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writers are knife-walkers
we walk to make the final cut
where the blade
ruptures the heart
surgical artists dissecting ourselves
in the Circus Maximus
for the amusement of the gods
in their curtained prosceniums
they, eviscerating each other,
we rip ourselves up to see the truth
in fictional lives stitched up later
as scarred tissues of lies
only to find we’re not hopelessly alone
that our arteries flow into one another
through artful bridges of aqueducts
leading one to another’s aortas
in ancient tides and ocean swells,
each as wombs incubating embryonic
lives of who we are meant to be
where the bone meets the marrow.
Today Tricia Sankey guest hosts at dVerse Poetics, and she challenge us with writing about risk. Inspired by Tricia's own poem, well, writing poetry is a risk for me, but as I tried to say, one well worth taking when it's done in community like the poets at dVerse. Thanks to one and all.
Dreams from a Pilgrimage 
Writing sounds dangerous!
But there is nothing else quite like it, is there?
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Rob,
Nah. There’s too much to learn by writing.
pax,
dora
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‘we walk to make the final cut
where the blade
ruptures the heart’
– oh yes, we do! I love the Roman imagery here. And how, in the end, for all the brutality, it turns out we are not alone but all flowing rivers of blood together 🙂
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Ingrid,
So glad you liked the grisly metaphors. All the false cuts are worth it for one sure-handed one. Thank you so much.
pax,
Dora
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I love how you see the risk worth taking when you are at the right place… like diving, it’s better to jump if you know the water below…
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Björn,
Love that analogy of diving. The hope is sure the more known the waters that the destination is worth the risk. Thank you so much for those enlightening thoughts.
pax,
dora
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A lot of truth there. Well written.
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Anita,
The risk has compelling motives and rewards. Thanks for reading!
pax,
dora
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Dora, your imaginings, where our blood vessels connect to form a community heart, is a beautiful thing to visualize. I love your conclusion: “we’re not hopelessly alone”
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Lisa,
When I was searching for a picture for the post, I was struck by the Banksy mural for that very reason. Writing may be a lonely process, even painful, but the impetus is one of hope, a shared hope in community. Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
pax,
dora
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❤ You are very welcome.
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Oh my GOD, Dora, I was stunned throughout this piece. Your opener grabbed me and shook me:
“writers are knife-walkers
we walk to make the final cut
where the blade
ruptures the heart”
I feel like this describes the pain in writing, but we do it as catharsis as there’s no greater risk than bottling ourselves or self expression up. You also show that we are more similar than we initially believe, that writing and writers provide a connection that resonates with others. We don’t have to share the burden alone when there are people who can understand us.
Just my thoughts on this piece. I also love how you delve into writers laying it all to see; it is naked, vulnerable, and honest, and to the gods, I bet that is entertaining. Beautifully written and haunting, I’m still in awe.
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Lucy,
Thank you so very much! I appreciate the connections you made with your own experience as a writer (an amazing one!) I hesitated at first to use the visceral imagery (literally visceral) but you’re right, there is catharsis and also a painful vulnerability involved. Why deny it?
pax,
dora
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A very evocative write. Well penned.
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Beverly,
I’m so glad you liked it!
pax,
dora
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Love this especially; “only to find we’re not hopelessly alone that our arteries flow into one another through artful bridges of aqueducts leading one to another’s aortas.” Deep and profound write 💝💝
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Sanaa,
Thank you for your affirmative comments. I appreciate them very much.
pax,
dora
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Wow, such powerful lines in here, where to begin? I think knife-walkers is a fitting term, it takes talent to do that, don’t you know!? 😊 I like how this then flows into dissection and then, strangely enough, unity as “our arteries flow into one another through artful bridges of aqueducts leading one to another’s aortas” – also the closing image “where bone meets the marrow” is so visceral. So happy the prompt inspired such lines today! 👏👏
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Tricia,
Yours was a fantastic prompt, able to be addressed in so many different ways. I took inspiration from your take on it, and I’m all the more happy for that reason that you liked it! Thank you so much!
pax,
Dora
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So happy you enjoyed the prompt! 😊
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The idea of writing as a communal activity struck me afresh in the light of your words. It’s fascinating how we are all interconnected even when inspired by so many different muses.
Pax
Penny
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Penny,
Amazing, isn’t it? Most of the time we are blanks to each other. But in creating, we reveal ourselves in ways we couldn’t otherwise. A risk, because we don’t know how people will react. And yet worth it, because sometimes it forms a common connection.
pax,
dora
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Stunning opening line with: writers are knife-walkers.
