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The Man Who Loved

pansy hues
pansy hues

Such a lover of color he was,
always savoring; savoring the
soul-soothing wild indigo, the
blue of a summer sky and the
·
way a daisy with yellow tummy
and white fringe reminded him
to center. He loved the roses,
thorned and feral in racy and
·
raunchy reds and salacious
pinks, accenting the landscape,
exploding with an earthy laugh.
Peppermint was known to trip
·
him into ecstasy; the licorice scent
of fennel to tickle his fancy from
hat to boots. Trees were wise,
with their bulk, age, and sage
·
gnarled trunks. He loved the
sun, setting in Arizona colors,
flaming yellows and oranges,
rising at dawn in New York’s
·
spring peach and pansy hues.
An amiable meal and a good
night’s sleep were raptures
treasured. A cup of coffee, a
·
glass of wine, magical elixirs.
He loved his child too, going
about the business of play, fresh
hands rummaging in new worlds.
·
He loved. He just loved –
….today’s joy,
……..tomorrow’s hope,
…………yesterday’s confusions …

“I love you as one loves certain obscure things,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.”
One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII by Pablo Neruda in The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems

© 2010 (poem), 2014 (photograph), Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

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In Other Words, Love

My poem today on The Bardo Group blog ….

Jamie Dedes's avatarThe BeZine

circa 1972 circa 1972

“call me if you need anything,” you say ~
then the sweet swift chatter of the keyboard
birthing words into evergreen poet-trees,
my thoughts and your face, sometimes the
word is love, other times the word is love,
ubiquitous, omnipotent, found in the heart,
in the dictionary, in the mind of the child,
in the child’s mind that lives in the adult,
love everywhere, i see it written on your lips
as we talk of everyday things, i hear the word
with my heart when you say “good bye , Mom~
next week, we’ll go out for lunch…and a drive ~
along the scenic route,” … that says love too

© 2012, poem and photograph, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

Photo on 2014-03-31 at 17.16 #3unnamed-18JAMIE DEDES (The Poet by Day)~ I started blogging shortly after I retired as a way to maintain my sanity and to stay connected to…

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To Alef, to the only home there is: one another’s hearts

Be the Peace (c) Jamie Dedes
Be the Peace

“To Alef, the letter
that begins the alphabets
of both Arabic and Hebrew ~
two Semitic languages
sisters for centuries.

May we find the language
that takes us
to the only home there is ~
one another’s hearts ….”

– Ibtisam Barakat

Ibtisam Barakat praying for peace.
Ibtisam Barakat praying for peace.

This poem is from TAKING THE SKY: A Palestinian Childhood by the Palestinian-American poet, writer, educator and humanitarian, Ibtisam Barakat (ابتسام بركات).

Ibtisam is from Ramallah, a Palestinian city north of Jerusalem. She came to the United States to work an internship with The Nation. She taught at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.

Ibtisam works tirelessly with children and adults to encourage creativity and life enrichment. She says, ” All voices are needed for the song of life to have all of its notes.”  Her poetry collection and children’s book, Al Ta’ Al-Marbouta Tateer (The Letter Ta Escapes), have won accolades and awards. She writes in Arabic and in English.

© poem, Ibtisam Barakat; Ibtisam’s photograph, D. Hemingway; “Be the Peace” photograph, Jamie Dedes

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an empty house in my heartland

1367278288p2is3the wheat has ripened, the lavender is fading
white jasmine breaths into grey signs of rain
in your lively days, you were light and laughter
now i know you as a shadow across the face
of the moon, an empty house in my heartland

©2013, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved, licensing for online publications is nonnegotiable and requires permission, attribution, link to this site, my copyright, no modification, noncommercial only and does not imply permission to include the work in the site’s printed collections or anthologies.
Photo courtesy of morgueFile