Your world covers your lines
in high-powered ad campaigns
that promise forever young
in a bottle,
the fountain of youth at a cost;
but swallowing emptiness
cannot fill canyons.
In your lines,
I trace the conquest of first love,
baby bottles and funeral baking,
losses and gains
multiplied by loaves and fishes.
No serum
can replace the living
drawn in these lines –
this is no paint-by-number
out of a box,
but an original,
a hand-drawn facsimile
of you. So hang out your laundry,
put it all
on the
lines.
Meanwhile, Melody Muses... 
Oh so beautiful Melody! Is this one of your lilies?
Or maybe a pansy?
It’s a pansy – a very pretty fellow, with those little lines painted in. Thank you Glenda!
I love pansies, that is the flowers! they look so cute, don’t they?
They sure do!
Every year seems to be another reminder of those lines. A song I enjoy describes the aging process as the colour of your boots keeps fading.
And yet, the lines are more real than what the bottles promise – I think I want to accept these lines as mine, and call them beautiful…
good plan
“Swallowing emptiness”–wow, I did that for decades (yet stayed thin–emptiness, zero calories); now I’m fattening up (who cares?) on the GOOD Stuff. Have a great Wednesday, Mel–love, sis Caddo
Thanks Caddo!!
I thinking you’re not doing so well… praying for you…
Thank you Heidi!
I swear you’re just getting better with this stuff all the time. Nice job.
Thanks, Rob. I really REALLY appreciate that.
Seriously. They are taking a new kind of shape. I see you growing as a person and a poet simultaneously.
What a great word of encouragement! Thanks, Rob!
; ^ O
Melody, I love the lines on your pansy and in your poem. 🙂
Blessings ~ Wendy
🙂 Thanks Wendy…
That’s just grand! well done 🙂
Thank you Seb!
Love the “swallowing emptiness cannot fill canyons”. Appreciate the insights!
Thanks Patty!
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you, Amber!
Beautiful flower face!
I will take all the lines that I get & thank God for each day & year given to me. For I know – not all have the chance to see the lines.
Rosy, I could hug you right now for those words. We grieve for the loss of another young man in our small community who will not have the chance to have those lines on his face – and I know well that you understand that kind of grief. Your wisdom comes from living in those difficult moments, and rising above them!
swallowing emptiness cannot fill canyons… very deep
great
Thank you so much!
Love the flower… what kind is it? You probably know this…. You’ve written a beautiful poem.
oops* “the you probably know this” part was meant to be on another line…..its not linked to the question in any way…… I feel so silly right now
I so love it when someone else makes the blunders – it’s usually ME! 🙂 The flower is a pansy. I love the lines on her face.
🙂 I think it has become my new favorite flower 🙂 I love the lines too.
so real….so true….it brings as many smiles as it does the memories of the hurts….awesome work…congratulations on being freshly pressed.
Thank you!
Beautiful photo and inspiring writing, thanks for this!
Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words! 🙂
I am out of words
🙂 Writer’s block? haha Thank you…
Love it! “No serum can replace the living drawn in these lines “…very nice photography as well
Thank you, Ashton! 🙂
What a beautiful combination of lines and colors! I think this would make an awesome paint by number as well. What do you think?
🙂 Maybe that’s what prompted the line about it NOT being a paint by number! Thank you.
Not all paint by numbers are bad. Ones with flowers like yours would make an awesome one! http://www.segmation.com
I remember doing some of those while a child, and the thrill of producing a piece of art beyond my scope of skill. But going beyond the lines – perhaps that was what drew me to the freedom of watercolor as a form…
Perhaps you should try to go back and rediscover paint by numbers, you might like it!
😀 Maybe I would!
Let me know how it goes then! http://www.segmation.com
Very cool. I can see my students liking that!
I think children of all ages as well. http://www.segmation.wordpress.com
Oh! I love this!!!!
Thank you Lisa! I’m so glad!
I enjoyed your poem. Please go to my site and read some of mine sometime. Connie
http://kingjesusblog.wordpress.com/
Thank you for the invitation, Connie. I will!
