Life of a Poet ~ Rommy Driks

We have a treat for you this morning, my friends. We are featuring Rommy Driks, of  Kestril's Rhythms and Groove , whom you likely have come across at our sister site,  Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, and more recently at Poets United. It was such a pleasure interviewing Rommy. She is full of sparkle and good energy and writes some mighty fine poetry. Let's dive in.

Sherry: Rommy, as you are fairly new to Poets United, would you give us a snapshot of  your life? The poet at home – where you live, your family, (and don’t forget the furry ones), anything you’d like to share so we can get to know you better?

Rommy: I live in Bucks County, PA, just an hour north of Philadelphia in the United States. I share my home with my husband, two teenaged children and a stubborn but sweet corgi named Kitsune (Kit for short).

Wedding

Kit

Sherry: What a beautiful wedding photo. And Kit looks like a happy critter! That does my heart good.

Rommy: I have the good fortune to work from home for a quirky but cool little company, as an affiliate marketing coordinator (that’s a fancy way for saying I handle subcontractors who do marketing work for my company). When I do go into the office, Kit gets to come with me and shamelessly scam people into giving him treats and belly rubs. I used to be a research scientist before my children were born. I worked with recombinant DNA technology then. That was really interesting, but I don’t regret the career change because it means I’m home when my kids are. Of course it also means I get no snow days off either.

I’m a giant nerd and enjoy comics, sci-fi and anime.

Sherry: Such an interesting life! And how fortunate, to work from home. Where did you grow up, Rommy? Is there a story from your childhood you might like to share? Anything, looking back, that you think led you to being a writer?

Rommy: Oh goodness, I think everything tried to lead me not to be a writer. I was a bit type-cast in high school as a math and science geek, so I never got the impression people expected me to write anything more creative than a lab report. I was however a voracious reader, and making up stories seems to come naturally to people like that. I made up plenty of stories in my head when I was young, but was never brave enough to write any of them down.

Sherry: When did you begin writing? I know you write both poetry and prose and am wondering which came first.

Rommy: Funnily enough it was as part of an on-line class I took as an adult. I was in the process of exploring different religions and found an on-line school that demanded a lot of writing. I had a good enough rapport with the instructor to the point I finally felt brave enough to write my first story as part of an assignment. The very first Yuuki story I wrote came from those classes. I also wrote a few poems as well as part of later assignments. Some of them were pretty awful! But I got enough good feedback, and had so much fun creating them, I just never stopped writing after I stopped taking classes there.

Sherry:  I love how individual each person's path to writing is! Is there one person, when you look back, that you feel had a significant influence on your becoming a writer? Someone who encouraged and believed in you?

Magaly and Rommy

Rommy: Without a doubt, Magaly Guerrero. I remember shyly showing her some of the stuff I had written. She was encouraging from the get-go. In true Magaly style, she doesn’t mince words either, and because we have the good fortune to be friends, she doesn’t let me get away with slacking or half-baked efforts when she knows I am capable of better things. A good friend believes in you, a great one pushes you to be your best, and I’m grateful she’s in my life.

Sherry: Wow! It is so cool that Magaly is your friend and mentor. Lucky you!What do you love about poetry? What makes it sing for you?

Rommy: I love how it is a snapshot of emotion condensed by the imagery the poet chooses to reveal. There is something magical about the right rhythms, the right line breaks that subtly lead you through the moods a skilled poet wishes to highlight. It’s not something I can always achieve with my writing. I feel like my poems start life like unruly bonsai trees that I must prune to get the effect I want. But I love the challenge of trying.

Sherry: That is a very neat analogy, poem as bonsai!!! Do you have a favorite poet?

Rommy: I think the first book of poems I picked up was Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. I did so because of the movie Fame and the song I Sing the Body Electric. I found I loved the exuberance of his poetry. It’s funny thinking back on that, given my habit of pairing a song with my writing.

Sherry: Would you like to share three of your poems with us, and tell us a bit about each one?

Rommy: Certainly, let’s start off with "A Woman of Words".

A Woman of Words

The words I was given

were condensed milk

thickened on a stove,

sips of chamomile to relax,

and a swish of the hips.

The words I was taught

were liberty and diversity,

mottled with ambiguity

and uncertainty,

yet always mixed

with aspiration and hope.

The words that were shared

were a smoky salt kiss blended

into cream cheese and chives,

big city pitter patter

with old world curled up in the throat.

The words that I took

belong to forests across oceans,

real and imaginary,

flowing like waves

across a floating world,

somehow reminding me

of that first sip of chamomile.

