29 Comments
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Susannah Cragwick's avatar

What jumps out to me in this powerful piece is the line "but your soul was healed". So many times in life, when we let go of things or when we are, from no doing of our own, released from things, that letting go and release can be our source of healing and can bring change that we need.

Brian Funke's avatar

Susanna, could not agree more. As we practice this, I'm not sure it gets any easier...but I do think we can get more comfortable with it.

Katharine Beckett Winship's avatar

Brian, what strikes me is just how simple, how powerful, and how perfect this poem, this being is that you created.

Brian Funke's avatar

😊 Thank you Katharine! This one just flowed out of somewhere...

Weston Parker's avatar

A cool litany of expired relationships (I gather). I think we all have shuddered and felt the bite of the hook. Very nice.

Brian Funke's avatar

Thanks Weston! Expired relationships from a broad sense, indeed!

Reena Kapoor's avatar

Can’t wait for the longer reflection on where this came from...

Brian Funke's avatar

Me too 😂. It’s always an adventure.

Reena Kapoor's avatar

Beautiful! So specific and general all at once so it tells your stories and ours... I stopped at these lines “you had to push it through

and cut the barb

to free yourself”

Nathan Slake's avatar

Like Weston, my mind immediately calls up relationships when reading this.

"Filed it away for never" is my absolute favourite line here.

Beautiful once more, Brian, and I very much look forward to the breakdown on this one.

Ann Collins's avatar

"Re-member" ...to make whole again. A life-long process and an intriguing poem, Brian. The fish hook resonates with me, as well as the impossible/possible dream near the end.

I look forward to your reflections on this one.

Brian Funke's avatar

Thanks Ann! I’m glad you’re here!

Coco's avatar

a tactful poetic dispute

Brian Funke's avatar

Definitely an element of it!

Angela Magnotti Andrews's avatar

What struck me was how at first I was a little confused, wondering what you were remembering. Then at some point, probably around "15 past Orion" (once I stopped ruminating on what you meant by that), I entered into the poem with you, like it became a conversation. Like you were speaking right to my creative soul, urging me to recall my ideas good and bad, tasks left unfinished, my failures and successes. Then it brought to mind the words I've written and the ones I haven't. And in the end, an invitation to respond with my own list of ideas, tasks undone, failures, and successes.

Brian Funke's avatar

Angela, thanks for reading and sharing this! It’s meant to be a very open poem so it makes me truly happy that it left space for you to enter in.

“15 past Orion” is meant to be a reference to the constellation, representing late night or early morning. 🌌

Angela Magnotti Andrews's avatar

Thank you for answering my question. That's what I thought it meant, since I'm often looking at Orion late at night. It's my favorite constellation. I look forward to reading more of your poetry.

GiGi Huntley's avatar

Beautiful first read. I'll spend more time on it later today.

Kali Bell's avatar

Oh wow, I have just found your writing and I so enjoyed this thank you! I love how it’s so expansive and yet in some ways so specific! One of my faves: but your soul was healed

and at some point

she even noticed

you were new.

Looking forward to the exploration ✨

Brian Funke's avatar

Thank you Kali! I’m glad you’re here! 💫

Tim Mohr's avatar

Starting with the general and then throwing in a specific made it mine. I went from listening to you to quickly thinking about me. Love it.

Susie McGaughey's avatar

A new favorite. We have every reason to try hard to remember and also need full permission to not.

Brian Funke's avatar

Yeah, I think that we have seasons where remembering intentionally can bring strength and others where denial of memories can provide what we need to remember another time. Thanks for reading Susie, I’m glad it resonated! 💫

Berkana's avatar

I will ...