Our blanket is blue
Like skies
And muffins
And little pills
We nestle and chew
Contemplating
Feeling blue
Is very different
From being blue
She says
We hold tight
Let the afternoon
Fade and fall
Like breaths
Sometimes painstaking
Sometimes full
Time sticks in our hair
Prayers tidied up
The shop alarmed
I am still a little scared
I wipe my brow
Scattered
Running
Queasy
Sometimes I do not know
If I am rabbit or fox
Mother or Queen
Alice or Jae
Whoever you are
You are doing very well
She says
Her words glow
Quietly
Like warm sun
On the minute hand
Rested
Radiant
True
You know
It is quite possible to be
Both well
And blue
I hold her hand
For a moment we are still
Thank you
I say
Thank you.
Of course there are degrees of every feeling. Who doesn't like blue skies, they are not depressing. Even glorious sunny yellow can become sickly. Verdant green might make one envious! I think it is best to look on the bright side of life. It's always good holding hands.
ReplyDeleteYes on all counts - thank you Old Egg - Alice feels the same about yellow ☀️
DeleteI love this part:
ReplyDeleteIt is quite possible to be
Both well
And blue
and of course, feeling blue is different from being blue.
Love your reflections Jae~
Thank you Grace - and appreciate the return reflection ~
DeleteFeeling blue
ReplyDeleteIs very different
From being blue
Very true Jae! One would have to ensure not to be feeling blue lest one gets to be blue. There is the mental weakness to overcome.
Hank
It is a big old obstacle indeed - thank you Hank!
DeleteSometimes I do not know
ReplyDeleteIf I am rabbit or fox
Mother or Queen
How about the Queen Mother?
(Chortles and guffaws)
The warm sun brings a glow...and it is shining down here as well, today and for the next week!
Now there's a thought - would we have to wear a funny hat and carry a hardback with a hankie in... Alice almost choked on her Victoria Sponge just at the thought - thank you Rallentanda.. glad the sun has found you :-)
DeleteI'd hate to be the rabbit as it's heart matches that of the second hand. I feel the eyes of the predator in the background in this - well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Leslie - the eyes are always there.. lurking.. thank you for spotting them
DeleteI see your watch is also blue, counting the minutes telling the time...rabbit or fox...who can say? And we can be well and be blue all at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThank you Annell - yes we are in a blue watch way.. it's a nice colour :) 💙
Deleteyeah either feeling blue or being blue, always two sides to a thing..but warmth, glow even if for a minute, it's worth it..."Rested
ReplyDelete/ Radiant / True"....i love the play on Blue here Jae...
To steal a film title - Blue can be the warmest colour - thank you very much Sumana
DeleteThe notions of recovery are nicely handled without losing form
ReplyDelete"Whoever you are
You are doing very well
She says"
much love...
Thank you Gillena - such an encouraging comment
Delete"Time sticks in our hair"
ReplyDeleteGosh, yes! But with poems like this to ease our pain, let it stick. Thank you!
Thank you too Susan! There are worse things to be stuck in our hair..
Deletesuch a thought-full piece - I can almost hear the watch ticking through the session:
ReplyDelete"We hold tight
Let the afternoon
Fade and fall
Like breaths"
As ever you truffled out the core - thank you telltale
DeleteThis is absolutely beautiful Jae, I can feel the intensity of the emotions here in this poem especially where you mention:
ReplyDeleteSometimes I do not know
If I am rabbit or fox
Mother or Queen
Alice or Jae
Sigh.. I strongly feel that Alice is a powerful part of your personality and makes you who you truly are inside. Beautifully penned (as always)
Lots of love,
Sanaa
Thank you Sanaa - I think she is too but don't say it too loud unless she gets even bigger than her shiny shoes ;)
DeleteLove the first five lines and the time sticking in our hair and, well, all of it, actually...especially the message.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Susan - we are very glad you especially liked the message :)
DeleteOh, Jae. I am so deeply touched by this. Sometimes all we need is for someone to not only tell us that it's going to be okay, but that we already ARE okay...in all of our glorious, fragile brokenness. I love the way this spills, that ticking clock, the uncertainty met with assurance. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you too De - sometimes we need exactly that - your skies and ocean made us hear that today - thank you for that
DeleteMy pleasure. Blue heals (for me, at least), always. <3
ReplyDelete:) I think it does - even if we can't actually make it to the ocean..