This is an older one I still really like because of how personal it is. I feel like the magic of words surrounded me from the moment I was able to pick up a book and read it, though the nuances of that magic shifted based on my life experiences at the time. The last paragraph is where I found myself as a writer, creating and living in these fantastical worlds of my own design, which can be traced back to the daydreams I had as a kid, half sleepy from drinking my grandmother’s chamomile tea.

Sherry: How very beautiful, the poem and the memories. Sigh. I love it, especially the words belonging to forests and oceans.

Rommy: The second I’d like to mention is Ukiyo-e.

Ukiyo-e

Ukiyo-e blue is my inspiration

Lost in cerulean perfection

    A sky filled by dreams

          and caresses from impish winds

              implied but not seen

                 At least by most

Ukiyo-e red is my inspiration

My soul engulfed by its fire

      Scarlet hues dare me

          to be consumed completely

              in a passion of my choosing

                  If I am brave enough to say yes

I do not exist without them

Life, a sad monochrome

without the impudent tints

More than lines and colors on paper

They are muse

Calligraphy

Sherry: I especially love the line  "if I am brave enough to say yes."

Rommy: This one speaks to my love and enthusiasm for Japanese culture. I got hooked on anime when I was young, the first one I ever loved was Ribbon No Kishi, also called Princess Knight in the US, created by god of manga Osamu Tezuka. Somewhere in my thirties I wanted to explore the roots of the culture that created the art form I admired and found I really love learning about it. I am taking formal Japanese tea ceremony lessons through Urasenke Philadelphia and just continue to be inspired by the things I learn through my experiences in that class.

Sherry: Anime is very big in North America. I admire your interest in Japanese culture.

Rommy: The last is "Nightingale Hours".

Nightingale Hours

Wildness floats around you,

wolf wicked,

but I’m no little girl

to be dandelion led.

I am a pebble-strewer,

hoping you’d find your way

to my hidden home.

Delight-whisperer, come

find me quick

amid the mysteries

of the sentinel forest.

Bring your power

midnight mage.

I’ve plenty of my own.

Bring your passion

moon brigand,

and see that I

am just as adept at stealing

kisses and nightingale hours

as you are.

Shofuso

Sherry: Wow! This one takes my breath away. Both invitation and challenge.

Rommy: There are a lot of things I like about this one. This was created as a response to a challenge to use kennings in a poem (A kenning (Modern Icelandic pronunciation: [cʰɛnːiŋk]; derived from Old Norse) is a type of circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry). I had never tried writing those consciously but really liked creating them for this piece. There were a few that were left on the cutting room floor, but I was happy with the way this turned out. Also, I really like being able to write really passionate pieces every now and again.

Sherry: It is wonderful. I had not heard of that form before. And your photograph is so beautiful! When did you begin blogging, Rommy, and what impact has it had on your work?

Rommy: I began blogging because Magaly Guerrero made me do it! No really, as much as I loved writing, I was pretty shy about sharing it initially. Magaly published one of my earliest poems on her blog site and slowly nudged (shoved) me into creating my own. There’s still this bit of nervousness, sending out a bit of writing into the big wide world to stand or fall on its own. I think blogging has made me less fearful over time, which is a wonderful thing. And getting to read and be inspired by fellow bloggers is a huge plus.

Sherry: Blogging does help us become more comfortable about sharing our work. And each poet's voice is so distinct. Is there a cause you are especially passionate about?

"Opposing De Vos matters because

Grizzlies are NOT the problem!"

With friend Mimi, who lives in Philly

Rommy: These days it’s almost easier to ask if there isn’t a cause I’m passionate about. I, like many Americans, have concerns about the direction our country is going in, which drive me to be more politically aware. I do a lot of work with Philly UP (Philadelphia United for Progress), especially the group that handles Tuesdays With Toomey. They (attempt to) meet with Senator Pat Toomey or his staffers every week to discuss a different issue of concern to us. These have included the future of the ACA, environmental concerns, educational concerns, women’s issues and LGBTQ+ rights. These folks really inspire me and it renews my soul to be around them.

Sherry: It is more important now than ever before,  to keep those issues front and foremost, (she says, diplomatically.)

I LOVE the placard Mimi is holding up, and am chuffed you were  both out voicing your concerns. Way to be! In the interests listed on your About page, you list two that really intrigue me. Tell us about your love of belly dancing and the Japanese tea ceremony.

