for Michelle Rummel
She counts her blessings
within the lines of her palm.
Length, she'd heard once, has
nothing to do with living close
to the edge. Her heart's line
ends in a thick knot of branches,
and her head line, extending far
beyond the middle of her painter's
palm, pays a ransom to ambition.
She quarrels with all the tiny nicks
the reader finds, some indivisible
number she discovered could be
used to retrace the ground already
covered in that wide smooth stretch
between thumb and index finger.
Her life line starts high enough
but just before the gentle curve
above the wrist she spies the chains
invisible to others whose own
break at the forks on their hands
or double up like devoted soul
mates. Deep in the center of her
self unseen lies fate's sinuous slant,
and there, on the side underneath
the pinky, two long love marks.
Intuition's prominence tells her
nothing more about the three
bracelets her reader sees, or
the many places she'll travel,
where a crescent moon lingers —
her lover's shield, her Girdle of Venus.
© 2012 Maureen E. Doallas
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This poem varies somewhat from a draft I left in the comments section of a recent post at TweetSpeakPoetry. I used as my prompt the phrase "within the lines of her", part of the poem that accompanied the lovely watercolor She Breathes Cerulean by Michelle ("Shell") Rummel of Shell Artistree.
Just wonderful! Thank you so much, Maureen ~ Thrilled and honored that my watercolor/line of poetry inspired your brilliant words to flow. It has been a personal joy observing how you and the other writers interpreted my words/painting. I have greatly enjoyed watching the process unfold. Lovely, to have been invited to share my art within your circles. Thank you, for your kindness ~
ReplyDeleteShell
I love how you took one line and turned it into a palm reading -- with such beauty and depth to it.
ReplyDeleteYour poems always make my heart feel light and airy and full of song.
This is beautiful. Incredible.
ReplyDeletethis is gentle, lush, and captivating Maureen -- excellent...
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous, gorgeous poem, Maureen-- be sure it's in your next collection-- so many lines and images speak to me, as in this one:
ReplyDeleteDeep in the center of her
self unseen lies fate's sinuous slant,
...xxxj
wow this is beautiful maureen love the glimpse of the chains as well that she sees herself...i had my palm read once...
ReplyDeleteLovely flow, Maureen. I had to stay with it and I loved the journey.
ReplyDeletethis is lovely... quite the journey we hold in the palms of our hands...
ReplyDeleteLovely journey, beautiful poem!
ReplyDeleteWow. That's gorgeous!! You should submit that if you haven't already
ReplyDeleteAdding my "yes" to the comments already here. You do this so well.
ReplyDeletethe heart and fate and how it leads
ReplyDeleteA portrait with words.
ReplyDeleteThese lines of life, head, and heart cut deep into your reader. The diction here perfectly suits the poem and takes us on a journey from our life into hers. Exquisite.
ReplyDeleteThis is spot-on, and so filled w/ nuance... lines that speak in a hearts code. Just like Shell's beautiful work. There is almost a call and response quality. What a pleasure to see, and share the fruits of such a fecund encounter!
ReplyDeleteVery well done, with images enough to keep me coming back.. Terrific idea executed with intensity & credibility, not to mention being beautiful, easy on the eyes and all too familiar to the heart.
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