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Suze C's avatar

Permanent Marker

Now

Always.

The words leave quickly

A permanent mark in my heart.

My tears falling softly, surely

As the sky,

opens it’s tangerine slivered arms to more

Words.

Now

Always.

Permanent and illusive

Always

Now.

Gratitude for

The Blessings.

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Love this, Suze — thanks for sharing.

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Adam Jeselnick's avatar

There is so much light in these beautiful poems and your reflections. I love the birds spotted, the different views of the same sky, and the sense of wonder found throughout this collection. "What more could there be?", indeed. Can't wait for your next class offering!

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Thanks, Adam! Teaching both of these sections was such a joy.

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Katie Woods's avatar

I had to let these sink in for a day, see what lingered… mostly, it was the courage it takes to remember and to refeel and then the dedication to find the words that poems. Lots of grief, because time takes away as much as it gives, and despite all this loss, still so much hope and beauty. Thank you for sharing. It was a real pleasure to have a window into these people’s experiences.

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Yes, Katie — there’s so much courage here, and looking deeply into the feelings of loss and grief. Thank you for reading.

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Jo Wright's avatar

What a gorgeous collection.

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Stephanie Siewert's avatar

Thank you for this beautiful bouquet of poems, which felt like a just-picked bunch of flowers from a meadow, each bearing their exquisite blooms. Reading them was a micro-vacation for my mind and heart.

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Thank you, Stephanie — for reading & for these words

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Cass Freeland's avatar

I loved this line:  “I smell the colors dripping from the sun-warmed fence rails”

It captures how I feel about spring. 

I can smell the soft purple of the lilacs, dripping from the rain

The crabapple blooms drift down like snow, they don’t last long 

The intense orange center of the tiny fragrant narcissus 

The deep purple of the irises, you have to get so close to smell their faint, soft fragrance

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Mariah’s poem is absolutely wonderful. Thank you for this, Cassandra.

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Amanda Wald Rachie's avatar

It's heartening to read/hear so many creative voices. Thank you to all.

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Thanks always, Amanda!

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margi cates's avatar

well now I have to go bathe in poems, screw my itinerary

and all the miles I was going to log, it’s going disappoint a lot of folks but

I have to find the tiny pink flowers that grow in the dirt

The bitterroot calls

(Thank you for opening the windows)

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Thanks, margi!

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Susan M Davis's avatar

Thank you for opening the window and allowing me to read these secret books.

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Devin Kelly's avatar

Thank you for reading!

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dhd's avatar

What a wonderful collection of poetry gems.

"This is a question,

reconfigured to think about safety:

It is a good idea to leave.

Let’s break this down into pieces:

It (the idea)

is (exists)

a (one, specific)

good (not bad)

idea (a forming imagined action)

to (the gorgeous infinitive)

leave (get the fuck out)

"And this is an answer

Given after a long night in pieces:

I will miss you.

I (the one wearing the heart)

will miss(verb)

you(the object that can't be forgotten).

Ahhhh, poetry!

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Lucy's avatar

Very fond of Horology! I had to stop and process after that one. I admit that poems hit me so hard that I often can't read more than a few at a time and I'm a poet, a slow-writing one as well.

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ars poetica's avatar

i just look forward to your words so much. thank you for sharing, as always.

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