Rommy: I started belly dance as a treat to myself for learning how to swim (I’m still a terrible swimmer though) and because my kids finally were grown enough that I could go out once a week to learn. I’ve been dancing for over a decade now, still with the same amazing teacher who has taught me so much more than just the art of dance. I have performed on stage and in restaurants, both solo and as part of a group and I really love it. I’m not a terribly fancy person but there’s something about transforming into this dancing diva in sequins that keeps bringing me back.

Sherry: That is very cool.

Kimono

Rommy: I’ve been doing Japanese tea ceremony for a few years now. As I said earlier, it grew out of my desire to learn more about Japanese culture, which grew out of enjoyment of anime. My school is a small but active subgroup from the larger Urasenke school based out of Kyoto Japan. Besides the formal art of Japanese tea ceremony, we’ve touched on calligraphy, kimono wearing, incense appreciation and Zen. I find it is a good way to get my busy mind to slow down and savor the moment.

Sherry: It is such an elegant and graceful ceremony. You have very intriguing areas of interest.
What are your hopes and dreams for your writing in the years ahead?

Rommy: Well I’d like to release a book of poetry and a book of short stories at some point. I already have a few things in reserve that could contribute to both of them.

Sherry: I am sure that is going to happen for you, kiddo. Is there anything you’d like to say to Poets United?

Rommy: Thank you so much for sharing your work and inspiring me to grow as an artist with your example.

Sherry: Thank you for the visit and for letting us get to know you better. It will make reading your poems even more enjoyable.

My friends, I hope you enjoyed this visit as much as I did. Do come back and see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

BLOG OF THE WEEK ~ ROMMY DRIKS

Sherry: We last spoke with Rommy Driks, who blogs at KESTRIL’S RHYTHMS AND GROOVE, in 2017. Rommy lives in Bucks County, PA, with her husband, two teenagers and a corgi named Kitsune. A little bird told me Rommy has a new book, published just last week, and I was most interested in sharing the excitement with you.

Sherry: It has been a while since we talked to you in 2017. Would you bring us up to date? 

Rommy: One of the biggest changes is my eldest is off to college and my youngest started high school. My husband and I are a little dazed over it all, but they are both handling their respective transitions like champs.

Sherry: Those are huge changes, for all concerned. I'm glad you are all doing well. 

The wonderful Kitsune

Rommy: And yes, I finally finished up another installment of the adventures of one of my favorite characters to write about, Yuuki. His new story, along with 6 other never before seen short stories, are part of my new short story collection, The Trouble with Wanting and Other Not-Quite Faerie Tales.

Sherry: I love the title. Smiles. Tell us all about it!

Rommy: It’s on sale now as an e-book on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble. It was conceived during NaNoWriMo last year, and I thought my eyeballs would fall out of my head during the editing process.

This collection plays on my love of faerie tales and faerie tale themes. All of the main characters are outsiders in the stories they find themselves in. And they each make decisions that reframe or change their narratives, so they can carve out a way to live that is true to who they are.

Now you can’t have fairy tales without a little magic, right? That’s where being a poet helped. There’s an enchanted quality to poems; the right combination of words can sketch images vivid enough to create worlds. When I write poetry, I feel the weight there is in certain words, and how to balance them to get the feel that I want. This feeling carries over to short story writing. In return, writing fiction helps me hone my sense of pacing and developing an idea. It’s something I’ve found useful when writing poetry.

(Cover art by Michelle Kennedy)

The Trouble with Wanting and Other Not-Quite Faerie Tales is
available at the following links: Amazon  and Barnes & Noble. 

Sherry: It looks wonderful, Rommy. What a great cover! Where does your love of fairy tales come from? When did this fascination begin? 

Rommy: My love of reading definitely came from my dad. He always had his nose in a book. We both share a love for Greek myths and trickster tales. I branched out to the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson when I went to school, and just devoured any fantasy book I could get my hands on from there. My name was on all the sign out slots for every book in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series at one point.

Sherry: Fairy tales sometimes show up in your poems, as well as your stories. And they always have a wonderful message for the grown-up reader. Let’s take a look at three of my favourites:

source

Not Quite A Faerie Tale

Glass slippers don’t fit

every size and shape of foot.

I won’t waltz bloody-toed

in silks that don’t suit me.

Let me run barefoot,

choosing silk or steel

depending on the way

my curls bounce at the moment.

Let me guide the magic
in well-woven words

and make the fairy tales fit me,

instead of the other way around. 

Sherry: What a wonderful message this is, for anyone, child or adult. No more bloody toes!