DeleteYes. I truly believe that's why we were also given a sky.
ReplyDeleteI like the "both/and" quality of this poem, because I've sometimes been both well and blue myself. I understand.
ReplyDeleteThank you Magical - for both understanding and sharing..a bit like being ok in that church looking out at the tree
DeleteYou know
ReplyDeleteIt is quite possible to be
Both well
And blue...... this is so true Jae; such an emotive read. I did enjoy the I and you form.
Thank you very much Julian - from us both!
DeleteShe's absolutely correct
ReplyDelete'Whoever you are
You are doing very well
She says' "You know
It is quite possible to be
Both well
And blue"
It's okay to be you.
Thank you Sheilagh - we have missed your warm comments..will head over to yours tomorrow xo
DeleteI am so very glad you and Alice visited us today. And with this marvelous poem. Whoever you are You are doing very well..oh my, yes you are.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Toni - we are glad you visited us too
Deletea self reflection of who you are, some questioning - some acceptance - it is ok to be on both side of self and blue has a place on either...thank you...bkm
ReplyDeleteThank you too bkm - reflection, questioning and acceptance are good words to hold onto
DeleteClever blend of fantasy and reality in this. And she's right--we are all okay whoever we are today.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of ok for today - it allows both room for error and growth - thank you liv2
DeleteJae, I really like this idea:
ReplyDelete"Whoever you are
You are doing very well
She says"
Indeed whoever any of us is is just fine!
I find this poem of yours to have a very optimistic done
& enjoyed every line.
Thank you very much Mary - we don't often do optimism so are glad you enjoyed - thank you :)
DeleteI found this poem quite touching.
ReplyDeleteThank you Arcadia
DeleteHopeful and lovely....I hope you are okay..keep the faith.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ayala - and we are okay ;)
DeleteThat little bit of reassurance can mean so much.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly can thank you (other) Alice and very good to see you..shall head over to Mrs A asap!
DeleteWOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sitting here smiling very widely........you are accomplishing a courageous journey, my friend, and remember it only has to be done one day at a time, and one hour at a time. I adore the wisdom in it being possible to be both well and blue. AB-so-tively! I love this poem. So much. And you know why!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love your comment thank you Sherry - we know why and thank you very much for that xo hour by hour,,day by day..
DeleteIt's good to feel well and blue. After all, it is the color of the ocean, it Alice swims.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sara - that's a good question - does Alice swim - if I remember rightly she may have relied upon an upside down umbrella - shall ask and get back to you ;)
DeleteMetaphorically however she'd be Olympic gold
DeleteIt’s no surprise, then, that most people greatly value their friends for a longer, happier, more fulfilling life... it’s certainly worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem, Jae!
Thank you Panchali - yes true friends are definitely valued :)
Delete"Time sticks in our hair." I love this line...has me thinking. Perhaps you could add a line at the end of the poem indicatingthis is a response to the prompt at dVerse? That way others can find there way to this great virtual pub for poets and join us too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!
Thank you Lilian - it was good to visit. I will try and add a link - very glad you enjoyed
DeleteJae, upon another reading, I am also in love with the multiple meanings in the title. The obvious one, health-wise...and the images that a physical well brings up...deep, foreboding...but also used for wishes. A place once deeply depended on, for survival. I simply love this.
ReplyDeleteDe you are a gem for coming back - and for showing us the wishing well - of course the one we thought up didn't have lucky pennies in the bottom..more a tentatively edging up from the bottom of an bottomless one - thank you once again we love your findings
DeleteYou know
ReplyDeleteIt is quite possible to be
Both well
And blue
Yes, one can be well, but still be blue..some of us are blue more often, but perhaps we are robin egg blue or sky blue or blueberry ripple blue, depends on the day and the hue I guess.
That it does thank you Truedessa - blueberry muffin blue is our favourite ;)
Deletethis picks at the emotions, very well done, more often one can be well and blue.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jasmin - we hope so
DeleteI was looking forward to reading your poem on this theme, Jae. And it did not disappoint me... Our worse predator lives in our head and the easiest prey is our soul. We have to fight hard and be "blue and well" in order to resist the predator and protect the prey...
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you so much for visiting and leaving such a thoughtful and insightful comment - thank you very much Nicholas
DeleteYes indeed it's possible to be both blue and well.. love this..
ReplyDeleteThank you Bjorn
Delete