Good stuff !
Thank you! 🙂
lovely really enjoyed this, so clever and beautiful
Thank you so much for your visit and your comment!
You’ve captivated the essence of a shallow society. Sorry I’ve been away so long, been ill. Grateful to be back reading and drinking you!
I was wondering about you. You carry a heavy burden – so glad to have you ‘up and running’ again…
I still think deep purple lines look much better on pansies than on the backs of my knees 😦
Ha! Maybe so – but there is the whole ‘At least I am alive to wear them!’ thing, too… 🙂 Thanks for the grin for my day!
What a thoughtful, beautiful poem! I especially loved the line “but swallowing emptiness cannot fill canyons”, very powerful.
Thank you very much! 🙂
I enjoyed your very insightful poem, thanks !
Thank you for your visit!
Hi Melody. Your poem is wonderful and I love the photo of the pansies and lillies. Is it a photo montage?
Nope – just a single shot from a pot I planted. Thanks for your visit and comment!
Reblogged this on juniotrov.
Congratulations on Freshly Pressed! xo
Thanks! 🙂
well written 🙂
Cheers!
Thank you very much!
Really great post!
Thank you!
Exquisite!
Thank you Christina!
Reblogged this on The Arkside of Thought | Poetry, Politics, Philosophy, Life and commented:
Lines… Check it out, people.
Such beautiful thoughts!
Thank you very much. There is much to think about, with the way our society views the aging process…
your poem is amazing!
Thank you very much!
Reblogged this on noerrahmah09.
Love it!!
Thank you!
Beautiful and thoughtful!
Thank you Frances! 🙂 I’m glad you stopped by…
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Thanks!! 🙂
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Congrats, we’ll done. Your recognition is well deserved.
Thanks Shelli! I appreciate that…
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It’s about time you got Freshly Pressed….although there are so many I don’t know how they chose!
That’s so sweet, Lorene! I have no idea how they choose these things either…
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Wonderfu
Thank you! 🙂
Inspirational words, Melody. Thank you. I especially love the last line investing the ‘ordinary’ activity of hanging out the laundry with multiple layers of meaning. Nice! Have you come across Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Anthem,’ with the chorus line’ . . . there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in’? Beauty and perfection in our imperfections? Best wishes!
Thanks so much for your comment. I just wrote a poem called ‘Cracks’ exploring more of this idea of imperfections being what creates potential for all things wonderful – not knowing Cohen’s words were so close to my own. Hmmm – I guess I’m not very original, after all… 🙂
Awww. Shucks! Often the way. Hey, doesn’t detract from the truth and meaning of the words, though – and we all have our own take on these things. I assume you’ll be posting ‘Cracks’ (or have already done so). Look forward to reading it! Oh, and congratulations on your Freshly Pressed recognition! Well deserved! 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
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Thank you for posting this poem which I really enjoyed! Much better than my reflections on loaves and fishes that I gave on Corpus Christi! This summer my community Of Benedictine sisters) is talking about “transformative aging”. I would love to share your poem Lines with them.
Virginia
I’m very honoured, Virginia. I would love it if you would share my thoughts with your sisters. Our culture does not value or respect (or accept!) the aging process the way I feel it should be…
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Beautiful…simply beautiful.
Thank you… 🙂
You know I’m always a bit behind in my reading 🙂 … congrats on being freshly pressed, Melody!
Thanks! 😉 I’m more than a BIT behind in my own reading – hard to keep up in the busy times, isn’t it? Not to worry…
Poetic beauty meets poetic genius! Such beautiful writing Melody; I feel very inspired, thank you 🙂 xx
Thank you so much!! I’m glad that you stopped by…
Thanks for posting this. keep posting.
http://www.hosting1.in
Thank you very much!!
So very beautiful and touching. Thank you!!!!
Thanks very much! 🙂
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I can’t believe you just made me feel good about my wrinkles!
HA! Then my entire life purpose has been fulfilled… 🙂