Rommy: I wrote this piece to describe the collection as a whole. As I mentioned earlier, the characters in my stories are all outsiders in some way. And as any outsider knows, there are going to be points where the larger world tries to impose what it feels your role should be. But we don’t have to accept that. We can decide what our role is, based on who we are, not on what is expected of us.

Glitter

I wasn't born in silk ruffles.
Sparkles didn't spring
from my first steps.

But I learned,
even when you didn't expect me to,
especially when you didn't want me to.

I ground up your leftover gems,
and pressed the remains
to create my own rebirth stone.

It glitters from the center
of the reclaimed crown
I earned- though you tried your worst
to keep it from me.

Sherry: How I adore the idea of crafting one's own "rebirth stone".

Rommy: This one was inspired by the main character, Matilda, in my story “Just Perfect”. People don’t usually think of fierce when it comes to fairy-godmothers, but that she is. There is a streak of iron underneath the ruffles and fluttery wings.

The Trouble With Wanting

You're what I dreamed of
before I learned some dreams come with a cost.

I've watched a tender heart
mutilate everything she was
on the assumption her love could cross any barrier.

Still, I reach for you,
until I remember a promise made
over the dissolving remains of a life.

What would it be like
to bring you into my world?
I've seen you looking, enchanted,
just as I was enchanted with a place that is not my own.

Would that look stay
when I tell you everything?
Would you accept all of it,
not expecting me to cut away the core of myself?

I've seen the way you smile,
and for a moment let myself dream
of nights spent hiding nothing,
loving hard enough to dissolve barriers instead of hearts.

But some dreams come with a cost
and I don't know if I can pay for this one.

Sherry: Sometimes the cost is too high. There are moments when one feels exactly like the narrator of those closing lines.

Rommy: This one was inspired by the main character, Lynna, of the titular story in my collection, “The Trouble with Wanting”. That story is based on the original The Little Mermaid story by Hans Christian Anderson, but mine is from the point of view of the little mermaid’s sister. While she has some things in common with her ill-fated younger sister, this mermaid has gone pirate, and has a far more calculating eye towards the battles she has to face.

source

Sherry: I so resonate with each of these poems. We are raised on dreams and fairy tales, then reality awakens us and grows us up. But we need to hold onto a little of that magic, that possibility, no matter what our age is. Tell us about your love of fairy tales for grownups, Rommy.

Rommy: Well, maybe it could be I like them just because I haven’t really grown up yet. But there’s a quote by G.K. Chesterton I’m reminded of: “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist.  Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” 

I think the dragons only get bigger when we get older. And in today’s day and age, there are flocks of the damn things roaming around out there, in power over us. Fairy tales still can inspire us to become the heroes of our own stories, and remind us that we have lots of pages to go before we can call the tale complete.

Sherry: I so agree. It is a time for heroes and heroines, for there is a lot that needs saving.

Now that your book is published, what will you be working on next?

Rommy: I am planning to get a book of poetry out there too. I already have an idea brewing for one, and several poems written that would work with the theme I’d be using. And I definitely plan on writing more short stories, and a novel or two expanding on some of the characters in the book.

Sherry: That all sounds exciting! We will await more new books with great anticipation. What activities do you enjoy when you aren’t writing, Rommy?

Rommy: Well there are my Japanese tea ceremony lessons. Earlier this year I got my official license from the main Urasenke tea school in Kyoto for the basic forms. I need to brush up on my winter forms (the format of the tea ceremony changes with the seasons) and I’ll move on to some intermediate forms after that. I also am a belly dancer. 

Although I’m mostly laid back in my every day attire, I love the glitz of getting into a full cabaret costume and performing on stage. I enjoy rambling around Bucks County when I get the chance. We have some really lovely areas here. When I’m not doing any of those things, I’ll crochet a bit.

  

Sherry: It all sounds amazing! Is there anything you’d like to say to Poets United?

Rommy: Thank you all so much for the great feedback you give and the conversations you’ve shared regarding poems and the art of poetry writing. I’ve learned so much from the thoughtful constructive criticism I’ve received over the years, and I am truly grateful for it, both as a poet and as a writer.

Sherry: Thank you, Rommy, for this wonderful update, and congratulations on your new book. May it find many, many eager readers.

