Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss;
crushed petals, missed elevators,
orange marmalade on a morning less than certain,
the mere idea infused with verisimilitude offers comfort to a certain degree,
but here’s the thing, it’s very grounding.
I am not sure that I am actually here,
though incessant humming of city outside the window states otherwise;
abalone sky heart in a world where darkness reigns,
where writing down the truth as opposed to lies is condemned—
eventually we feel ourselves to be forgotten.
People are just a little bit more cold, a little bit more cautious these days,
unable to choose between lavender and oblivion,
can you blame them?
Gone are the days when sod covered knees were met with appreciation,
it’s all about neo-pronouns now; I long for the time
when nobody stared at me for being that odd person taking a picture
of a torn-up piece of paper with a poem on it.
Just so you know,
I have seen the land and heard its tongue enough to realize that nothing
transient ever matters;
only touch and fruits of one’s labor and the way the wind feels
running through hair.
A Poet’s soul is soft and sensual, loud and tempestuous
just like the arrival of a summer storm,
we are forever sifting through the alchemy of sorrows and peace of one moment;
it’s unnerving when you think about it, but I am owning it.
Photo credits: Plant on a balcony by Daria Shevtsova
Poem inspired by “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss,” from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2008.
Mish hosts at dVerse and invites us to select a movie quote and incorporate it into a poem of any style. Come join us! 💝
Posted for Poetics: “Go ahead,make my day” @dVerse Poets Pub
Your title is intriguing, Sanaa, and your poem is enigmatic, especially the ‘orange marmalade on a morning less than certain’! I will always choose lavender over oblivion, and I too ‘long for the time when nobody stared at me for being that odd person taking a picture of a torn-up piece of paper with a poem on it’. I love the lines:
‘A Poet’s soul is soft and sensual, loud and tempestuous
just like the arrival of a summer storm’.
Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
The journey you take us through from the quote is so mysterious, I feel that some choices are not easy (and sometimes less than obvious), just as those missed opportunities are rarely understood until afterwards.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
You are the queen of mysterious imagery Sanaa, and you are certainly owning it here! I love the movie you chose, and the journey you took us on using the quote 😊
Thank you so much, Ingrid 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
The title moves into the poem — reflective, wondering, thinking.
“orange marmalade on a morning less than certain,” what an amazing line – something so common and mundane but given such depth within this poem.
And then these three lines:
“People are just a little bit more cold, a little bit more cautious these days,
unable to choose between lavender and oblivion,
can you blame them?”
You have such a skill of striking up a real conversation with your reader! This is just wonderful!
Thank you so much, my dearest Lillian 😍 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I always love how accurately you grasp the meaning behind my poems! *Sigh*
Love your description of a poet’s soul. So fitting! Lovely write.b
Thank you so much, Beverly 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I think this poem touched my soul as I am writing through tears. Profound and resonating. I love the twists and turns in your dialogue, the wisdom and the vulnerability. Oh, Sanaa, we are blessed to be poets but it is a burden to our hearts. We feel more than most. I truly believe that. You, young lady are an exceptional poet.
I am holding a hand to my heart as I write, thank you so so much, Mish 🙂 for such high praise! We are indeed blessed and yes it is a burden.. at times.. and at others I feel we realize exactly why we are wired the way we are. I am glad you liked it! The prompt in itself is inspirational 💄❤️
I have to say, when I read your line, “I am not sure that I am actually here,” it helped me write the first line of my poem today. I felt that one! 🙏 Really love the last two lines as well. “The alchemy of sorrows and peace” is inspired description!
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Tricia 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Beautiful owning this moment. I specially love this part:
just like the arrival of a summer storm,
we are forever sifting through the alchemy of sorrows and peace of one moment;
Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Such a wonderful tribute poem to poets everywhere. Favorite line:
“we are forever sifting through the alchemy of sorrows and peace of one moment;”
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
“where writing down the truth as opposed to lies is condemned”
Thank you so much, Tzvi 🙂 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Beautiful words!
❤️❤️❤️
Apparently, everyone loves that alchemy line, Saana; and I’m in that crowd. The whole piece rocks.
Thank you so much, Ron 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
This is exceptional poetics, Sanaa “one of your best”. I knew a woman whose mother missed the sailing of the Titanic; now there’s a tale to tell. Lillian & Kim have buttoned down the praise for your outstanding verbiage and symbolism. i liked “abalone sky heart in a world here darkness reigns.” You, somehow, make me proud to be a poet today, stretching my empathy from top to bottom, from horizon to horizon.
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Glenn 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! 💄❤️
Sanaa,
I love these lines,
“orange marmalade on a morning less than certain,”
AND
“A Poet’s soul is soft and sensual, loud and tempestuous
just like the arrival of a summer storm,
we are forever sifting through the alchemy of sorrows and peace of one moment;
it’s unnerving when you think about it, but I am owning it.”
Keep on owning it. You do it so beautifully.
Thank you so much, Alicia 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
I am always left breath taken by the colour in your writing…
Truly wonderful.
Thank you so much, Darius 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Gorgeous poem, full of wisdom and vivid images, and relatable observations. Love this line: we are forever sifting through the alchemy of sorrows and peace of one moment <3
Thank you so much, Sunra 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
it’s unnerving when you think about it,
but I am owning it.
Yes Sanaa! When it’s ours good or bad we own up in all sincerity. If it’s too good we jealously guard it (though there are good people who will gladly share good things with others)
Hank
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Hank 💄❤️
A really great poem Sanaa! I could feel your passion that rises in spite of what happens around you. I liked this line in particular…
I have seen the land and heard its tongue enough to realize that nothing
transient ever matters;
only touch and fruits of one’s labor and the way the wind feels
running through hair.
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Very beautiful, Sanaa. 🙂
❤️❤️❤️
Sanaa, this is stunning. It makes me curious, actually… do you speak in as lovely a way as you write?
<3
David
Maybe! Thank you so much, David 😀 so glad you liked it. 💄❤️
“I am not sure that I am actually here,”
WOW. WOW. Sanaa. This line and the entirety of this piece tugs at a writing heart. Definitely felt this.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Rosemawrites 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Beautiful writing, Sanaa! I love the many layers you’ve crafted. So…writerly!
Thank you so much, Susan 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
The quote was a perfect intro to your searching/questioning poem. Your words were soft and subtle throughout and this line was exquisite
“ A Poet’s soul is soft and sensual, loud and tempestuous
just like the arrival of a summer storm,”
Absolutely stunning Sanaa ☺️💕
Thank you so much, Christine 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
It’s true that any moment can hold both sorrow and peace. Acknowledging that allows for a better understanding of our condition.
Thank you so much, Ken 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I like where the quite took you. An imaginary for pondering at every turn. I really enjoyed this.
Pat
Thank you so much, Pat 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
As always, so many compelling thoughts here. I love “sifting through the alchemy of sorrows” because isn’t that what poets do?
Precisely! Thank you so much, Alexandra 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
“nothing transient ever matters” and everything is transient. I think you created your own quote ripe enough for deep poetry.
Thank you so much, Sean 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Wonderful writing, Sanaa. I love the Poet’s soul being compared to a Summer storm.
Thank you so much, Sara 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️