Sunday, September 6, 2015

Distant Bell Tower (for Ann)

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Distant Bell Tower (for Ann)


Roadside flowers, all taken for granted,
Unnoticed, east to west, (hands on the wheel),
Fronting rolls of hay, randomly planted;
Shadows cast, outflank the colours appeal.

Melodies cascade from a distant shore,
Passing through, beckoning my heart to steal;
Bring my heritage, on wings, to my door;
How to discern what is whimsy, or real?

I might have had a friend, had fate allowed.
We had one shared friend between, in common.
I could better have served both, had I bowed.
I'd gladly have settled for apportion.

Like the sound from a distant bell tower,
She passed me by, like a roadside flower.

Michael Todd (2015)

84 comments:

  1. Very nice! The way people come in and out of our lives some but a season some a lifetime

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    1. That is a brilliant way tot look at it, Tori. Thanks for visiting. :)

      Oh, and... Nice FRISTING !!!

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  2. An eloquent journey indeed, within the minds eye forever seeded.

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    1. Nicely stated, Andrew... in this case, forever and a half...

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Lovely if somber ride. You paint such a gorgeous picture, and I can relate to the sadness of getting passed by.... -David II

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    1. Thanks for you compelling overview, David. I know you get this... Funny thing about this poem is, if it was the last poem I was to ever write and share, I could walk away knowing, I left nothing on the table.

      Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great holiday weekend, Sir.

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    1. Thank you so much, Anne. So happy you enjoyed this. :)

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  5. This is just wonderful Michael! I really like how it flows from line to line so effortlessly. Good use of imagery, too. Keep your talent coming!

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  6. The poignancy is as touchable now while reading this as it must have been while it was happening. Sometimes rose colored glasses and looking back don't change the view at all. It just reminds us.....lovely

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    1. I love your take on this, Stephy, and yes, the purpose of writing this and posting it here was so I would always have a subtle reminder within easy reach.

      Thank bunches for stopping by.

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  7. I never would accept second place; therefore , I too, would slip out with grace!

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    1. I never was very graceful, Joy. I just tend to slip, stumble and fall. But, either way, out the door is out the door...

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  8. One man's weed is another man's prom queen...
    Way to invest in the write, Bro!

    e

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    1. The esteem held here is far greater than that a room queen, Eric. I am talking genuine royalty here.

      Thanks so much for visiting.

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  9. Stand tall o flower everlasting for it is not your loss, but hers that she passed you by. Surely she must be in regret at that decision.
    Very thought provoking write that is filled with solemn wisdom in regards to regret. Nicely done

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    1. This was all about a significant source of wisdom, whereby I learned from my mistakes, but not very well.

      Thanks for coming by, Dave. Always good to see you, Sir.

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  10. And, yet, to have the friend would have caused a stop in the journey. Maybe not possible.

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    1. You have my mind racing with that supposition, Christopher... It is pretty much a given, the journey is on permanent hold.

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  11. Beautiful, emotive sonnet! As I've gotten older I've had to accept that things happen for a reason....even though we may never even come to know the reason. Of course, that is a hard lesson for a control freak like moi! Nicely done my friend! HUGS

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    1. Colleen... Granted, this is the most cryptic poem I have posted on this site... However, you just captured the moment in your analogy. That matters more than you know.

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  12. Love the last line, Michael.

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    1. :) sorry I forgot to sign this - Donna

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    1. Thank you, Laurel. That means the world coming from you.

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  14. Kinda sad...which is worse:?
    To be unnoticed or to be noticed and rejected?

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    1. Definitely the latter, Sandra. That is a sound time cannot silence. Right now, my ears are ringing...

      Great to see you! :)

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  15. You do great with sonnets, sir!

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    1. Sonnets are my comfort zone, Leigh... or, my fortresses of solitude... Thanks so much for visiting while you are on holiday. :)

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    2. I would never miss a chance of a visit with you, Myke!

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  16. This has such a wistful feel to it! Your descriptive passages are so good, Myke. Loved this: "Melodies cascade from a distant shore",
    So sad to be passed by. This song sprang to mind.

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    1. So happy this resonated with you, Debbie.

      Wonderful Bee Gees tune you shared. :)

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    2. The song seemed like the perfect match and it was playing in my head while I was reading your sonnet. :)

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  17. Awww I love it!! Thanks Michael. I enjoy your poetry always!

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  18. Always a treat, dearest - nicely penned

    xox

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  19. Sadly, I have had many relationships like this. There was a time I would not admit it but now I realize life is too short for such trivalties (in my life). I have learned to accept it and move on. It was a difficult lesson to learn but like I said, life is too short.

    In short, I love reading poetry for it speaks to me as no other can. Thank you for this walk down Memory Lane.

    Leta

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    1. I am glad this took you to a good place, Leta... Thanks for your very adept overview.

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  20. OMG...deep and riveting...
    you are such a fine poet Mike.

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  21. Beautiful Myke...loved it. ~Christine

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  22. Love the word painting you do, Michael.
    Well, Ann’s loss. Too bad for her.
    But Michael never misses a beat.