It is always exciting when a writer has a new book out. Yay! Do come back to see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

POEMS OF THE WEEK by MAMA ZEN, ROMMY DRIKS AND JAE ROSE

We have a treat for you today, my friends, a poem each by Kelli Simpson, well-known as Mama Zen, who blogs at  another damn poetry blog, (which is anything but! Smiles), Rommy Driks, of  Kestril's Rhythms and Groove, and Jae Rose, who writes at her blog  of the same name. Each poem took my breath  away, and I thought the combined effect of all three together would certainly brighten your day. Enjoy!

Mother Wichita

Old Mother Wichita wets with twilight.
Blackjacks bruise purple but for the green

lichen half-rubbed away hip-high
to an old bison's itch.

A rich robe of Indian Blanket sways and drapes
the hill to hollow hovered

by a red-tailed hawk circling
in the blue becoming gold becoming thick

with cicadas, fireflies,
and mockingbird song.

Summer light dies slow,
lingers lazy and long.

Then she sighs herself into a star
for night to wish upon.


Sherry: I am sighing myself, at your beautiful closing lines. Your imagery is so vivid, Kelli. This is beautiful.

Kelli: "Mother Wichita" is about the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near where I grew up in southwestern Oklahoma.  The Wichitas are one of the oldest mountain ranges on Earth; the Wichita tribe believed that their first ancestors sprang from the rocky points of the range.  

Today, the refuge is home to a large herd of bison and acres and acres of untouched mixed grass prairie.  To say that it is beautiful, inspiring, and humbling, is to say the very least.

Dennis Skogsbergh Photography

Sherry: It is such a beautiful landscape. I can see how it inspires your muse. Thanks, Kelli, for this wonderful share.

In Samantha's Shoes

Dinner’s in the fridge.

Don’t forget Tabitha’s bedtime story.

Make sure Darren Jr does his homework.

I’ve laced up my take-no-prisoners,

Valkyrie-on-a-broomstick, hell-yes

you’ll-hear-me-roar boots.

You smiled at me,

while I decided between

belladonna or datura -

made me want to reach

for damania instead.

I love these boots.

But I also love the slippers

we’ve made of our love -

the warm, mmm-so-cozy,

love-rare-lazy-afternoons-with-you,

strong-enough-to-go-through-the-wash,

still-sturdy-after-so-many-years slippers.

But tonight, there are great, odiferous, pestilent

hydras to contain and a coven waiting for me to rise.

“The hydra doesn’t stand a chance,” you say

before we kiss and I fly.

Sherry: I love this! Especially, "the hydra doesn't stand a chance". 

Rommy: In Samantha's Shoes came about as a response to a prompt given over at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, Poetry Through the Eyes of Carol Ann Duffy. The prompt asked us to pay homage to Duffy's style by creating a love poem using a common every day image. 

I don't know what specifically called to me about creating a poem around beloved TV witch Samantha from the show Bewitched. Perhaps it was a perverse need to add an element of the fantastical anyway to the main conceit (the idea of a mature love being as comfortable as a cozy pair of slippers). Perhaps it's just that I love playing with a bit of pop culture from time to time in my poems. I've written about Molly Grue (from The Last Unicorn) and Phaedra no Delaunay (from Kushiel's Dart). Either way, I really was charmed by the way it turned out.

Sherry: And we are charmed as well. Thanks for this, Rommy.

Autumn

Autumn licks at the corner of our existence 
We are all at once ready and able 
Time ticks on 
Hatter sings and Joker dances 
The peppermint clouds and cinnamon dust waft through the window
Another day
Another day 
Crisp leaves and gentle breezes 
We gather them up like treasures 
Keep them in our pocket
Wait for another year
Another year
I am sure that the breeze will come and wash away the darkness
Autumn comes
Winter stays 
Summer lingers in the background 
We will wait and gather stones 
Open the window and let the light prevail.

Sherry: I love the hope in this poem, opening the window to let the light prevail. Beautiful, my friend.

Jae Rose: This poem came to be solely from the prompt at Midweek Motif: Autumn. I tried to make it more upbeat than my usual scribbles.

Sherry: And you succeeded, my friend.  Thank you for the share, and for lifting our hearts.

Thank you, Kelli, Rommy and Jae Rose, for the wonderful poems, which we very much enjoyed. And for your faithful participation at Poets United through the years. We so appreciate you.

Do come back, my friends, to see who we talk to next. Who knows? It might be you!

Poems of the Week - Magaly, Rommy and De

We have three gorgeous poems for you today, my friends, written by Magaly Guerrero, who writes at her blog of the same name, Rommy Driks, of Kestril's Rhythms and Groove, and De Jackson, of  Whimsygizmo's Blog. Take a moment's break from your busy day, dive into these luscious lines, and let your soul take a little flight around the ceiling, before  turning your mind back to its daily tasks. Enjoy! 

