the skeleton of our desire
for better we clothe
with travel, culture
as if our parler and sprechen
and uphill castle-trekking
can help (if we but)
will it?
our newfound taste
for bulgogi and kebap
stops no starvation
heals no hearts
prays no peace
unless
on the other side
when the rich robes fall
we find the bones
upright and light
love still in power
pulsing through
this life-cage
Graceful Press Poetry 
What a beautiful way to put it, Jenn! I like the use of the question and the way the title runs into the first line.
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Two of the (many) things I wrestled with. Thanks. 🙂
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life-cage. Your kennings are so perfect, always.
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Thank you. I wrestled with that one, too.
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Tenderly stated. The last four lines are light and powerful at the same time.
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Thank you. Maybe they are not petrified bones, anyway. 🙂
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Loved the poem. It has so much depth in it. Thank you for sharing it.
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Thanks so much for your encouraging words.
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“Love still in power” and your kennings remind me of Icelandic or Gerard Manley Hopkins. Are you a fan of Hopkins?
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Oh, yes! His rhythms get into the blood, I think.
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Love the understanding through travel theme I got from this. How we should take the lessons the world teaches us to heart. The robing and disrobing in the poem was most striking to me. Left me vulnerable at the end.
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Oh, Nate, I am so happy you saw all that. Thanks for the insightful read.
Btw, whenever I think of clothing/disrobing imagery, I think of MACBETH. Which has absolutely nothing (I think) to do with this. 🙂
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I loved this, especially the ending, with the light and the kennings at all. Very well done.
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Thanks, Michael.
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You can’t know how much this pleased me to read–particularly as I am just back from travels.
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My thoughts are turning more and more to the end of our time here (exactly one month left!)…wondering if we have accomplished what we wanted. I think any travel has to change one in some way, however small.
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the skeleton of our desire
for better we clothe
with travel, culture
as if our parler and sprechen
Beautifully executed. I tip my hat to you.
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Thanks very much!
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My favorite lines were, “stops no starvation / heals no hearts / prays no peace / unless.” Your title leaves off the word, “dead,” and the body of the work describes that death so vividly. Thank you for sharing this.
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Thank you for the thoughtful comment. It feels great when I know that someone “gets it.” 🙂
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Thank you for taking on this prompt with such subtlety and grace. It would have been easy to over-tell. This, I especially love: “when the rich robes fall / we find the bones.” This is gonna be a tough vote!
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Thanks, Meg. It was a tough vote for me, so many lovely pieces on the grids this week!
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Congratulations on Yeah write #219 weekly writing challenge staff picks: fiction|poetry.
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Thank you!
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