Reach
Reach for me, for I am
not made of this
fleshy shell; I am deeper.
Reach to the beyond-bone of me,
to the warm & ancient
dark of me.
Find where all my unsaying
resides & swells nameless,
& with your tongue, teach me
to speak. Reach
into the buried of me, stoke
& survey the embers
of my death-preceded devouring,
score my borders,
& till my soil nitrogenous.
Then let me be a sieve for your waters,
& for the salt of your deep,
the belly of hope.
STEPHANIE L. HARPER
Wow! This poem! Breathtaking!
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I’m pleased and proud you think so! Thanks, Bob!
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Just being honest, Ms. H. Great poem.
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Wow! Absolutely love this, Stephanie! Beautiful and a great love poem, if ever there was one!
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Thank you, Lynne! It’s a little off the beaten path for me, but seemed like the thing to do! 🙂
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Sometimes clicking Like doesn’t really say Like and I really LIKE this poem!
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I appreciate your kind words! Thank you!
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I’d love to see more like this!
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I’m getting brazen in my old age. We shall see! 😄
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So much emotion surges as I read this for the 3rd (or is it the 4th?) time …
I was thoroughly into a human love poem on first read … till suddenly it was something MUCH bigger.
Inner vibrations I receive reading the third stanza – powerful suggestion leaving space for ample imagination. And “the salt of your deep, / the belly of hope” – so beautiful, so true.
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You are wonderful, S. J.! The raw emotion, longing, and vulnerability in this poem are subjects I’ve avoided in my writing until quite recently. I’m trying on a new kind of bravery, and your words are immensely validating to me!
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Your bravery is immensely invigorating to me!
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Reblogged this on O at the Edges and commented:
Stephanie L. Harper’s poem sizzles!
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It moves me that you were moved to share this one! I’m grateful.
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This one, uh, reached me! 🙂
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How fantastic!
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Your reach is long!
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“till my soil nitrogenous”…great line among many!
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Thanks so much!
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Wow, wow, wow! This is such a good poem! You’ve so divinely worked out the inner workings of one to show us how to connect to another. Loved it.
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Thank you so much, Susi! Sorry it took me so long to respond. I was without internet service for 4 days!
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That’s fine! You are very welcome. I always look forward to your pieces. 🙂 Glad to hear you are back online.
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I love this one/ Fine job
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So kind of you to say! Thank you, g. r.!
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Rereading this work again this morning I remain amazed & can’t really help but to take it personally.
Keep on, g.r.
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I’m honored, g. r.! Thank you for coming back! 😊
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Deep layers here – resonated
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So glad my words reached you. 🙂
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Thanks forr posting this
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Thank you, Caroline, for finding this one in the archives! 💖🦋
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