Michael Anthony
Michael Anthony
May 16, 2022

Honors of Love

I shivered at the fearsome thing,
this affliction that found you here
amongst all your beauty

I could never find the words
to offer as medals and ribbons
I wanted to give you
for wrestling and sparring
with a cruel and indifferent foe

While somehow finding the courage
to provide an embracing home
for the audacity to hope

About This Poem

Last Few Words: For my dear friend, and wishing he was still here.

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: What did you think of my title?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?

Review Request Intensity: I appreciate moderate constructive criticism

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: San Francisco Bay Area - USA, USA

Favorite Poets: Bukowski

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More from this author

Comments

Jackweb

Good rhythm and it flows natural. I liked how you succinctly expressed it.

Apt yet very impressive!

S

A LOT put into such few words. I have no suggestions to offer

Michael Anthony

Assuming you enjoyed the piece Scrib, so that's how I'll take your comments.

Like many of my poems, this one started out quite a bit longer. For better or worse, I spend a LOT of time carving them down to only what I think is necessary to convey my thoughts, imagery, and message (and boy is this painful when I really like a phrase or a stanza but it doesn't fit within the poem's flow, logic, or my apparent obsession with brevity, LOL!). This approach also helps me avoid going off on tangents that might muddy some or all of the aforementioned elements.

Cheers

S

some of the greatest poems ever written are far from being brief so I'd not sacrifice what you love just to achieve brevity. After all, Frost could have just said " i came to a fork in the fall woods and decided to take the one less travelled"

Michael Anthony

Thanks Scrib! I don't see it as a trade-off. It either works or it doesn't within the piece I'm writing. I have a large file of not-used items that often fit elsewhere. Maybe "painful" was the wrong term.

Cheers

Candlewitch

I read the care and worry in your words of the poem...both you and your wife's courage shines through. please allow hope to carry you through this. I "wish" that your hope is rewarded. my favorite lines are:

I could never find the words
to offer as medals and ribbons
I wanted to give you
for wrestling and sparring
with a cruel and indifferent foe

*hugs to both of you, Cat

Geezer

Geezer

2 years 11 months ago

So very emotional, yet not overweight with wordy lines.
Kudos to you! I should try to do more with less once in awhile. ~ Geez.
.