Longing

Margo Henry 1954 (United States)

Free verse

Alone in the house
I ache for your presence
Twilight heralds night

Silence comforts
like a warm cocoon
a shield from the world's chaos

Water gently trickles
from the cat's fountain
as the fridge hums along

Stillness is a gift
I grant to myself
paired with the rise and fall of breaths

Shadows slowly deepen
as the sun rests past the horizon
Mystery begins

My pen remembers thoughts
released earlier to the wind
Words that capture feelings

Ghostlike, Rumi beckons
he's dancing, twirling, spinning,
listening, knowing

Suddenly, the furnace turns on loudly
breaking the silence
while the candle's flame flickers

About this poem

This poem captures a sacred moment in time, savoring the tranquility, aware of senses, in contrast to the chaos of present day life.

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Written on October 31, 2023

Submitted by margohenry11 on October 31, 2023

: 33 sec read
: 47 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XAX XXX XBX XXX BBX XXX XCC XAX
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	615
Words	108
Stanzas	8
Stanza Lengths	3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3

Full analysis for Longing »

Margo Henry

Born in California of Chinese descent, Margo was raised in Connecticut, joined the Navy, became a hospice nurse, now a happily retired grandmother who's been writing poetry since she was a child. more…

All Margo Henry poems | Margo Henry Books

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Jewoo525
"Released earlier to the wind... the candle's flame flickers" Reading the poem made me almost think that some aspects of it could be re-structured into a Haiku. I think that's a testament to how well the poem captures such strong imagery through seemingly simple observation. I love poems that take me to places; it felt that I was in your stead, writing at that desk and observing the same surroundings. I can also see the restraint in letting some of the observations just sit with the reader, not over loading the scene with too many details or emotions- echoing the sentiments that indeed "stillness is a gift." An excellently crafted poem, I truly enjoyed reading it. Keep writing! more »
LikeReply5 months ago

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"Longing" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/172998/longing>.

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