Recently, David, of The Skeptic’s Kaddish launched an initiative called, Poetry Partners. It is an amazing initiative, which invites poets to submit a poem, and then David writes a response poem. I contemplated a poem to send to David for some time, and then finally did about a month ago.
Here is the poem I sent to David.
a lining of silver
I sit atop a tower, looking down at the flowers briar, calling to me at all hours
it is beauty seen in
the myriad contours and folds of life’s road — gold
and shining in the afternoon sun, watching from afar, they run
frolicking in nature’s bounty, like slivers of dust, the night away, they wash
as the clouds hang onto the love they feel within
gathering up our tears, a lining of silver remains thin
delivering back the tears collected, delight spreads across the land
as our tears seed hope and love inside the
flowers briar once again
Now, here is David’s poem in response to my poem.
A crystalline by ben Alexander of ‘The Skeptic’s Kaddish’
An arrogant little man looked out upon glowing sunflower fields.
If their lovely soul wouldn’t bow, he’d simply be forced to Dehull her.
“Forward! Bring that fucking bitch to me!” Soldiers marched, tanks rolled; rockets flew.
But the flowers resisted and stood tall against the might of his troops.
‘Grind them down!’ he shouted, enraged, ‘Press forward! We shall Extract our price!’
Tears flowed forth from the flowers, but they would not succumb to the Crude man.
Then, as though born of silver tears, a Refined lady rose from their midst.
The train of her golden gown trailed behind her, as she strode through the fields.
Thick clouds, hanging onto the love they felt within, gathered up the tears.
“True hope,” the gentlewoman declared, “shan’t be defeated by hubris.”
Deliberately, she stepped forward, unfazed by the bullets, and beamed.
Thank you again to David for partnering with me on this amazing collaboration. What fun!
Photo associated with a lining of silver by Layers, Pixabay