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Petition (Sonnet for Heather)
How can it be, on the surface perceive,
easy to forgive a perfect stranger,
and so hard to forgive a friend? Reprieve
therein lies, estranged; in truth a danger.
Heavy is a heart, predisposed to grieve.
Elusive bonds, chronicled, and as such,
resigned to resort to wear heart on sleeve,
missing motions, glances she once could clutch.
Bury the stillness of a starless eve,
recalling a place in time, he wasn't here;
afford measure of solace, side bereave;
gone, seldom forgotten; dim what was clear.
Extent of waiver, granted final, pure,
relies on her buying in, steadfast, sure.
Michael Todd (2016)
Sonnet written for Heather Brager.
Acrostic written to Heather M. Brager.
You can find Heather at her site, Touching The Art ...
heatherbrager.blogspot.com
Beautiful Poem Myke!! I cannot believe I spelled Poem wrong. lol
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christine. I spell words wrong all the time.
DeleteLike... Nice FRISTING !!!
So powerful yet also tender. No one writes these like you <3
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dahlia. These do not come without inspiration. The inspiration for this one was overwhelming, in a good way.
DeleteGorgeous Michael, We cannot estrange that of which is our foundations being..
ReplyDeleteAndrew... No one will get this poem better than you just did, but then, that is often the case. Thanks, Brother.
DeleteAlways, I'm yours my Brother.
DeleteI hope you know how much I appreciate this, Myke... the writing, and the sentiment...
ReplyDeleteI just hope you know how much I appreciate you, Heather.
DeleteThanks for letting me write this and share with our friends.
BEAUTIFUL! XXX
ReplyDeleteThank you, Caroline. You are far too kind. I am just blown away to see you here today. :)
DeleteWritten with conviction and passion! Katy
ReplyDeleteInfinite thank yous, Katy. I appreciate you visiting. :)
DeleteSometimes it is difficult but we must forgive for our own well-being. Love the poem, Michael!
ReplyDeleteThank you immensely, Ellie. :)
DeleteWow. Well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Michael, for taking the time to visit.
DeleteAloha auinala from West Tennessee.
Beautiful. Your poems always touch me. I like that.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Reba. This one even got to me.
DeleteI don't know, Heather. But I am too familiar with this situation. Your words are from the heart touching my heart. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Valerie. I have not had to cope with a loss like hers, what this poem is about. There was a time, I thought I was going to have to, and that suffocated me. Fortunately, in my situation, things took a turn for the better. I am grateful every day for that.
DeleteForgiving is hard, restoring trust harder
ReplyDeleteIn time, both can be realized, Tyler. In the end, love always wins out. It is a rule.
DeleteThanks so much for visiting, Sir.
This was so poignant and beautiful --and very touching. The subject, Heather, should treasure the emotion in this and the very special message. Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you, Demme. Emotions were all about, here. I appreciate your very astute overview, as always.
DeleteAffections forever embellish the pain that precedes forgiving. Wonderful Michael. It has been a long time since I wrote a sonnet and this begs my return to accept the internal challenge.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brother Don... Sonnets are my comfort zone. Ever since our friend taught me how to write them, the hard rhyme concept fascinates me. Just between you and me, the trick is to write them in reverse, back to front... Don't laugh, it works. :)
DeleteNeat trick.
DeleteVery eloquent Acrostic Mike!
ReplyDeleteThank you kindly for saying, M'am. :)
DeleteBeautiful, true, emotional 💖
ReplyDeleteMany thank you, My Gail. :)
DeleteJust wow! Deep on so many levels. Your ink amazes me, Myke.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Marsha. You always say the nicest things.
DeleteI do so love sonnets, especially yours - since you're the master. This is exquisite, conveys concise yet intense emotions. I'm feeling a palpable loss here in your words, it truly touches the heart. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Colleen... No greater loss imaginable, as you properly presume. Your response touches me deeply.
DeleteThis is clearly a diamond From a diamond to a diamond... the finest elements.
DeletePS. You should see what I write without glasses, had to remove the first comment, it came out somehow in a very unknown and exotic language.
Okay, Leigh... The analogy of the elements is over the top awesome!!! We could take that to all the best levels.
DeleteThanks so much for coming to visit. You made me smile.
You do have some sonnet skills. Thank you for sending the link
ReplyDeleteSamantha
Thank you for accepting the invitation, Samantha. You will always be welcome here.
DeletePowerful words, for sure. They gave me something to ponder: you're so right...we often forgive strangers easily ( like someone bumping into you at the supermarket or such ), yet it's not so easy to forgive a friend.
ReplyDeleteIrene
Your overview is firm and fair, Irene. Thanks!
DeleteA wonderful poem and your words are very true. It can be harder to forgive someone we know.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Karen. That can be the case.
