That you would mention Barbara Kingsolver and I in the same sentence is more than I can handle right now. I love everything she has ever written, and that LINE is so good!
Thanks, Allie! That book is one of my top ten of all time. It’s on my bedside table right now, actually- I found it at a little free library and am planning on rereading it. Maybe it made its way by osmosis into this poem. ;)
This piece is a feast itself. It's visceral and even subtly erotic with its vivid description of the act of submission. "What it is to be known" seems like an allusion to the biblical notion of sex, but it's altered by the preceding line, "so that she might finally understand"; that recalls the lines above distinguishing "ecstatic union between lover and beloved" from a different kind of intimacy, the intimacy of submission, of surrender to the return. This is really gorgeous and thought-provoking and I'm glad I read it this morning!
Eshawn, you are completely right about the subtle erotism in this piece. One of the great joys of writing on Substack is being able to receive this kind of mirroring from thoughtful readers (especially other poets and writers like yourself). I’m so moved that you picked up on the themes here, and you took the time to tell me. Thank you so much!
Kendall, your poem moved me deeply. This is such a natural form for you to write. I really think you should consider a poetry collection. I really do. This one needs to be included. Maybe even get it published in a lit mag, too. Really.
I felt the ache in your words, and it was an ache I feel in my own bones, too--as a woman, as a person searching for the eternal, as one who wants to touch the divine, and as someone who finds wonder in nature. Thank you for this gorgeous gift.
Gah, Jeannie, thank you again. I would never have pictured myself even considering a poetry collection until recently, and now it’s in there. I think submitting to a lit mag is the next step for sure. I just need to get up the guts and do it! And I so appreciate that you felt the ache in this- from my heart to yours. ❤
Kendall, message me if you need some support in submitting! It can be very intimidating and overwhelming, so if you need someone to encourage you, I'm here.
Gorgeous, gutted and bloody. Just like life. Reminds me of the line in Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible: “The forest eats itself and lives forever.”
That you would mention Barbara Kingsolver and I in the same sentence is more than I can handle right now. I love everything she has ever written, and that LINE is so good!
Absolutely - and the sensuous/sensual richness reminded me of Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, too.
Thanks, Allie! That book is one of my top ten of all time. It’s on my bedside table right now, actually- I found it at a little free library and am planning on rereading it. Maybe it made its way by osmosis into this poem. ;)
Culture = osmosis. We're all the sum of our cultural parts :)
This piece is a feast itself. It's visceral and even subtly erotic with its vivid description of the act of submission. "What it is to be known" seems like an allusion to the biblical notion of sex, but it's altered by the preceding line, "so that she might finally understand"; that recalls the lines above distinguishing "ecstatic union between lover and beloved" from a different kind of intimacy, the intimacy of submission, of surrender to the return. This is really gorgeous and thought-provoking and I'm glad I read it this morning!
Eshawn, you are completely right about the subtle erotism in this piece. One of the great joys of writing on Substack is being able to receive this kind of mirroring from thoughtful readers (especially other poets and writers like yourself). I’m so moved that you picked up on the themes here, and you took the time to tell me. Thank you so much!
Feral in the very best of ways. I love your Sunday collection. 🤍
Feral is a contender for the title. 😂♥️
😍🤩✨
Kendall, your poem moved me deeply. This is such a natural form for you to write. I really think you should consider a poetry collection. I really do. This one needs to be included. Maybe even get it published in a lit mag, too. Really.
I felt the ache in your words, and it was an ache I feel in my own bones, too--as a woman, as a person searching for the eternal, as one who wants to touch the divine, and as someone who finds wonder in nature. Thank you for this gorgeous gift.
Gah, Jeannie, thank you again. I would never have pictured myself even considering a poetry collection until recently, and now it’s in there. I think submitting to a lit mag is the next step for sure. I just need to get up the guts and do it! And I so appreciate that you felt the ache in this- from my heart to yours. ❤
Kendall, message me if you need some support in submitting! It can be very intimidating and overwhelming, so if you need someone to encourage you, I'm here.
Beautiful Kendall ♥️
Thank you, Emily.
Absolutely stunning, Kendall. I too am awestruck. ❤️🔥🪶
Thank you, thank you dear friend.
Thank you for the beautiful expansion of thought. I am in awe.
Thank you for this lovely comment, Leah!
Damn, you deserve a wider audience
Wow, thank you! What a kind thing to say.
This has the shimmer of a wholly new thought.
This is the very best comment, Rona.
Such powerful words, thank you
Amazing Kendall! So moving, deep, dark, and accepting of the totality of all things. Bravo :)