The solitary universe of a poet
can be blinkered by introspection.
We follow a narrow route
from desk – to fridge – to bath-
room; it’s the poet’s fertile
imagination that wanders a path
between bluebells and wood
anemones. In our current
virus-infected situation
we gather in a virtual world
to share maps of secret places
found in our peripheral vision.
Kim M. Russell, 5th May 2020

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Solitude, also linked to earthweal open link weekend #19
Björn is our host for this Tuesday’s Poetics and we are writing about solitude.
Oh I love to find such lushness in a path between the fridge and desk… truly wonderful
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🙂
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“we gather in a virtual world
to share maps of secret places
found in our peripheral vision.”
I know I’d be hurting if it wasn’t for the place you describe, Kim.
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Me too, Lisa!
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I adore the idea of sharing maps of secret places. Such a wonderful image.
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Thank you, Carol.
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I, too, love me some “secret places”. Actually, that’s what I wrote about, the dreamscape machinations where it is hard to be alone.
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I’ll be along to read shortly – I just got waylaid by a video chat with daughter and grandson. 🙂
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Nice description of our narrow path: “from desk – to fridge – to bath-
room”
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Thanks Frank!
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Peripheral Vision! What great description of our writing as poets!
Love this:
We follow a narrow route
from desk – to fridge – to bath-
room; it’s the poet’s fertile
imagination that wanders a path
between bluebells and wood
anemones
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Thank you, Dwight.
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We need this virtual connection more than ever. (K)
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Definitely.
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love that wandering imagination!
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Sometimes mine wanders a bit too far!
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Love the poem except for the word “situation” after virus-infected: seems out of place, too journalistic. Otherwise love everything about it.
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Thank you for reading and commenting. I’ll take another look at ‘situation’.
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This is wonderful! We can go beyond these walls! Yes!
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Thank you, Mary. Yes we can!
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….last lines are so wonderful!!
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Thank you, Sreeja!
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I really love this, your meander thru the house, the mind and creativity!
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Thank you, Kate!
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a real pleasure I assure you!
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I love the reference to peripheral vision Kim!
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Thanks Linda!
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Sometimes, considering that periphery can be as insightful as that which is immediate.
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True, Ken.
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kaykuala
In our moments of solitude we unwittingly are made to discover a hidden treasure trove which otherwise will stay hidden and utilized. Very true Kim!
Hank
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Thanks Hank!
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What a beautiful poem. It really moved me. Thank you.
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Thank you for reading and commenting, Suzanne.
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Beautiful poem, Kim. I love the last two lines.
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Thank you, sara!
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I do venture afield, but wear a mask when others near. but it is that well-worn pattern to the fridge which now calls me 🙂
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🙂
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Essential quandary of the poet in enforced isolation: How to transform such tidy routines (desk to fridge to bathroom) into the next daily enchantment? You chart a course (love that “map”!) that steps from natural world to virtual one, sighting new ground in the periphery. The work continues (why else “beyond” in the title) to daunt and haunt and goad. It’s a tidy little poem; I found “virus infected situation” not so much “journalistic” as rather spare for poetic springboard. “Situation” is part of the rhymework so maybe “virus-infected” needs more color. Thanks for bringing it to earthweal. – Brendan
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Thank you I much, Brendan. I’ll distance myself from It for a while and then take another look at it.
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Sometimes we see more out of the corner of our eye than staring full on.
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So true.
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I love that the walking about indoors translates into bluebells and anemones. Thank heaven for poetry!
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Oh yes!
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As poets, our imagination offers us a lush landscape of secret places. We have the ability to share these places with our words and verses. May the pen of thought always stretch our vision.
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It’s one of the things that is keeping me sane.
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I can so relate to the being present to both worlds. (and then finding they are one)
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Thank you, Lindi.
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