40 Comments
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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for restacking this one, @Chen Rafaeli

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Job Interview for Position of Poet

Interviewer: Tell us about your background.

Applicant: I fell in love early. And often.

Interviewer: You're hired.

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Early, often, often unrequited

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Interviewer: You've got the job, don't oversell it.

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

Let us compare catastrophes of the heart. Btw I have a book for you if you'll send me a mailing address. And thank you!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

I sent an email with the address. Thank You!

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Jonathan Potter's avatar

The book is on its way! I hope you like it. Btw, do you have a connection to Springdale, WA? I looked you up in the white pages and it says you do. Could that be true? I spent the first four months of my life there. It's also Jess Walter and Sherman Alexie country.

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Mary Pierce's avatar

Amen to that.

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thanks for stopping by to read this, Mary!

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Augustine Asiuwhu's avatar

Haha

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Stanley Wotring's avatar

No doubt why your readership has grown. Brilliant!

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Richbee's avatar

Ah the luscious red ripe apples 🍎 harvest under blouses tucked away just ripened. The night light dims now reflections as you say, on scraps of paper burned or lost in Hill’s mortar of iniquity stirred with pestle a few tender times with fingers pointing the way to memories lane. I wonder writing down temptations should they be saved?

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Yes. Save them until the regrets turn into poems.

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Richbee's avatar

Good advice.

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

The trail not followed;

Break off a limb

Brush away the tracks

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Richbee's avatar

Indians 1 and cowboys O

Footprints scattered

Brush be long gone.

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Michael Edwards's avatar

Ahhhhh... more good stuff... enjoying your words and writings!!!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for reading and for your comment, Michael.

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Themes and Deviations's avatar

Somehow this piece immediately brought to mind:

“As always, should you or any of your IM force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds”

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

I think it has that element going for it, Arthur. 😊

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Rachel Leeke Alexis's avatar

Hi, Paul! I loved this:

"In those day the orchard blazed, and

you blazed with it, ripening under a

watchful sun, child of the harvest,

hard, round and sweet—firm, but

still capable of being bruised."

I find myself unable to restack the stanza both in the app and online. Is that something you've dismantled?

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for your comment, Rachel. I'm not aware of anything I've done that might prevent restacking, although I have had instances where I can't restack with a quote. When that happens, I copy of text I want to restack with the post and select the "Restack with a note" option.

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Thomas D’Arcy O’Donnell's avatar

.. may be

your very best..

yet who am i t’say..

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Writer Pilgrim by So Elite's avatar

What beautiful line… is it innocence?

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Fantasma.'s avatar

It hit in all the feels. It takes me back to young love and writing in diaries both excited and horrified that someone would read it. Burn baby burn 🔥

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Carole Jorgensen's avatar

Don't ever burn.

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Many Thanks, Carole!

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Patris's avatar

A beauty you fall into as you read, understanding, having loved early.

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you, Patris - When I was young I fell in love before I even knew what love was.

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Patris's avatar

I think that may be a prerequisite to become a poet - or lover of one

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Christopher Meesto Erato's avatar

Nice!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you, Christopher!

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Diane BF78's avatar

Lovely, Paul. I wish I had been on Substack and discovered your talent!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thanks, Diane. Happy to have you as a subscriber!

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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for the restack, @Rachel Leeke !

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