phony shapes of swans

Hello, my dear digital friends!

I often discuss the inspiration for my poems. They really do develop from a myriad of places.

For background: to keep our writing chops up, many poets (including me) contribute to the #vss365 hashtag on Twitter (X) each day. Someone offers up a word prompt (this day it was “twisted”), and we produce and share short poems which fit Twitter (X) word limits.

Here it is…

“i don’t want to fight anymore
come to bed, my love
let us absolve each
other with touch so pure

words can be
so easily twisted

i cannot
unmake more origami
feelings folded into phony shapes
of swans

forgiveness found
anger unbound
deep in a kiss”

I really liked the highlighted line, and it transformed into this week’s bigger poem below. But sometimes we all need a gentle nudge to devote the time to write.

I commented to Gabriela Marie Milton, my friend and publisher of my upcoming book Echoes Lost in Stars, that I “had a bigger poem leaking out of my ears.” She said, “Can’t wait to read it.”

That’s all the inspiration it took. Here is the result of that brief online exchange. Thanks for the motivation, Gabriela. I also provided some links to Gabriela’s blogs at the bottom of this page, in case you would like to visit them.

There is also an embedded video of my daughter, Molly Maeve, reading an excerpt from my upcoming poetry book Echoes Lost in Stars… “in starlight”

Please let me know your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to this week’s poem in the ‘Leave a Reply’ comment section at the bottom of this page.

-PS Conway ☘️ ☘️ ☘️

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phony shapes of swans

destinies twist midst the quietude
of autumn lakes, leafs change then stall
witness sublimity before they fall,
the cardinal’s call harkens awareness
that revenants leave their despair
in crunchy russet whirlwinds

time cannot unmake their origami
feelings, folded into phony shapes of swans;
cursed, awaiting transformation
immersed, awaiting sublimation
when the bell of the new god rings
the Children of Lir may yet find salvation

for what is love but a soul’s sweet surrender?
hearts rendered deep within a forge
from fifty gifted silver necklaces
yet earthbound and caged
searching for their promised fate, a forever love
that forsakes sullen shadows in its wake

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My dearest digital friends! My first book of poetry, Echoes Lost in Stars, will be published by Literary Revelations Publishing House and available on Amazon.com this St. Paddy’s Day 2024 (Sunday, March 17). Click the link below to hear my youngest daughter, Molly, read an excerpt from the book (“in starlight”). Enjoy. More to come!

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Literary Revelations Publishing House https://literaryrevelations.com/journal/

Short Prose (blog) https://shortprose.blog/