GLASS EMPTIED OF CLOUDS

My glass was half full, but
I was proud of its contents,
excited about possibilities…

“Oh, the life I can bring to fill
my empty half,” I used to say.

Then you came,
bringing your thoughts
into my days.

“Empty your glass,” you said,
“I have a fill of wonders.”

I allowed the emptying…

…and you filled my glass
with clouds
that looked like heavenly dreams
falling like cool expectations
against the flush of my cheeks.

I closed my eyes,
and waited for wonders…
that weren’t meant to be.

Now,
with eyes open
and opened again,
I see
huge nothings
filling the space that is you.
And I grin…
as I gather the pieces
of my glass emptied of clouds,

of clouds that seeped into dirt
and were boiled clean by the sun,
in promise of better rains…

Beaming
under a cloudless sky,
I am
fixing my glass,
prettying its cracks,
naming the breaks,
proud of my work,
excited about possibilities

I will build true…

Magaly Guerrero, May 2017

Sherry: I love "you filled my glass with clouds." So beautiful. And there is  so much strength in "I will build true." Yes!

Magaly:  This poem was written as an explanation - some friends (who didn't know me well enough to understand my behavior) - thought I was acting too strange, too quiet, perhaps not distraught enough...after breaking up with someone I had been with for some time. I wanted to let them know that I was, indeed, quite upset. But endings are the start of new beginnings. So, I was also excited about what would come next. There was no need to cry (for too long) over broken things, especially when we can repair the breaks, while absorbing lessons that can make us better.

Sherry: It takes life wisdom to keep the good, and look forward with hope. Beautiful, Magaly. Our friend Rommy wrote a very beautiful poem that I thought would go beautifully with yours. Let's take a peek.

NIGHTINGALE HOURS

Wildness floats around you,

wolf wicked,

but I’m no little girl

to be dandelion led.

I am a pebble-strewer,

hoping you’d find your way

to my hidden home.

Delight-whisperer, come

find me quick

amid the mysteries

of the sentinel forest.

Bring your power

midnight mage.

I’ve plenty of my own.

Bring your passion

moon brigand,

and see that I

am just as adept at stealing

kisses and nightingale hours

as you are.

Rommy Driks, May 2017

Sherry: I love "wolf wicked", and "dandelion led" so much! And the speaker's confidence: "I have plenty of my own."

Rommy: The poem came about as a response to a prompt at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, Kennings. A kenning is an old Norse Literary device (wikipedia definition: A kenning (Modern Icelandic pronunciation: [cʰɛnːiŋk]; derived from Old Norse) is a type of circumlocution, in the form of a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry.)

It is a strongly passionate piece. I'm not sure I can say what inspired me to go that route with the prompt. I just enjoy writing passionate pieces from time to time. What I like about it is while that the speaker strongly desires to be in the presence of their lover, but there is a confidence in them that you don't always get in the presence of intense emotion. The speaker knows they are as desired (and have as much to offer) as much as they desire their beloved. It's a very mature side of passion.

Sherry: It is wonderful: full of passion, assurance, confidence, and, yes, the mature side of love. Let's see what De has to say about life, and being......and poetry.

STORIES SNAPPED IN HALF, AND SHONE

We are born of ash and sigh
-lence, quiet spirits caved
in rain and song,
dark skeletal tree limbs
unsure of their own thin origins;
reaching for sky.

We count our rings, the things
that tell us who we are and
how old and why
we might possibly wish
for something more,
something radiating under
all this troubled skin.

You may find us rooted, or
washed away by our own salt.

You may find our syllables
too short,
too long,
unsung,
but that’s not our fault.

De Jackson, May 2017

Sherry: First, I love your title so much! And how I love the tree limbs reaching for sky. 

De: This is one of those times when the title came first. I pictured poem glow sticks snapping to life, and lighting up the night. The moon, half of her usual golden self, but still illuminating everything.

The things we show the world: our raised limbs, our smallest stories. With an inspiring word list from over at The Sunday Whirl to fuel the fire, the poem just spilled out from there.

Sherry: And so beautifully! Thank you, De. I adore the idea of poems as glow sticks, shedding light.

Many thanks to each of you wonderful poets, for sharing your beautiful poems and thoughts with us today. So much beauty, with which to begin another poetry week.

Do come back and see who we talk to next, my friends. Who knows? It might be you!