i am whole

artwork by rosemarie beck

the tides of life have blurred my edges

parts of me entangled with the past

other parts harnessed up

ready to gallop into the future

a bit of self-reclamation is in order

perhaps i will find clues

in the morning newspaper or on the TV news

where oh where has the jersey girl gone?

the one whose imagination was boundless

the one who embraced all possibilities

suddenly

reaching between the lines of a poem

i find relief, purpose, identity

the meticulous casting of a literary spell

has worked its magic yet again

i am whole

Reviews

[Dara]

Simply beautiful Lydia. I have been away from the ‘Cafe’ for awhile and found your poem so very up lifting. We cannot stop “the tides of life” but as long as we can read and write poetry there is still much to hope and live for. I really love this!

[Lydia Shutter]

Welcome back, Dara! Thank you so much for this lovely review. Lydi**

[Dara]

Thank you! It feels good to be back.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

writing can make us that way, no matter what parts of us might have seemed to disappear.
I don't know about the TV news for clues...it's all bad stuff...and I think your imagination

is all good stuff....as exemplified by your writing.
j.

[Lydia Shutter]

Thanks so much, Jacob. Can I borrow your rose-colored glasses? :) Lydi**

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

A wonderful inspiring piece of poetry Lydi. It resonates with me like a mirror reflection. I feel like an old quilt with worn edges yet still strong in its middle where the colors are less faded. Perhaps the magic of life is that I can still think creatively, for the time being. And I have yet to lose that child like wonder immersed in the art still residing within me yearning to surface. Words are my crayons, my memories the canvas. Thank you for sharing your poem with us.

[Lydia Shutter]

Now that is a wonderful review...filled with metaphor, simile, and imagery. Glad you could relate, Carlos. Thanks so much. Lydi**

[JD Major]

True-to-Life, beautifully written ...
I often experience something like this, and you've put in words, Thanks,

[Lydia Shutter]

Glad you could relate. thanks for the review. Lydi**

[Nima.Hope]

We seek peace in different areas, some find it in painting,some in music,some in religion and etc. I like the middle lines of this poem very much. Never stop dreaming and trying for your dreams. Where would be without our boundless dreams?
Regards,
Nima

[Lydia Shutter]

Thank you very much, Nima. Lydi**

[Nima.Hope]

The pleasure is mine!

[Ken e Bujold]

"the tides of life have blurred my edges" as evocative an opening line as any I've read. and the rest of your poem just draws the reader into the journey. Great poem Lydia

[Lydia Shutter]

Thank you very much, Ken. Lydi**

[Ken e Bujold]

your welcome

[Chris Shaw]

'the tides of life have blurred my edges'

That is a super line to draw the reader in. A poem which reflects on your journey so far. You ask the question where has the Jersey girl gone and I would say, I find her in the lines of her poetry. A calm and reassuring read. Beautiful artwork.

Chris

[Lydia Shutter]

Thank you very much, Chris. I appreciate your review. Have a wonderful day. LydI**

[Coyote Poetry]

Gentle and kind words shared dear Lydia.
"reaching between the lines of a poem
i find relief, purpose, identity
the meticulous casting of a literary spell
has worked its magic yet again"
I loved the complete poem and the above lines. Wonderful and thank you dear friend for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote
i am whole

[Lydia Shutter]

John, thank you for the lovely review. Lydi**

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome dear Lydia.

[John the Baptist]

Indeed, a good write, whether by another or oneself, can break a somber mood. Also true is the fact that you probably won't get that lift by looking at the news. Rather, your edges will get blurred even more.

[Lydia Shutter]

So very true, John. Better not to watch the news these days! Thanks for the review. Lydi**

[Temperance]

We often times get lost and wonder where we are headed. Poetry can help us find ourselves and provides relief and purpose to our lives. This is a beautiful poem and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you. Temp

[Lydia Shutter]

Thank you very much, Temp. Poetry is part of who we are. We must embrace it. Lydi**

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This is so beautiful in the most meaningful ways. To me, it's a story of coming to grips with our humanity, the good, the bad and the in between. It's realizing we've made mistakes but learned from them and that's how we grow. It's tackling the learning curve with hope and faith and a love of life to become better than we were yesterday without any delusions of perfection. It's truly a wonderful thing to be comfortable inside our own skin. I enjoyed this.

[Lydia Shutter]

Thanks so much, Fabian. Lydi**