This poem is gorgeous and I love how when we opened up, we find kinship with others. Hopefully we lift up each other as you wrote beautifully in this part:
only to find we’re not hopelessly alone
that our arteries flow into one another
through artful bridges of aqueducts
leading one to another’s aortas
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Grace,
I love your summation. Thank you for your thoughtful and affirmative comments
pax,
dora
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that our arteries flow into one another
through artful bridges of aqueducts
leading one to another’s aortas
Love it Dora! How beautifully you weaved your words to match/relate to the graffiti by artist Banksy on the Waterloo Bridge.
Hank
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Hank,
Thank you! The Banksy mural seemed to get at the heart of what I was trying to say. I was lucky to stumble across it.
pax,
Dora
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Dora, this is going to be one of my favorite poems …. writing is risky, well worth it in my humble opinion. Keeps my brain fresh ….. cheers!
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Helen,
I know what you mean! As I get older (and older) my brain needs a workout as much as my heart muscle. Thank you for your generous comments.
pax,
dora
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Dora… I can’t find an emoji for “swoon”, but I wish there was so that I could copy-paste it into this comment of mine!
❤
David
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David,
I’m blushing. And you’re sweet. Thank you, friend.
pax,
dora
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You have some good thoughts on the risk of writing expressed very uniquely. I don’t always see it so dangerously, but then I think back on times when I was terrified to share what I wrote with anyone.
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Susan,
You never know how much of yourself you’re revealing when writing, and you don’t know whether your audience will be appalled at what they see, rightly or wrongly, but at some point you have to take a risk. Thank you so much for your comments!
pax,
dora
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When I was first doing the poetry challenges, I was feeling a little unpracticed with poetry, but everyone has been very positive.
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We tend to be a very civil community. Maybe because we leave the outside world alone inasmuch as it allows us to? And sometimes when the positive isn’t forthcoming, it’s a mercy to be ignored.
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it’s hard, but necessary, to open yourself up to others. (K)
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K.,
I agree a hundred per cent.
pax,
dora
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Impressive tight-rope walk de force 🙂
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Sunra,
Mega thanks, my friend. Thanks for reading.
pax,
dora
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A risk many of us experience.
And the risk lies just as much in not writing, for how would we know?
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Ken,
Exactly. 💯 Thank you for your comments.
pax,
dora
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This is really a wonderful poem Dora! Your metaphors are exceptional. Ripping up our own hearts so we can share our life blood (words) with the heart of others who are doing the same. I love it.
dwight
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Dwight,
I’m so glad you like it. And you got right to the heart of what I was saying. Thank you!
pax,
dora
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You are welcome! :>)
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“writers are knife-walkers
we walk to make the final cut
where the blade
ruptures the heart”
God I love this. The brutality of this opening is perfection! Our words are our blood – our lifeforce we willing cut open time and time again thralls to own vampiric needs to share what’s within.
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Raivenne,
Thank you so much! I simply love the imagery in your summation. You’ve added another dimension to the poem that i must ponder.
pax,
dora
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cathartic yet vulnerable, well worth the risk!
So many profound and powerful images here but the ones that resonated deepest
“through artful bridges of aqueducts
leading one to another’s aortas”
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Kate,
I so agree! Well worth the risk. Thank you for reading.
pax,
dora
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my pleasure Dora!
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“only to find we’re not hopelessly alone
that our arteries flow into one another
through artful bridges of aqueducts
leading one to another’s aortas”
yep, this good (cause you’ve been drink poet’s blood, and that’ll do it every time) love this dora
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Phillip,
Thank you very much! As Ravienne mentioned in the comments, we poets are vampiric!
pax,
dora
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You write the truth Dora, We share the blood of creativity, by sharing we stimulate and empower each other. We can avoid the cuts and scars of working in conflict with isolation.
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Sean,
Well said. And you’re right, we’ve made isolation our strength while sharing our creativity. hank you for reading!
pax,
dora
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This imagery is stunning. I love this idea of the writer surgically dissecting the body, but then also at the end giving birth. Love this piece!
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we paint with words and letters is all.
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Some paint
Some murder
To create
It’s in your
Point of view
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to create. animate. and commincate.
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It’s symbiotic and it’s relational, however irrational it may seem
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thoughts go both ways. as do actions.
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👍
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another time the tale of good fr john and why he changes plants each saturday!
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Reblogged this on Love Alone.
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