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Nick Winney's avatar

gosh !

Hard to grasp the fluttering and at the same time strong beating wings of this poem.

im trying to put my mind into yours when you wrote this.

very affecting.

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Annie Hendrix's avatar

Thanks Nick, it still feels somewhat unfinished to me. It was a shorter poem I wrote a while ago while deeply traumatized by the brutal death of two of my loved ones. I added this bit yesterday, reflecting on that experience of dissociative coping, the collapse of Afghanistan, the destruction in Gaza, and what’s happening in the U.S. now.

“Swan in latte

foam, art, dissociation—

(Death of my mother

death of my father

death of my brother

death of a nation)”

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Mahdi Meshkatee's avatar

I find the juxtaposition of birds with the reiterations of death profound, heartbreaking, and at the same time, not in small part because of the last stanza, truly liberating. Birds never cease to inspire.

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Annie Hendrix's avatar

Mahdi, I really appreciate your comment. Thank you.

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B S Freeman's avatar

Thanks. Lovely and reminds me of this …

“The burial of a baby placed upon a swan’s wing is one of the most poignant archaeological discoveries from the Mesolithic period. Unearthed in Vedbæk, Denmark, this grave—known as Grave 8—dates back approximately 6,000 to 7,000 years and offers profound insights into early human rituals, beliefs, and emotional expressions. “

Recovered from my memory and chat gpt. 😊

Also, how strangely death gives us wings.

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Annie Hendrix's avatar

Wow thanks for sharing that, and thanks so much for reading!

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Brandon  Murphy's avatar

Truly beautiful Annie… wow.

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Annie Hendrix's avatar

Thank you Brandon!

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