Let Me Know You

The great divide

Please accept my invitation

Come in, sit down, and rest awhile

Show me your stripes

What you've hidden deep inside         

Bare yourself to me

I will do the same

Isn't that why you came?

 

The sky above is so blue today

Not a cloud to be found

And the weathers warm thank god

The rain has stayed away.

 

I remember the cold rain

Fell like tears hard upon my cheeks

The day my father died.

I thought he would live forever.

That he would walk me down the aisle.

 

I made the best dish the other day

Got the recipe from a friend

You really should try it.

Curry tikka masala

I think they call it

 

I don’t eat curry anymore

Not since the night my husband

Took me by the throat

Swore I’d die if I uttered a word.

 

I swear I love my dog, cat, bird

Even my parakeet .

Don’t know where I’d be

without my furry menagerie

they’re my kids.

 

I can’t have children.

Not since the tumors ate my womb

Left me barren

 

Have you ever been to Paris?

I was just there

Saw the Mona Lisa

Stood atop the Eiffel Tower

You really should go.

 

Yes you should go.

I see now we speak

Very different languages

 

You talk of weather, food,

pets and travel

Boogie boogie par par

 

I want to know if

You ever feel hallow?

 

I want to know

What are you willing to die for?

 

Tell me one thing about you none knows?

Show me your soul

And I will call you friend.

 

Otherwise you really should go.

Reviews

[DCT ponderings]

Thank you Traci. I really appreciate the feedback on this one.

I believe we live in a world with increasing less true human connection. We hide behind technologies and never get to truly know another. Let's be honest even when you do open yourself to another it is hard to truly know all that they are. It takes time. And if nothing else it take a willingness. I am often frustrated that most people only seem to talk about Food, weather, pets, travel but nothing of their true selves. You are right that only inside true sharing are genuine relationships formed.

[Traci]

My pleasure.

I agree with you, most of our connections are here, hiding behind technologies, only allowing people to see what we want them to see, and oftentimes there are hidden agendas, betrayal, etc. But occasionally we do meet gentle souls and our friendship blossoms beyond the pages of WC and our talks get much more intimate, revealing our heart and souls to another. It takes a whole lot of willingness, and true sharing, answering your question. That is the true beauty of friendship.

[DCT ponderings]

In this we completely agree. Gentle soul and kindred spirit I think you are. :)

[Ravyne Hawke]

Wow! I am still reeling from this conversation.. this line really grabbed me hard:

I want to know if
You ever feel hallow?

This is a powerful write DCT.. Images so brilliant that they cannot leave my mind. My only suggestion might be to use different fonts or italics to break-up who is speaking. It took me a few moments to figure it out. Also, I was wondering if I could quote that line above as a springboard for a poem forming in my head. You would be fully credited.

[DCT ponderings]

Lori, changing fonts is a great idea. I will do that immediately. Thank you.

Please do use it. I am honored it inspired you so.

[Ravyne Hawke]

Thanks dear! I appreciate it =)

[Nick.B]

Interesting introduction, with some great relation between us and strangers feeling those awkward silent moments...great job

[DCT ponderings]

Thanks Nick. Glad to hear it captured the awkward silences not just the disconnect between people.

[SteveB]

Well done. The back and forth in the early stanzas highlighted the so very well the talking at rather than with that is the spirit of the age. Both speaking of food but one being banal and the other remberbering a horror, one the triteness of a pet lover the other the sorrow of loss.
Very well done. A thought provoking piece and perhaps more apt in modern society than it would have been before.

[DCT ponderings]

Again thank you for the review. I wanted to show the space where connection fails. I worried that the voice asking to meet spirit was too hard. Sadly it is more apt in our modern day. We have lost a sense of brotherhood and community I think we once had in larger measure. I just wish people still connected more with one another. We all are so isolated and seemingly alone these days.

[SteveB]

Did you ever hear of the book "Bowling Alone"? It is a study of the breakdown of civil society and fragmentation of civil society. I strongly recommend it.

[DCT ponderings]

I haven't but I will at it to my must read list.

[Samuel Jack]

very well written piece, I had to read it a couple of times to get the meaning. But its a really good way to show how people never get to the heart of things. I tend to use over the top metaphors, where using the mundane conversations makes more sense, as its the everyday ignorance that grinds you down.

in the 11th stanza, do you mean hollow or hallowed?

