the view above the clouds

Awww, @lalalucky, thank you! :’) That makes me tear up, hehe. <3 I really appreciate you reading what turned out to be a really somber thread this year! I’m very touched that you find my writing style distinct.

Hi again @Que! Your thread has been really a treat to follow this month - lovely clear imagery and story-telling and depth underneath, great use of weaving in and around a dynamic theme!

Just a few comments --

xiii. ooof - these lines "I try to tell myself that my first angry call
means I’m a real journalist now." / when the truth is hard, but it's still the truth, the sense of standing your ground when you know that it's right, but still it's hard when people don't like it. I like the repetition of "truth" and alliteration throughout, it makes it feel a bit more striking / urgent.

xvii. really like the turn in the ending of this poem - from disappointment that the speaker will "only" see the sky instead of the mountains, and then realizing it's the best place to view them - it feels like a moment of perspective (both literal / vision-wise, but also emotionally / relationally)

xviii. "I cannot deny that
these are ghosts I’d gladly resurrect."

ah - I love these lines too and the narrative / imagery within this poem that evokes memory and recollection of emotions maybe no longer felt, but still connected to.

it’s the concept of declination
that gets me:
maps will point you true north, but
compasses will point you to
magnetic north
and they aren’t the same.

I have quite literally never thought of this - and the concept is so rich for poetry! fascinating!

xxv. -> such a sense of place within this one!

the night smells like spring on the edge of summer
a hint of smokiness in the air,
the sound of sprinklers for the first time all year.
the sky is deep blue, deeper.

xxvi. "how do I step away without letting go of you, / too?" </3!

Sooooo close to 30 Que! You're doing a terrific job and you've absolutely got this! Looking forward to continuing to read along to the end.

@alliyah I was in a rush yesterday and did not get the chance to reply, but <3 <3 <3. It means so much to me that you’re reading along. Thanks so much for sharing some of the lines you liked!

And yes, I’ve been thinking about the map/compass stuff so much since I learned about it!! Seems like such a good metaphor for so many aspects of life. Will I be bringing this up in church one day? Maybe xD

Anyway. Thank you. <3

Congrats on hitting 30 Que!!! Wonderful poetry this month - I really enjoyed following this thread and all the ways you spoke different truth into your theme. These last three poems too resonate quite a bit - finding tenderness for oneself, and searching for it - I love how you put words to that feeling! I always love a homesick poem, but 29 was interesting in how the home is something still being searched for, and then 30 seems to pull in some themes throughout the thread of strength in midst of longing and especially finding inner strength in this case through independence from a partner who has grown apart. It is a really strong poem to end on as it feels like it is kind of looking down the mountain at the journey already begun, and finds the strength to keep going.

Congratulations on such a solid NaPo thread, always a pleasure to read your poetry! <3