I saw the sun opening
the sky—and I thought
you were meant to be
rooted in my breath
I wanted you to be
the glowing light,
a reflection of colors
echoing the unknown
I thought you were
the songs of soft radiant
birded air, a melody
surrounding me
I imagined beautiful
patterns like tattoos,
shapes of the infinite
in your eyes
But you are not
a mirror of my visions–
I hold a map
to what isn’t there
An apostrophe poem, as prompted by Amaya at dVerse, for Sue Vincent’s photo prompt above. Also strongly influenced by Jane Dougherty’s response to Sue’s photo.
K. 
And there is no map to where you want to go. This poem is very close to the idea I was striving for too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jane. I’m please I captured some of the same feeling.
LikeLike
It has given me a bit more confidence in the whole idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a good one.
LikeLike
Thank you. I’ve been told my stories are too complex (?) and I was afraid that even stripping back the number of POV to one, and the plethora of main characters to two, the concept might be considered ‘difficult’. We’ll see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like complexity, but I also don’t think your writing is too complex at all.
LikeLike
Thank you. I think what she and countless others apparently find hard to cope with is a big cast of characters. The writing is clear enough, they say, but the story is too big. Everyone’s mileage is different, I suppose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Caroline and I were talking about books with a large cast of characters yersterday. It’s a process of getting to know them, just like it is in life. We both like it.
LikeLike
I know writers are never supposed to say, but JK Rowling, when they are told their book is too long for a first novel, but I have to say that in terms of fantasy, there has been no more popular recent fantasy series than Song of Ice and Fire and that has a huge rambling cast of characters. The reply would probably be, yeah well you’re not GRR Martin, are you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are numerous examples. It’s an easy thing to say.
LikeLike
This is very cleverly written. I’ve never read a poem where someone apostrophized an illusion before. The last line is very poignant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Nitin. You’ve given me something to think about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the thought of having a map of what isn’t there. I also liked that dark shape in the top watercolor that seemed to change through the different layers and have tentacles reaching out into the surrounding colors.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Frank. I like your interpretation of the painting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are times when I’ve wanted to see what/who could no longer be seen. That brief moment when it seems possible is captured here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jane got me thinking about how we often live in parallel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love ‘birded skies’ and all of this, including the beautiful imagery. 🌈
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Bela. The landscape us always full of beauty.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is amazing, im saving this for another take later. Beautiful
LikeLike
Your painting is beautiful AND matches the photo perfectly!! I recognize the iridescent watercolors… 😉 I like the line, “I imagined beautiful patterns like tattoos…”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jill. Yes those iridescents are in heavy rotation here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that imagining that map is often our only way to keep safe in a world of chaos
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes it’s our only choice.
LikeLike
That painting was perfect to accompany this piece on coming to terms with loss. The loss of what we never had but hoped for can be even more painful and hard to overcome. I like thinking of your poem in the context of relationships and how we wisely ought never to expect someone to fulfill our ideal of him/her. Great poem, Kerfe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Amaya. Unfulfilled expectations do leave an emptiness that’s different than losing something tangible. It’s hard to live without projecting possibilities though.
LikeLike
A sad realisation… but beautiful, al the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sue. We all meet disappointments along the way.
LikeLike
We do…and have to learn to accept or to rise above them.
LikeLiked by 1 person