A Cleave poem
you should | always | |
attempt to see in | looking at | |
the canvases | the frames hanging | |
on the walls | around you | |
what they are | providing and contextualizing | |
rather than | true reality for | |
what you’d like | your careful perception | |
to amount to | could very well fail you | |
tomorrow or some day | later |
How to read a Cleave poem?
Simply:
- Read the left hand poem as a first discrete poem.
- Read the right hand poem as a second discrete poem.
- Read the whole as a third integrated poem.
Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
I’d never come across cleave poems before, this are really cool and well done! 🙂
❤ Kellieanne ❤ – they're so much fun! I just discovered these last week – I'm going to write some more, I think…
All best,
David
David, you are a master of poetic form. Enjoyable, and very pleasurable. ❤️
Nah, Jeff… I am only a master of disaster 😂
Hahaha, don’t know about that…😂
Those frames can both limit and clarify. (K)
That’s how it seems to me – I think they’re necessary…. but we should be aware of how they limit our understandings.
❤
David
Another gem David!🥲
❤ thanks so much, Cindy ❤
Pleasure!💕