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Sunday, September 16, 2012

KISS FROM THE CLOUDS





She was a woman from Jakarta
the mistress of a Cardinal
and she painted lonely landscapes
on her journey to the sea

A child of the east
a woman of the west
she loves only what is forbidden
standing naked in the courtyard of a country church
where you have followed her from the tourist bus
dark angel beseeching heaven
for a sign from her departed lover

And you know that you can touch her
but she has already told you
that sex is meaningless unless
it is tied to some romantic illusion

And she has told you that her lover
had said that when he is dead
he will send her a kiss from the clouds
and you turn your face skyward

And you know that you can possess her
but she has already told you
that life is meaningless unless
it is tied to some romantic illusion

And she has told you that joy and sorrow are both impostors
and that joy is born from exultation in the moment
and sorrow in a morn when the moment has passed

And you know that you can kill her
but she has already told you
that death is meaningless unless
it is tied to some romantic illusion

And the rain comes like music divinely orchestrated
and your tears come like the muse
unexpected but greatly appreciated
and the colors of the rainbow explode inside your head
as she transmogrifies into a vision of the Madonna

And transcends into heaven

And you wonder who will pick the shrapnel from your eyes
as the rain sends you a kiss from the clouds

She was a woman from Jakarta
the mistress of a Cardinal
and she painted lonely landscapes
on her journey to the sea 



Many thanks to Sherry at Poets United for selecting "Kiss From The Clouds" as Poem Of The Week.

21 comments:

  1. wow dude....really cool...i love the return to the near refrain and the kiss from the clouds ending up coming to you....intensely emotional piece...not only for her story but yours as well...

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  2. Really a touching story and all the expressions here are so very lovely and cool.....

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  3. A fantastic write, Timoteo. I especially love the repetition of all that is meaningless unless tied to a romantic illusion. Love the kiss from the clouds.......this is simply fantastic writing.

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  4. I like the refraining stanza (first and last) and repetition of meaningless in sex, life and death ~ Illusions can leave us broken as well ~

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  5. Love this, T. ... My baby daughter is buried in the sea by Pictou Island, Nova Scotia... Will follow her one day ... I made my kids promise ... Love, cat.

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  6. I wish I understood this story...but it certainly is lyrical

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  7. Holy Moley! That was an incredible blast of magical realism which does not hesitate to burrow beneath the surface of skin and force the reader to reassess the standard view of life and love and death!

    I love this stanza:

    And she has told you that her lover
    had said that when he is dead
    he will send her a kiss from the clouds
    and you turn your face skyward... and how you came back to it at the end:
    And you wonder who will pick the shrapnel from your eyes
    as the rain sends you a kiss from the clouds.

    And every stanza which ended with a perception of life tied to a romantic illusion.

    Top drawer writing, Tim.

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  8. Pretty romantic stuff, Timoteo! I'll just be standing over here, watching all the ladies swoon.

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  9. You never fail to level me when you do this, Timo. The music of the circular opening/closing is very strong, and the refrain of the persistence of romantic illusion--I can feel it. Fine fine writing, sir. (And a Holy Moly on the side.)

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  10. Thrilled that you shared this at D'Verse. I read it first at Poets united and fell in love with your woman... and with your desire for your woman. Romantic, sensual, elusive, independent.

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  11. wow, wow. this is tremendous! riveting, all the way through. holy wonderfulness, and almost chant-like, i can quite nearly year you reciting it. holy! i'm quite nearly speechless and THAT never happens.

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  12. BRIAN, SREEJA, MARGARET, KERRY, BUBBA, KIM: The poet and the reader...like a tree falling in the forest, a poem makes no sound without you...you are what has brought it into being, and so I salute you!

    HEAVEN: Thanks so much...kind of ironic that what she transcends into is...YOU!!!

    CAT: May peace be upon you.

    HEDGEWITCH: One of the things I live for is to level you...now, grab my hand and I'll pull you back up!

    MARIAN: I am humbled by such praise.

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  13. I want music and I want to hear this sung! Awesomeness totally spilled from your pen on this one! Love! Love! Love! :)

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  14. Vaguely reminiscent of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", but clearly its own animal--much edgier, with more overtones of the everyday. The piece is pretty straight-ahead, but it never beats you around the head with a message or moral, you never feel preached to or yelled at. It's top-rank work.

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  15. I find this poem amazing... I don't have the words to describe it (can you tell I'm a poet?)... it's no wonder it was selected for Poem of the Week! I already read it at Poet's United but I had to come and read it again...

    And she has told you that her lover
    had said that when he is dead
    he will send her a kiss from the clouds
    and you turn your face skyward

    Really top rate work...

    I just love that gesture..

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  16. A highly imaginative mysterious poem about a surreal character. Interesting and illuminating.

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  17. this is awesome!! love how you set the stage with the image of her painting...then the interaction..ha..she sounds like an interesting woman to me...and smiles on the passwords..see..you got it..

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  18. This is totally amazing-- one could spend all day with it. It touches me in places where you normally don't touch me-- ;) xxxxj I think this is an excellent stretch into new territory for you, Tim. xxxj

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  19. Oh my goodness - the beginning, the near refrain, the end - all tied together so beautifully into a wonderfully woven tale. I've read some good poetry today, and this is up there with the best.

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  20. NATASHA, W.K. KORTAS, SERENA, CRESSIDA DE NOVA, CLAUDIA, RUMOURSOFRHYME: You're too kind...but don't stop!

    JEN: Touche!

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  21. Here from Poet's United--this is certainly worthy of being the poem of the week. Love the rhythm, the refrain, the imagery, the rain (I love everything) :)

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