Awesome poem

[DCT ponderings]

Thanks SJ. It is the every day ignorance that grinds you down and having the same conversations day in and day out without finding true connections.

So interesting.....hallow was accidental. I had intended to write hollow but think I actually like hallow better. Hmmm a little of my own subconscious eking out.

[Samuel Jack]

I asked because I dont think Hallow is a word, it would be hallowed or hollow.

[DCT ponderings]

hallow is a word but a verb not a noun (to hallow a battlefield.) SoI think you are correct that I would need to use hallowed in this instance but perhaps I will simply buck the system under artist license. :)

[Samuel Jack]

Fair play lol

[Shaun Payton]

Ah the human connection all the way. Some plug in some tune out, some are just reluctant to open up. The cynical people grow everyday I believe, numbers wise. Its hard to tell if its lack of trust, but some things you only share with trust, cause there are wicked people with bad intentions.

[DCT ponderings]

Sadly so so true. I think I dated a few. ;) I had a therapist tell me once I lacked healthy skepticism. I learned to develop it quickly.

[Shaun Payton]

A healthy skepticism works well. Ive never dated not once, Ive courted without success.

[DCT ponderings]

Wait never dated? Not once? I can't tell if that makes you a unicorn or a genius. ;)

[Shaun Payton]

Never not once. I prefer genius;)

[DCT ponderings]

Then genius it is.

[Shaun Payton]

Youve made my day Brilliant Creatively Talented;)

[DCT ponderings]

Glad I could.

[Keith]

This a beautiful write, I love the way it flits between the meaningless conversations and real mission of getting to know something intimate, 'that none knows'.

[DCT ponderings]

I have lived this conversation many times. Ever hopeful that the other person will reveal themselves to me. Life is too short for boogie boogie par par if you ask me.

[Aethereal]

I don't think that it's technology that keeps people from knowing each other. Most people don't relate well with others simply because they don't really know who they are or why they do the things that they do, nor do the one's about them truly know any more about themselves. Each person's conscious self runs on automatic directed by hidden psychological forces deep within. People must get in touch with themselves before they have any chance at all of getting in touch with each other. We're all lost to ourselves to some extent! When two lost people meet each other they remain lost to themselves and each other. This is what Psychoanalysis was all about at the turn of the 20 th Century. Replacing Psychoanalysis with pills gets us nowhere. Psychodrama also works. Poetry is often a helpful form of Psychodrama. When most people tell the full truth about themselves, they're not believed, and then they're accused of not telling the truth, and so they either learn to lie or don't say anything at all in order to be believable.

[DCT ponderings]

I absolutely agree with you Aethereal it isn't technology that separates us. And unfortunately you are also correct that few people truly have a clue who they are. I myself have been on a path of consciousness and growth for a long time. I know myself intimately hence this poem's plea. My greatest desire is to be seen and this certainly can only be done by another being who has their own sense of self. I have never sought to be believable. Can't say it ever occurred to me so that was an interesting observation. Living in Truth can be a lonely road.

[Sami Khalil]

A great invitation from a great and gentle soul to someone special whom you want to share with him your special things even some secrets and have an honest dialogue with him to be good friends. A great write....:)

[DCT ponderings]

honest exchange is the only way to truly build friendships. :) Thanks Sami.

[Sami Khalil]

True , true , true ...You are welcome...:)

[Leandro Mendez]

wow this is so honest and strong. great write you've got here :)

[DCT ponderings]

Thanks for reading. :)

[K. Louis]

This was an interesting read. It felt a lot like when people make 'small talk' just to fill the uncomfortable silence. Experiences hone perception and suddenly the 'boogie boogie par par' isn't so cool anymore.

[DCT ponderings]

My father used to do that. He had social anxiety and could not stand uncomfortable silences. But I find that even in life people share so little of actual substance and value of what makes them who they are instead sticking to the mundane. I want to know more of people. I want to know what makes them tick. What makes them who they are.

[K. Louis]

Yes!...and on that note: you've inspired my first haiku! :)

[DCT ponderings]

Oh Goodie! I love being inspirational. Once you post it I must read.