DeleteForgiving a stranger is easier,
ReplyDeleteFor a stranger, howe'er just
Has no invested time,
No resulting trust.
A friend that has broken bonds
Cultivated over time
Has wounded so much deeper,
Committed a woeful crime.
Okay, my riffing partner, you have hit it out the park today.
DeleteThe part about breaking bonds...
so so true.............
DeleteBeautifully written from the heart - to the heart. Well done Myke.
ReplyDeleteThanks bunches, Susan. I really appreciate you saying that.
DeleteIt is harder to forgive a friend than stranger. The hurt cuts deeper because you have A bond built on years of trust and love. Sometimes when youare willing to forgive they hurt you further. Beautiful words you have shared with us today.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura. I get everything you are saying, and know it to be so... You sharing thoughts with me, is special. :)
Deletepowerful and evocative, I feel your words deeply.
ReplyDelete♥
Thank you immensely, Teresa.
DeleteOne of your deepest sonnets ever. 'Bury the stillness of a starless eve,' captures the missing sounds, that will never be heard again. Lovely.. -Dave Raider
ReplyDeleteInfinite thank yous, Dave.
DeleteFor the record, you nailed it.
And sometimes the buy in can not happen in this lifetime.
ReplyDeleteAnd others only God can forgive.
It is so hard to line up lifetimes, for significant lengths of time, for those of us who see forever as a viable option... Thanks, Christopher. Hope you are feeling better by the day.
DeleteDear Michael,
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is WOW! I didn't expect your to believe that given I am a writer, too. This powerful poem is where you truly shine my friend. The depth of the pain the loss and sometimes the joy of forgiveness palpate through your words. This poem begs for more that one reading which I was so glad to do. Delving beyond the first time through one finds hidden gems that escape the the first time through.
Blessings and best wishes, my friend,
Karen
Thank you, Karen. It is always a good venture when the boss is pleased, and you have convinced me, you are just that. Thanks for taking the time to dig a little deeper. At the end of the day, nothing changes, except perhaps, a measure of perspective, and if that is the case, good.
DeleteAgain, thank you for all you do for me.
Myke, this is an exquisite, soulful sonnet. I was drawn to the line "recalling a place in time, he wasn't here ..." That very act has consoled me in time of great sorrow. One should never forget who one was before troubling times seemed to change everything. I hope your dear friend is able to rally in response to your vibrant and gentle poetic words. Eliza Anne Jones
ReplyDeleteShe is going to be fine, Eliza Anne. I have all the confidence in the world in her.
DeleteThanks for your generous overview here. It is deeply appreciated.
Myke, in line two I meant to write "in times of great sorrow." Eliza
ReplyDeleteGot it... Thanks!
DeleteBeautiful. You make it seem so simple, and I know it's not.
ReplyDeleteNormally, I would say, it was a piece of cake, Cheryl. This time, however, I really wanted to get it right, to the best of my ability... Thanks for your unyielding support. You are a wonderful friend.
DeleteTo forgive is such a difficult and poetic art. You mastered both aspect, my Master Sonneteer. Well done, Sir *tips hat* :)
ReplyDelete-slj
Thank you, my esteemed sonnet partner. It lifts my spirits to have you riding the rails here with me. Thank, and a roll of the derby to you...
Delete-- "bury the stillness of a starless eve" is an excellent line - I am glad you honored Heather in this way. Much affection to you both.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Iulia ... I am glad you found that passage pleasing. That is a favorite line for me.
DeleteHeather is so easy to say nice things about. She is just a great person. I am lucky to know her.
Love this!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kev.
DeleteIf you hadn't pointed out this was an acrostic poem, I would have missed it. Nice way to honour your friend. ☺
ReplyDeleteYour poetry prowess always amazes and delights! We are more deeply hurt by loved ones than by strangers, so it's harder to forgive them.
Thanks, Debbie. Disappointments can wear a person down, especially those we are not prepared for. I get that. I say that to say this... I do not believe the person I wrote this for is capable of intentionally disappointing anyone. She is infallible.
DeleteAnd, you spelled "honour" like a real Canadian, and I Love that. 😊
Most people don't intentionally disappoint. True friendship can transcend those hurts. Even though I wasn't born here, I am a real Canadian (with a birth certificate of a "Canadian citizen born abroad", thanks to my father's Canadian military status. I also have a German birth certificate and a German mother, making me bi-national.) Cheers! ☺
DeleteReading the gorgeous sonnet for the third time. Thank you, Michael.
ReplyDeleteWe should write something together, soon.
DeleteI don't know if forgiveness is a conscious choice or a decision of the heart in the end. Now you have me pondering again, Sir Myke... thanks =)
ReplyDeleteRuggi, if you do not know the answer, no one does. Together, we have excellent surmising skills. :)
DeleteMichael, do you know how tired I am of repeating myself!? Simply stated: Another masterpiece, hand crafted with tenderness and love of the craft and humanity. This is definitely not an assembly line poem!Awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that, Dave. There was no way I could have written this poem and have it resemble any other I have written. The person I wrote it for is totally unique, in all the good ways, and, circumstances just would not warrant... Seriously, Blue Man, you make me want to press on, and keep giving this a go.
