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The Carpenter

Submitted by Michael Anthony on Fri, 2022-02-04 18:04

People ask me what love is
and I smile because I know
I see the answer in you every day

Your sadness for old shoes
left on a windowsill
waiting to be rescued from the rain

The scar above your eye you hate
when it speaks to you in the mirror
Always and relentlessly there,
sharing a place with older wounds
just below the surface

It’s not perfection I seek
It’s the little things that are real
and draw me closer to you

They leave their impressions
with no chance of escaping
the home I've built for you
inside my heart

Style / type: 
Free verse
Review Request (Intensity): 
I appreciate moderate constructive criticism
Review Request (Direction): 
What did you think of my title?
What did you think of the rhythm or pattern or pacing?
How does this theme appeal to you?
How was the beginning/ending of the poem?
Editing stage: 
Editing - polished draft
Content level: 
Not Explicit Content

Comments

Geezer

Sat, 2022-02-05 09:58

Geezer's picture
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Unless you are somehow alluding to the Jesus [The Carpenter], I fail to see
what the title means to the poem.
I do like the pace and rhythm of the poem and the theme is great!
The beginning and the ending are well thought out and the body lets the reader into
the mind of the author, I see nothing that I would change. ~ Geez.
.

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Michael Anthony

Sat, 2022-02-05 10:30

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Hi Geez - thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I thought many would initially assume the title was a reference to Jesus. The title refers to the last two lines of the 5th stanza - "...the home I've built for you..." Seemed obvious to me, but maybe not as much as I had assumed. May re-visit the title...

FYI - The book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, by Dr. Reza Aslan takes a fascinating look at the legends and myths surrounding his life. One of which looks at the incongruity of Jesus being a carpenter in the middle east, where wood was a very limited and expensive resource. A very provocative book because peeps don't like having their religious beliefs questioned.

Best

Michael Anthony

author comment

Geezer

Sat, 2022-02-05 10:39

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your point about people not liking their religious beliefs being called to question. I am very opened minded about such things.
I am an avid viewer of the T.V. program "Ancient Aliens" so I can imagine that you see where I'm coming from. I had never thought about the fact that wood was a scarce commodity, in that particular area, [although, I suspect that if you were a carpenter, it would be a valuable skill]. See? I am not above challenging many ideas held by the general populace.
~ Geez.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

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