Thursday 6 December 2007

lifeline of directions--Totally Optional Prompts



vaseline slips through fingers-
a dash here, a dash there.
fingers walk on each other
with no clear destination.
pause a while, rub a nail

feeling the zagged edges.
knuckles wait for their turn
fisting into palm, whispering.
both ends of lifeline meet,
exchanging pleasantries.

hands hold whole of universe
needing no other direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read more road signs...


22 comments:

  1. I like this, especially,
    "both ends of lifeline meet
    exchanging pleasantries."

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  2. A lovely write.....especially the last few lines!

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  3. You've taken a simple, everyday action and elevated it. Well done!

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  4. hands hold whole of universe
    needing no other direction.


    so very true Gautami

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  5. such a simple poem.. you made it sound so lovely tho,, i had to read it twice to make sure you were just talking about rubbing vaseline on your hands....

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  6. I like the way your words circle, work and come back to the ultimate line.

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  7. Another really strong one, G. So very vivid... Wow.

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  8. effortlessly writen as if you composed this in tranquil mood. lovely stuff.

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  9. Agree with ...deb. In fact that is the strength of the poem, IMHO.

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  10. Looks like you've got the whole world in your hands -

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  11. A clever & effective take on the prompt. I like 'zagged edges' & the final two verses close the poem perfectly.

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  12. ... the fine line between pornography and art. You are so damn clever! A beautiful sly touch, my dear.

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  13. Gautami, this is an amazingly tightly-woven compact poem. Your style brings to mind the masters like Dom Moraes, Stephen Spender and R.S. Thomas -whose poems used to be my staple diet in college years. Five stars, for you and your inimitable style. Keep surprising us.
    Cheerz!

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  14. Hi Gautami,

    Thanks for stopping by today.

    For poetry critiques, you really should give www.thenextbigwriter.com a try. I know the poets there get a lot of input on their works.

    Good luck!

    Mike

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  15. The hand in all its intricacies, all the nuances of touch... very well done, gautami!

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  16. Hi Gautami,

    I like the idea of your hands holding the universe.

    Rose

    xo

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  17. I also had to re-read and make sure you were talking about rubbing vaseline on your hands. Nice tease there, and well written as usual.

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  18. I'm addicted to Vaseline! I use it on my lips, though. I totally identified with this poem!

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  19. Such beautiful imagery - starting with such a strong line. Just lovely.

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