70 Comments
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Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you, @Maureen Doallas, for sharing this poem.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for restacking my little cloud, @Lique

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thanks to @Blue Citizen 77 and Diane for this restack 💙💙

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Thank you for this restack, @Teresa Gonzales

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

My thanks to @Rita Thomas for sharing this poem.

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Grateful to @Lesley 🌿 for this restack 🙏😊

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thanks to @rena for sharing this little cloud 🌻🌻

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Thanks to @Ross Ion Coyle (M) for this restack.

Martin Mc Carthy's avatar

I realised while reading this poem that I have never actually lain down on the grass to look up at a cloud, so I wonder what I'd see If I become the cloud for a moment. Would I see the ruined colors of a paradise that's badly in need of some water?

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

You might see some old grey-beard looking up at you, smiling!

Thanks for reading and commenting, Martin.

Martin Mc Carthy's avatar

With an umbrella in one hand and sunglasses in the other, not knowing how things might go! That's how we live in Ireland.

I think we're going to go from a relentless heatwave to a thunderstorm. It's in the balance at the moment, but we need rain badly to finally put out all the fires.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Seems like wildfires are flaring up everywhere this year, including several in Ireland. A massive thunderstorm might help, if it doesn’t cause flooding.

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

I read about the fires in Ireland, so sad. Fire is everywhere Martin, I feel something and it doesn’t feel so good. Global warming is barreling at a rapid pace and we don’t have the protection of the ozone layer, and it is destroying everything in its tracks, we are witnessing an unstoppable harm, and I’m on edge.

I pray my pagan ways and rain dance, pleading for divine intervention, the divine isn’t listening. But, I do find refuge in my daily rituals. I’m really quite bohemian, a genuine earth muffin. My rain dancing has become, shall I say, tamer, as age progresses and me old bones aren’t as nimble as they once were.

Dear Martin may this note find you well and chillaxing in your beautiful part of paradise✌️& 💚 Lady G 💋

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

Again, Wittenberger humor 🤗

Mahdi Meshkatee's avatar

There are times we behold a cloud from afar, and times where we walk under one. There’s beauty in both.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you, Mahdi

Richbee's avatar

Awaken. Wind puff of air wafts a dream 💭 away. The form changes while one speaks and no one listens nor sees what happened looking down at the ground.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Clouds are so independent, floating freely where there seems like enough space for all

Richbee's avatar

Evaporation renews

Old clouds just fade away

Allows space to expand.

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

I often wonder if most folks even think to look up, to look up at the sky. Richbee do you think humanity is evolving, I think NOT, I think humanity is in retrograde, devolving. Hope you’re well ✌️& 💛Lady G

Richbee's avatar

Yin and yang, pulses like a jellyfish and some days moves forward others back but progress is inevitable even if the current state appears to stagnate evolutionary revolutions will continue for eons even if humanity is destroyed some form of life will continue maybe a microscopic mite. This is the fifth world we are in. Each one previously destroyed but we as “higher “ forms of life still have much more to learn.

Richbee's avatar

⛅️

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

Yes, “This is the Fifth World we are in” and I have much more to learn, thankfully I have the joy of learning. Thanks Richbee!

Richbee's avatar

Let your dream cloud inspire you.

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

Awww thank you!

My dream cloud

gliding possibilities

moving me into the future

🤗

Antonio Castellaneta's avatar

That final image stayed with me: a stillness so complete that it trembled. You made the cloud feel less like something passing through the sky and more like a moment in which the world briefly became aware of itself. Beautifully held.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you for reading, Antonio, and for sharing your thoughts on this poem. Sometimes focusing on what might just be a detail can become much more.

Jeanne Vessantra's avatar

You have a great way of expressing inner states in a very minimalistic way. It reminds me of Japanese poetry in some ways - one of my favorite literary traditions.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you, Jeanne. I like the idea of compressing an idea or a feeling into few words, just enough to evoke the feeling, if I can.

Lor's avatar

I have been a cloud watcher since I was a child. They are storytellers and I, am their story keeper. Like admiring an abstract painting in a museum, two people standing next to each other might see something totally different, or quite possibly, one might not see anything at all—‘it’s just a cloud’. From one cloud admirer to another, very nice to meet you, my friend!

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Thank you. Lor. Clouds are fascinating.

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

A charming reply Lady Lor the story keeper, I’m very glad to have made your acquaintance ✌️& 💨 Geraldine

Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Do you ever see “things” in clouds? ☁️ I like to think I am seeing dragons. 🐉 I know. Weird.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

I sometimes make out bears and rabbits—no dragons though. You may be lucky, Gloria!

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

Lady Gloria, you see dragons because you believe in dragons, I see dragons too! Hope all is well in your part of paradise. ✌️& 🐉 Geraldine

Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

Geraldine, have you ever seen Puff?

Geraldine A. V. Hughes's avatar

Well, Puff the Magic Dragon?

Gloria Horton-Young's avatar

YES! What a song.

Kathleen Hobbs's avatar

Sometimes in the middle of the day, when I’m doing some gardening in my flower garden, I take a break and lie in the grass and look up at the sky, such a pleasant sight. It brings me peace.