Windows open and close,
transposing dream into memory
while impressions impose their will on reality
and obliterate it on impact
fabricating shards that become
the stories of your life.
Everything lived,
becomes something else later.
Brenda Warren 2012
NaPoWriMo 17
This is dedicated to my friend David Arnott, who embellished more stories than I can shake a stick at.
Brenda, it’s so good. I know people for whom “shards” are reality. You say it so well. Almost a cautionary tale for us poets, because we’ll take what we’ve lived and make it into a poem.
Richard
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Yes we will, and we embellish. People live sharded lives, or shards of lives. It’s sad. Thank you for kind and thoughtful words, Richard.
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Brenda, the last two lines speak wonders, isn’t that the truth.
Pamela
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It’s the only possibility. Thanks for reading my work all month, Pamela. I surely appreciate your visits.
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I think that dreams are reflections of everything lived. And I wonder why then I had such a frightful nightmare. I just dislike it when I try to wake up and can’t – even when I know it’s a dream. But with the new day I can perhaps take some of those ‘shards’ a create something beautiful. Compact wisdom here, Brenda. Thanks!
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May your shards turn into shimmering jewels. 🙂 Thanks Jules.
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That last line is wonderful. “Everything lived” is an experience that means something and that meaning can change too. You’re rocking it Brenda.
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Thank you, Irene. We’re on the downhill side of NaPo, hip hip hooray!
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Wow! This is intense and powerful, Brenda! “Fabricating shards that become the stories of your life” is a great line. And the last line is spectacular!
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Thank you, Marianne. 🙂
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Wow, I am so impressed with this thought. “Everything lived becomes something else later.” And thus it has been since the beginning of life. We are the culmination of all our experiences, aren’t we? I just never really thought of it quite this way before. Poetry is a door to understanding. Thank you.
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Wow! Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your support and great comments! I’m glad you “got” the poem. The first draft seemed incomprehensible, so I added a bit for clarification, and tweaked it a bit. Your comment makes me feel that I was successful. Thanks again.
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I love the way your poems are never totally transparent at first reading, so that appreciation grows like a mushroom.
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Thank you, Viv. This is a nice thing to say (hear). I hope your day is going swimmingly well.
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