Redolent Salvation

What's this supposed to be about anyway? Atleast you know how to use the thesaurus. That's my favorite type of dinosaur.

Was the guiding hand within you, God? Telling you to look and see what really mattered.Not the fame and the glory, or have I read it all wrong?

You have the gist of this Norma. This poem is another experiment of wrapping metaphor within metaphor and has a timeline.

This poem maybe be a bit too transcendental for some, but different strokes for different folks. However, I wish to assure everyone I did not use a thesaurus. I mean, is there any word in this poem that most people don't understand?

I like this, William. While I can't claim to understand all of it, being a simple girl, several lines lept out at me and as a whole, it has a delightful rhythm. I'll be reading it again (and again!) until I find the deeper metaphors.

It seems so sad, WIlliam, for what is lost, or maybe it really isn't. And thank you for writing poetry the average schmoe can read and understand. Durn. If I read it I want to know what I read. Or at least have a starting point to understanding. Some puzzling is just fine, but I would at least like to know how to get started in understanding. It's a very good poem, I think, and I really can only base my opinion on my emotional reaction to your poem and also on how I view the world and the fairly consistent issues we face as we grow older. I certainly can't speak to form or punctuation or anything like that. But your poem gave me feelings. Lots of feelings, and lots of a sense of loss, so I can safely say for me it was a good poem in that it was very emotional to me.

I like it, too.
However, the first line is my fave.

Although this stanza is another favorite:

"Have I lost the gist of solitude to time
Where sand overwhelms me and prayer is but line
And fathom not the wedge my creator sees
That no amount of shrugs will erase this scene"

I didn't actually understand this one, William, but I found it to be beautifully written, nevertheless. Such a wondrous use of the language you can make!

I had to re-read the first part several times, it kept stopping me. It is certainly deep. The cadence and words, though, capture a stillness that is beautiful.

I'll have to reread this when I have more time to think about it.

I have read this several times over, and to me, it seems you may be lost in a daydream or something, of course I am probably off here, but it is as though you are looking at your life and wondering what has happened to a lot of it, and where are you going.

Favorite stanzas, first and last. Favorite line "trees softly whisper guard your heart."

William - Kudo's on your experimental bent. Trying new things is how you grow, right? I think for me the general sense is questioning of faith, and of your own questioning of faith. Lot's of unsolveables in this realm, and you are swirling around them, it seems.

I could easily be in left field here... I like your writing, this one was a little obtuse for me.

Very nice William, heartfelt. Thanks

Tom, I should give some credit to Gerry Wass and you for planting the idea for this poem in my head. Some of your recent deep philosophical articles gave me a spark.

I agree with Sheila on the fave line!

Well, Wiliam , you took your spark and ran with it, this is a great poem, so I guess I have it figured out wrong, but I enjoyed it anyway,

Seems like you are questioning what has gone on in your life and where you are now.
I like the first verse as I can relate to feeling that way myself.

It has good flow

I think, dear William, that it was one of your best! ;-)

Blessings & best wishes - S.

Explanation:
Line 1: Everyday is the same routine.
Line 2: I'm tired of people telling me what things in my life I should change.
Line 3: I know I'm getting old.
Line 4: I realize I'm set in ways in lots of things that I do.
Line 5: I fully realize there are still opportunities for me to reach my dreams.
Line 6: Too many people flatter me to the point it's like a fairytale.
Line 7: This is like a sweet fragrance, but I'm doing nothing to cause change.
Line 8: I look at the past same promises and want to erase them from my memory.
Line 9: Has my power to create diminished?
Line 10: Has God never heard my prayers in my want to publish my creations?
Line 11: Am I somehow the cause that God turned His back on my dream?
Line 12: Although I say it's okay and I accept my fate, I really don't.

Now, I gave you some clues to work with. Of course the rest of the poem might pose a few difficulties unless you think abnormally like me.

I don't think God has turned his back on you and I think he will help you with your dreams, and I know you don't accept all this and I am glad I am abnormal like you. Thanks for the detailed explanation, you should have posted that as a piece and you would get lots of comments on it, just take out the line numbers., make a great article,

Beautiful words put to emotions so difficult to express. I sense the questioning in this piece, maybe a form of redemption and self doubts. I also saw the aging elements in this poem, something I can relate to and has been heavy on my heart lately. I loved this one and I will venture to say, this is quite possibly one of your best! I love that you expressed many of the things we all feel and did it so beautifully. This is simply beautiful, I aspire to one day have the abilty to paint such wonderful word pictures as this. I admire your work and value your honest opinion of mine.
Blessings my friend
Apryl~

Hi Bill
Well I had the unique experience of reading your poem zipped, being called away and then finding that I could read the first 12 lines unzipped.

The first time I read it, I knew what you were saying I sensed that "has my power to create diminished?" and was about to comment and say to you loudly "No Bill it isn't...you're getting better with each posting" when I read your 12 line explanation.

Now here I can only speak for myself. In these 12 lines I saw MUCH more than line for line in your poem.
That's where I now....and I'm sorry to say this but I know that you dearly want critique...must tell you that I could not see all that in your poem. It's there but it's not what they call retrievable.

Your mind is so bright and you see so many powerful images that you're in danger of losing the mere reader.

Take your lines 9-12...for me, only line 12 matched your poem's lines in my humble reading...yet your poem. overall, really resonated within me.

I'm trying to be the friend that you've always been to me, Bill. You're a star.

I think your explanation strikes too close to home for comfort. Strange how its gentler to relate to something in a poem than to relate to it in words.

Fred, I guess my Cliff Notes approach takes the mystery out of the verse. I do thank you for your words. I am somewhat confused at what you said about lines 9-12, since this is a timeline progression of honest naked thought. Still I cherish your words and will reread your comments again and again to see what changes need to be made. This is a fairly complicated poem that took a lot of time to write, so I need to sit down in quiet solitude and think out the edit.

This is a poem I want to read several more times. Before I reached your explanation, the first line reminded me of Congress. Guess that reveals my frustration with it. After reading your explanation I have to thank you for sharing your emotions with us; it's causing me to examine mine.

I'm still confused.......I think I need more gray hairs, and fewer blonde ones.

Alison, you still are suffering the effects of being in Lansing. Every election we search for idiots in our state and send them there to keep them away from the good decent people in our towns and villages.

I had to stop to look at a article named Smelly Redemption or Stinky Deliverance...because that's what the title means. I dont get whats stinky about it or wy? This is kind of a mashup of stuff and doesnt seem to go anywhere. Are you doing stream of consciousness? Is that what its supposed 2B

Cat, Obviously you have a limited vocabulary.

William...I love your feedback to Cat!
Must I must say this is a little deep...but, oh, so meaningful...thanks much for sharing. In fact, if you are interested, I'd appreciate your sharing/posting with my group, Beliefs and Sexuality.
Z'

Thank Zara & Rita. I feel old today, but not so wise.