DeletePowerful piece, Michael. I’ve read this a number of times I get the feeling that this was a huge loss...”Bury the stillness of a starless eve”. Sometimes the loss is so great it feels like betrayal, and forgiving is so difficult because (to me) that is letting go. Hard to let go... Thank you for directing me to your site. Debra Stuart
ReplyDeleteYou fully grasped the piece, Debra, seeing past nuances and barriers, for what is really based on; a loss one does not recoil from in due time, for there is no timetable for reconstruction of this nature... I really love that you came. You always do my heart good.
DeleteYou continue to amaze, Myke.
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying, Sam.
DeleteBeautiful, Myke <3
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Lisa. So are you. :)
DeleteThank you for the invite, Michael. Loss and forgiveness. Two strong emotions but necessary in our lives in order to move on. Your written words express these emotions vividly. This was emotionally charged. Brilliant writing. ❤ Leta
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leta. I readily admit, I got emotionally involved here, writing this.
DeleteGreat to see you here. :)
Nicely done, Myke! <3
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Canela. I was hoping you would be here.
Delete~ bury the stillness in a starless eve ~ most excellent ~ i'm sure heather embraced these words ~ you combined the essence of grieve & loss skillfully ~
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marlene. Balance was/is a key component here. Your overview is generous and appreciated. :)
Delete~an exquisite work.. and sometimes it is best to shift our focus away from what is not serving us... a wonderful work and a great close.. thank you
ReplyDeleteThe part about shifting focus, Katherine...
DeleteYou are spot on with that.
You are always so intuitive. I love that about you.
beautiful words , great write Myke
ReplyDeleteThanks bunches, Linda. Glad you enjoyed.
DeleteHeart and poetic artistry... elegantly penned.
ReplyDeleteYour words leave me humbled, Sharon. Thank you.
DeleteIt is one of life's oddest contradictions. We will forgive a stranger for a perceived hurt, but no those who love us. For a reason as in congruent as the one who loves us should know us better and therefore should never hurt us. Odd...because how did they get to know us better? Through all of the messy aspects of living. Brilliant! I expect nothing less. If you read this at Nyla's I am sure it will be well received!
ReplyDeleteOh, the messy aspects of living... Stephy, you are prophetic, in the aftermath. Seriously, I am smiling at how you analyzed this and took it to heart.
DeleteYou are awesome and a half. :)
Your comments make a heart smile. Thank you
DeleteFrom the heart as only you can do.
ReplyDeleteStormy
Such kindness on your part, Gail. Thank you. <3
DeleteA Gem!
ReplyDeleteMany heartfelt thank yous, My Emy. <3
DeleteDitto to all of the above comments. I enjoyed reading them almost as much as your sonnet. You've got me thinking about writing in reverse.
ReplyDeleteStarting with the closing couplet only makes sense to me, Sallon. Without closure, there could have been no journey... Really glad to see you here. You always set me to a good frame of mind, and most often, sentimental. That is important. ;)
DeleteBeautiful!! I think this beauty may need one of my photos....but which one. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robyn... I doubt there is a photo available to match this poem, but if you will send me some pictures, I will see if I cannot write something new for one of them.
DeleteI agree with Sandra :) her loss and preciously chiseled my friend
ReplyDeleteHer loss was significant, Brenda, but she will overcome because she is strong.
DeleteLove hearing from you today, Brenda. You made my Saturday. :)
Letting go and moving on is hard, but to recall a time where you did it on your own is power...we just have to reach within and find that place and our strength and will power to carry on.
ReplyDeleteThis is written well my friend. I love to read your poems 3 or 4 times and let them sink into me.
The part about having to do it on your own... that resonates like thunder in a canyon, Deanna. You so often amaze me with your analogy analysis.
DeleteMyke, truly poignant. I felt her sorrow wash over me through your words. Why are poems often sad? Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you empathy, Cathy. I can't give a good answer to your question. I might try to contend that many I write are happy, but they are not. Now I will be thinking about this question all day.
DeleteDo we resign in time or to merely move on. Great sonnet.
ReplyDeleteI never seem to know the answer to that question, Barbara, even when it is staring me in the face.
DeleteThanks for visiting. :)
Mike, I am sorry for your loss. I have not read a Sonnet in quite a while,this is beautifully done and a heartfelt tribute! Your writing has a nice balance of speaking to sadness and lighting of grief with all the love you feel. I could really feel you processing all the stages! Peace N Love
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maria... I had a great counselor for this chapter.
Delete