a poem in my pocket

Inspiration (with a twist) from poem by e.e. cummings, [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] and linked to dVerse poets pub where Sanaa hosts poetics today…

i carry your heart on my sleeve (son of
my heart) you are always (my pride) a part of me
i will never want to be without (with you
in my heart) and your heart on my sleeve

i believe
you have become best part of me (and i
remain still part of you) even though we are apart
separate now yet not now (or ever really if
you believe) in maternal love carried in

my heart
heartbeat of life (also heard by your four
brothers) like sleeve on your arm (genetically
wrapped band of brothers) bonded by blood, rooted
in our family tree, nourished by me (you see

i carry) your hearts on my sleeve

my sons

dense tropical jungle hangs heavy
above our dugout canoe as we glide
stealthily on midnight blue waters
mottled with red glow of fluorescent
fish feeding along the muddy banks

our guide shines white flashlight
on canopy of trees that reflect neon
green and yellow back at wide eyes
straining to see into velvet black night

we hear coos, chirps, howls, screams
alongside and above us; both in far
distance beyond coffeed trunks, now
too close…beware a jaguar’s pounce!

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Melissa hosts at dVerse poets today. This poem was my first impression of Emil Nolde’s painting. After reading this article about the German expressionist artist also being a Nazi supporter, I wonder if he painted a river/path of blood? This was painted before his joining the “socialist” party but perhaps the violence is within us, waiting to come out…we cannot separate our art from who we truly are.

one final question

did we love each other well?

dearly departed

give flowers to the living

forgive before forgotten

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