22 Comments
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Margaret Ann Silver's avatar

Beautiful. The endings to both poems are heart-catching.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you, Margaret Ann!

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Francesca's avatar

Ah, Elizabeth! I’m not sure which I love more - learning of this found-poem practice that you engage in, or the end poems themselves. Thank you so much for sharing!

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

This was the only time so far that the found-word game brought about a poem ... but it could happen again, why ever not? :-) So glad you enjoyed both poems, Francesca.

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Fotini Masika's avatar

Your heart contains all the letters you need.

Thank you for the beautiful poems, Elizabeth. Much needed!

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

If not my heart alone, then all of our hearts, together!

Thanks so much for being here, Fotini.

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Petrina's avatar

I love that justice poem! So clever and well said and true! Brilliant. And heart breaking, since it’s all too true right now. So it was nice to follow up with poem 2, not to forget how each of us matters, to not lose heart.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thanks so much, Petrina! <3

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Sandy S's avatar

So enjoyed these thoughts, Elizabeth. Perhaps I will find more letters when I go out and find the sun rising ...over there. And find kindness when setting out 'suet' feeders for the birds. Ohh to be able to spell what they are singing! :-)

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Do please keep listening to the birds, Sandy! (Feeding them, too!) Thanks so much for reading and responding.

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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

Oh, I adore these. The play with words that come from justice, when there’s so little of it these days. I love that you carry crossword puzzles around with you instead of your phone. And the second poem is just what I needed to read today.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

So glad, LeeAnn -- thank you!

(Actually I do have a phone with me as well as the puzzles, but it's a flip phone and totally not smart. I can call or text, but there's nothing to scroll. Freedom!!!)

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LeeAnn Pickrell's avatar

No smartphone, which is quite ironic because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t make me smarter.

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Cindy Angyal's avatar

“The more I spell,the less they mean”

Your poem grasped the very conundrum I find myself in with each passing

day since January"

Thankyou Elizabeth for both poems and your thoughts behind them.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Thank you always for your reading and deeply felt response, Looocinda! <3 <3

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margaret gannon's avatar

both poems are a good start for my day today

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

So glad to know that! Thank you for reading, Margaret.

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Sulima Malzin's avatar

What a perfect poem for these times when we definitely need a larger alphabet. Kindness sure isn't making it into this one.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Right?! We'll simply have to find the "letters" for kindness in other places. They're not far away! Thank you for reading, Sulima.

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Jeni Hankins's avatar

Thank you for this Elizabeth and for “showing where the painter thinks it lies.” My life is more beautiful because of your friendship and I am kinder to myself because of the affirmations you give me and us. “Showing where the painter thinks it lies,” for me, sums up all of creative endeavor because we can only give it a try. Just move the letters around, move the paint or clay or fabric around, and guess with our hearts in the end.

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26thAvenuePoet (Elizabeth)'s avatar

Your heart is so good at looking and listening and guessing, Jeni-friend!

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Jeni Hankins's avatar

Thank you very much, friend!

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