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Small

though
you are
no longer
the infant
impatient
hungry

still I wait,
listen for
a cry to
creep through

these
small hours
I find you
noiseless
to the wants
of a mother

what
would I give
the whole
of you

can
I define
a universe
a tangent gift

it is there in
a heart beat
a breath
a sigh

or

forgiveness
before my
own demise

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Direction: [This option has been removed]

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - polished draft

About the Author

Region, Country: Melbourne, Australia, AUS

Favorite Poets: Pablo Neruda, Charles Bukowski, Anne Waldman

More from this author

Comments

Eduardo Cruz

Eduardo Cruz

14 years 3 months ago

heloo

welcome to neopoet, "land of the freed poets"

I love the loss of the intimacy between to souls. I also like the structure of your poemsmooth and easy to read this is well done.
I like this stanza for me it's the tell all of the piece;
"it is there in
a heart beat
a breath
a sigh"

Again welcome can't wait to read your next write
Eddie C."

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

Thank you for reading Eddie,

Thank you for reading Eddie,
I am looking forward to writing more here and getting some constructive feed back.

thanks again

Juls

Pamela A. Lamppa

Pamela A. Lamppa

14 years 3 months ago

I hear the voice as I listen

I hear the voice as I listen to soft breathing and teenage mumbles through dreams. I hope that I have given her enough tools to make the right choices as she moves toward adulthood. All that is left to offer are the warm arms of mother when she needs.

Your verse is is quietly written and titled "small" for the feelings we feel as our need becomes less to them. We have gone from being their entire world to hold a much smaller space for them - and it is as it should be.

These lines:

"can
I define
a universe
a tangent gift"

... we may never truly know an answer.

Beautiful poetry. Well formed with short tight lines to accentuate your title. Each emotion, place in life, wish for, is carefully placed. I think your line breaks are perfect as well. Gave the right amount of pause in all the right places. Really quite well done. ~Pamela

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

So pleased to see you here

So pleased to see you here too Pam.
You learn as they get older how all we can do is be there when needed, though I do miss the 'small' voices at times.

~Juls~

CCfire

CCfire

14 years 3 months ago

Hello 49

It's nice to see another friend on here and I am sure you will like it, it's a place to grow and explore our poetry without drama...that's a good thing. I already loved this piece of yours but look forward to reading some new ones and I promise I won't crit you hard cos you're a real friend of mine lol...you know it's my fault you write, I kicked your muse in the ass and she is kicking you back on my behalf lol *hugs*

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

Hello back CC

you made me laugh!!!

I think my butt is sore from all the kicking!

~Juls~

Pixee

Pixee

14 years 3 months ago

Hey 49reasons

This is a nice poem. I loved the way you wrote about a child. It is nicely written. I can almost feel the feeling of the child. I was one once upon a time, ha ha. Keep on writing your nice poems. i am sure you have more up your sleeve. Read you later.

Cheers,

Pixee

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

you are right PIxee, this is

you are right PIxee, this is actually about my child.
I miss the small words in the dead of night.
Thank you for your comment.

weirdelf

weirdelf

14 years 3 months ago

all the above praise.

and you also asked for constructive feedback.
I'm not sure I get the full intent of the poem.

Forgiveness for what in the final stanza? Do I not comprehend because I am not a mother?

Also the stanza-
what
would I give
the whole
of you
doesn't make sense to me. You give the whole of the child?
Hard to be constructive in suggestion because I'm not sure if my failure in comprehension is my own or in your construction.

Oh and welcome! It's always great to see another Aussie here, especially one well informed by Bukowski. Intriguing nickname!

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

Sorry Jess,

Sorry Jess,
I'm sure this wont make sense to many not just you because it was actually written to my kids.

what
would I give
the whole
of you

this is referring to being a mother and letting go as they grow. Children are only on loan to us til they become their own independent people. Then you only get snippets of their lives.

I do love Buk... 3 books sitting on my coffee table. All read and are now on the round about. maybe I should post a couple of pieces on here inspired by Buk for you to read and rip to pieces. I need some decent crit's on them

weirdelf

weirdelf

14 years 3 months ago

ah, all is clear, thank you

(and relieved to find I was not just being thick).

Post anything, everything, rip to pieces and put back together as a Burroughs cut and paste?
Who knows?
Anything goes.

M

Marie Marshall

14 years 3 months ago

I appreciate this...

... now that I have balanced it on the screen where my eye can take in the whole of the poem at once. There is something startling about the abstract concreteness of a free-form poem with lines of between one and four words. I think this aspect of poetry - what I call its 'abstract concreteness' or 'incidental concreteness' - is very significant. Here yours works like a finger tracing the path of a raindrop or condensation on a window, or a tear on a cheek. I like.

4

49reasons

14 years 3 months ago

so glad to see you here

I suppose I write like this pretty much all the time though I have tried to expand. Hence my appearance here to learn more.
Thanks for reading Marie.