotionally it seemed almost impossible to me.  As lovely as the new neighbours seem to be, I wish they hadn’t made their house elegant rather than warm, but I can forgive them because I believe that the house is slowly starting to be happy again.

Owl

JamesMichael
Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336
Kapolei, Hawaii, USA
7 posted 2010-12-27 10:20 PM


Fine writing...so smooth...James
OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa
8 posted 2010-12-29 12:11 PM


Thank you James.  I am glad you enjoyed it.

Yesterday the trees next door started to be used again, for what they are intended - having happy children climbing them, whilst calling to their neighbour.  

A few days ago, to see washing on the line again warmed my heart and the lovely bright colours had me rushing for my camera to celebrate and commemorate them, the moment itself and its significance.  

Owl

Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049
California
9 posted 2010-12-29 05:57 PM


Owl...the best gift of all, is knowing that the sound of children's voices is a joyful thing.  Hugging you!
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354
Listening to every heart
10 posted 2010-12-29 06:12 PM


Sometimes, my dear friend,
hope will find a new wing
on which to fly to the light...

I certainly hope you see
all of that, and more, in the
New Year!


OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa
11 posted 2010-12-29 11:29 PM


Thanks, Martie.  You are so right.  I hadn't thought of it like that.  Hugging you back.

Thanks, Karilea, and to you too.

Owl

Amaryllis
Senior Member
since 2010-05-20
Posts 1306
Mi now
12 posted 2010-12-30 10:40 AM


Hello, Owl...nice to see you, and I am similar, because at times it`s hard for me to find time to be on Pip, and it`ll go weeks & months sometimes.  Anyhow...

This poem is touching, and threaded with hope!.     Even your reply, concerning the neighboring house, the paint colors, etc... is poetics!  I adore your affinity for the happy sounds of children playing next door, too, because I feel the same way.  Yet not all do...I once unfortunately had a neighbor that instantly disliked me, and my husband, and especially our children, though I could never figure out why. I had went out of my way to be warm, welcoming, and friendly, yet not overbearing. I recall it was difficult knowing the sounds of my boys playing games in the evening or early-ish mornings would raise that neighbor`s ire.  =(   It`s just a natural, healthy, happy sound, after all!  We did not stay there long.

But I digress. Your poem is perfect for the New Year, and it`s inherent optimism is charming! I`ve come to know your pieces, while dealing with the truth, will also leave a smile in the reader`s heart. Thank you for that.

Be well, and blessings in the New Year~
Amaryllis

OwlSA
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347
Durban, South Africa
13 posted 2010-12-30 01:28 PM


Thank you, Amaryllis, for your wonderful, warm, compassionate, communicative and appreciative reply and your kind words about my poem.  

I especially loved “I`ve come to know your pieces, while dealing with the truth, will also leave a smile in the reader`s heart. Thank you for that.”  Thank you for that!  

I have also come to know your poetry.  It is very beautiful, and deep and shows that what I said about your reply, is exactly who you are.  Thank you also for reading my lengthy explanations in the poem.

Wishing you a wonderful and blessed New Year too.

Owl

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