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    1. Michael may note miss a beat, but he sure missed the boat... Thanks, as always, for your very kind remarks, Debra. You are a treasure.

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  23. Some things can't be forced, and pushing harder only makes the distance grow. Then again, not trying at all feels like giving up too easy. For some battles, there is no winning strategy. Perhaps they shouldn't be battles in the first place. By the way, I found a sunflower left behind on my bicycle sunday night. Maybe it found me on purpose. Maybe it just hopped out of the roadside shrubs. Life is full of mysteries. Intriguing and leading to strange ponderings as always, Sir Myke!

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    1. The thought, that maybe that sunflower came into your life for a reason, is a notion that resonates deeply with me, Sir Ruggi. I was a sunflower once. That was long ago, but sometimes it feels as though it was only yesterday.

      Thanks so much for your spot on analogy.

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    2. Maybe to you it feels like once, long ago, but to someone else you are that sunflower today or will be tomorrow. Life has strange ways like that... :o)

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    3. I am smiling, knowing that you are right.

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  24. Sonnet master... this is just beautiful.. I love your work Mike...

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    1. You know I am hopelessly addicted to sonnets, Katherine. They are, and will always be my comfort zone.

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  25. It's amazing how we go day to day not noticing things and bypassing people without a second thought. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Your words ring true, Denise. Thank you for visiting.

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  26. I feel your lady was whimsical...a ghost.

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  27. I have been that roadside flower in my life and I have been the oppsite as well. Lessons to be learned in life. Not always enjoyable but the experinces help us to grow. thanks for inviting me over

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    1. Interesting how you see the flower from both sides of the field. Understanding is a thing you do well.

      Things are always better when you are in the mix, Laura.

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  28. 'What if...?' would be one of our loneliest questions, most often left unanswered, unheard...

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    1. Every ounce of this poem is about a case of "what if," Don...

      Thanks for stopping by, Brother.

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  29. Standing on the edge of the cliff, wind blowing gently as one wonders about the path not explored - well written!!

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    1. Surviving tornadic winds will make some memories to last a lifetime, but a gentle breeze can be equally as powerful, given ideal circumstances...

      Thanks, Barbara. See you at the Eiffel Tower...

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  30. There's a melancholy here that resonates, been that flower many times. This song immediately came to mind - I've always loved it. Love your poems, Michael, they always have so much behind them :)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3WMMwlHgZI

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    1. At this stage of my writing process, Lisa, I try to write a story that no one else has ever told. This time around, I wrote about a story that never will be told.

      Thank you for visiting.

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  31. My bad! I knew there was something that needed tending here. But at last I am made it! Such a beautifully sad sonnet, Myke.

    Irene

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    1. Very happy you enjoyed this, Irene. Thanks so much for visiting.

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  32. So very beautiful. And you're so very talented.

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  33. Loved this Myke..Wish you'd write more often. I so enjoy reading you
    Stormy

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    1. Very kind of you to say, Stormy Gail... I write a great deal more than I post. Most of that I produce goes straight to the archives, where it is soon forgotten. Once in a blue moon, something like this comes along, and I have to allow it to see the light of day, if for no other reason, I will have easy access to it, in the future.

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  34. I'm sorry that I haven't commented sooner. I just haven't had the words to comment. The feeling in this is so... Palpable. Yet, I cannot describe it beyond that.. It is a resigned write with a touch of regret, methinks.?.?.?

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    1. More regret than I could express in a lifetime, Matt... the kind that never really goes away.

      Your words are both appropriate and appreciated.

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    2. I get it, my friend! And As I didn't say earlier, this was a remarkable penning, having left me speechless and pondering.

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  35. I remember pressing my young child face to the car window, and taking in the flowers, the trees and all the fences. Wonder what happened? I have to do that again. A lovely poem.

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    1. Such a lovely observation, Angelika...

      Thanks so much for stopping by this holiday weekend. You have brought a much needed smile to my face.

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  36. Hi Myke. Thank you for letting me know about this poignant and touching sonnet. How caring and sweet of you to compose a work of such beauty and depth for a person who might have been a dear friend. Not many people have that sensibility. I applaud this gentle, kind and winsome work of art. You, my friend, get hugs.

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    1. I know, you were fortunate to have your Ann, for a time. Regarding time, I wrote and posted this while you were away. This poem remained as my most current, therefore featured poem for three months and would still be such had I not gotten an idea about a girl and a raccoon...

      Thanks so much for you kind words and astute overview, Eliza Anne.

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  37. Kind of like seeing in fast forward, a moment in rewind, frozen in time. It makes me feel that ache,the one that only you know the depth of, the loss of, at a level you do not even try to explain, just acknowledge, because only you see clearly, what is lost in the fog. I know that probably sounds silly, but that is the feeling it gave me, that i cannot shake.

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    1. This is the most viewed post I have had on Blogspot, and probably anywhere on the internet, Nyla... You are probably the only person who gets the gist of it.

      See you on the radio.

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