Poetry Partners #49
‘On vacation’, a poem by Maria L. Berg of ‘Experience Writing’
We visited
And something else disappeared
pieces of shared experience
taking up residence
in the paintings
on your forehead
and the crook behind
a slightly bent left leg
The apartment didn't want to keep me
so we met in other places
when we stayed together
we reflected their appearance
filled with the end
and anise and sweet herbs
- Maria L. Berg: https://experiencewriting.com/
A poem by ben Alexander of ‘The Skeptic’s Kaddish’
I visited
For my father's funeral
the residence and paintings
were no different
everything was different
no more wrinkled forehead
white hair, hearing aid
left in his desk
along with forgotten items
I took home
Jewish tradition holds
mourners should not go
out for an entire
week, but I wanted
time
with my brother alone; we
drove to a kosher donut shop
It was kosher
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!
List of Poetry Partners
- Murisopsis
- Judy Dykstra-Brown
- Jennifer Patino
- Mike L. Utley
- Barbara Schaefer
- Ron Rowland
- Cheyenne MacMasters
- Rae Cod
- Eric Erb
- Chris Reilley
- Jim-
- Selma Martin
- Vidah (Chavi)
- varityteller
- Veera
- Kunjal Gupta
- Coco
- Lov Verma
- bodypositivefemme
- Steven S. Wallace
- Shay Simmons
- Constance Bourg
- C. L. Barton
- Madamchryzl
- Sangeetha
- Jo
- Audrey Duff
- Gillena Cox
- Yasmin
- Martha Anewa
- Malalai Khan
- Adam Taylor
- trE
- Cindy Georgakas
- Punam
- davidatqcm
- Orion Foote
- Susi Bocks
- Mister Bump UK
- Kate Blake
- Freddie Omm
- kittysverses
- enchantedwords
- Saint Gaona
- Alan Steinle
- Karina Lutz
- Sarah David
- Beka Tucker
- Maria L. Berg
- Colleen M. Chesebro
- Jane Aguiar
- Jan Beekman
- royalpalmtree
- Marian
- M Jay Dixit
- Ken Hume
- Naa Lamiorkor Boye
- Reena Saxena
- Bridget
- Ash Evan Lippert
- Freya Pickard
- Harshi
- LaMon Brown
- Nomad
- Vedran Markovic
- The.Richard.Braxton
- Kim Whysall-Hammond
- Jeff Flesch
- hutschi
- Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
- Anca
- douryeh
- enchantedwords
- Kerfe
- Puvanesvari Rajan
- MistyBlue
- Henry Mworia
- Anna Smit
- Larry Trasciatti
- Sarah Cope
- Filipa Moreira da Cruz
- Robert J. Jr.
- Rosemary McMahan
- Iswar Kar
- Mapule Somo
- Anne Morrigan
- George Ellington
- J. P.
- Christine Bialczak
- Shalini Kathuria Narang
- LaToya Williams
- Maitreyee Telang
- Amelia Michelle Nicol
- A. J. Wilson
- Nick Pipitone
- Myrna Migala
- Kathy Labrum McVittie
- Dawn Pisturino
- Eugenia
- Tea Solon
- Marion Horton
- Hassan Safdar
- Grace Y. Estevez – Reddy
- Eileen Backman
- Suzette Benjamin
- Candace
- Tarlie Francis
- Aishwarya Kannan
- Michaël
- Mary Anne Abdo
- Benjamin Nambu
- Scotti Woolery-Price
- Ara
- Sean Matthews
- Joy A. Burki-Watson
- Mike L. Utley
- Hadizat Motherconfessor
- Murisopsis
- Cindy Georgakas
- Swathi Rao
- Filipa Moreira da Cruz
- Di
- Ami Offenbacher-Ferris
- Christine Bialczak
- Rob Kistner
- Michaël
- Sarah Cope
- Stephanie Malley
- musingsbymac
- Verne Ivars Krastins
- Brandon Ellrich
- Tallisman
- kalabalu
- Kunjal Gupta
- Malalai Khan
- Mary Anne Abdo
- M. Snyder
- Sherry Lens
- Barbara Dean Aliaga
- Devine Success
- Veera
- Maria Pavlova
- Kevin L. Perrin
- Alex Budris
- Wm. “Mark” Parry
- Rayla
- Rayla
- Artem Miachin
- Jeff Lee
- Artem Miachin
- Tanmay Philip
- Dee
- Tricia Sankey
- Cassa Bassa
- 3L
- Charles
- WickedLizzie
- L. M. Montes
- Marsha Ingrao
- WickedLizzie
- Jan Beekman
- Neha Singh
- Kaci Rigney
A lot of pain in your words. Things that always looked normal seem so out of place without the one who gave them meaning.
💘 Terveen 💘
I thought these were really good! Both pieces conveying so much emotion with just a few well placed details
💜💞 JYP 💞💜
Beautiful imagery…lovely lines ✨
Yes why wouldn’t it be kosher
In these unusual circumstances
On vocation, or in death you leave, give or take a piece of them or you.
🤍💗 Abi 💗🤍
These bring back memories of my mom’s death seven years ago. Both of you are so precise and caring with your words and feelings, and there’s such a deep silence in my mind when I read this collaboration. Such skillful and respectful treatment of a heart-rending experience. Well done, both of you. 🙂
🤎💟 Mike 💟🤎
Moving gentle reflections on loss – of those we loved and what we shared with them.
🧡💗 Marion 💗🧡
I sit here with a tear in my eye having read your response poem.
💛💟 Muri 💟💛
A lovely juxtaposition and contrast of love, connection, and loss. A beautiful pairing. 💕
💖🤎 Michele 🤎💖
I love the resonance between those two poems. Beautifully crafted, Maria and David. ❤️❤️
💓💙 Jeff 💙💓
[…] Skeptic’s Kaddish wrote a response poem to one of my poems. It’s a beautiful pairing. Go check it out. And Laura presented a fun challenge at dVerse Poets Pub yesterday that I will tackle […]
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