Ocean, if you were to give, a measure,
a ferment, a fruit of your gifts and destructions.
–Pablo Neruda, from The Wide Ocean
Reciprocity
If you were to give … me …
fruit of your gifts and destructions
I would give you the same —
but the choice is, as always, yours..
Remember one-way streets are
Easy, but limit destinations.
Consider for a moment
If two-way enhances the trip?
Ponder lack of notice upon your
Remission in reciprocation.
Open your view and your hourglass;
Comment after reading others
And focus on their work when you do.
Then you will notice your own work
Is getting more attention.
Only waiting for it without mutuality
Never brings anything but aloneness.
Top image, “Reciprocity,” by Jani Freimann
I decided to go a little experimental and a little medieval with my poem. I started with the Neruda quote. The first stanza is a hatchet job on it with a few extra words. The next stanza is an acrostic form using the word reciprocation.
Sanaa is today’s host of dVerse’ Open Link Night. Sanaa has given us optional prompts of the top Neruda line and an AI image to write to. I used the Neruda line.
Tao Talk 
Beautifully done, Lisa! You went the extra mile with that acrostic! I resonate with “Remember one-way streets are easy, but limit destinations.” 🩷🩷
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Sanaa, thank you very much. If you hadn’t given the Neruda line, I wouldn’t have had the affrontery to speak the truth (from my perspective.)
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Clever. I almost missed it the first time and second read I saw the acrostic poem that ads a lot of beauty within your work. Also, the ending to your poem…It get very close, and you observed this poem very well.
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Thanks, Charlie!
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You are welcome. :)
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Too many one-way streets. But enough reciprocity to keep me going. (K)
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Same here.
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I love the image, Lisa, the way you experimented with different forms in your poem, and your philosophical exploration of the word ‘reciprocation’, especially the phrase ‘open your view and your hourglass’.
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Thanks much, Kim.
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You’re welcome, Lisa!
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Every poem comes from that ocean and so is family to every other poem — distantly related, sometimes to an abyssal degree but the essence of flowing language is there and something to share and celebrate, yes?
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Brendan, let’s face it, we’re all recycled atoms and family in that sense. I would never ever suggest anyone not write and share, just that if they don’t try to experience the interactive nature of their writing (i.e. completion of the circuit via its being read and considered by others outside of oneself) via that same consideration of others’ work, it could be a lonely experience. I hope you re-read and see it isn’t a mandate by any means, or discouragement, more an expansion of family members getting to know each other.
That said, anytime a person can purge themselves of harmful substances through the creative process — read, considered, or not — is a cause for celebration.
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I like how the poem ventures into the acrostic and “Open your view and your hourglass;” – a lovely line and a mantra for today
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Thanks much, Laura.
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Writing to a form with definite prosciptions such as an Acrostic, seems to enhance and stimulate creativity rather inhibit it, Li – well written…
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Andrew, I agree with you. Writing to a form forces me to contain the teeming vortex of my thoughts. Thank you very much.
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So well written Li
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Sadje, many thanks. I know you understand.
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You’re most welcome
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I do love the image, and there is something about horses and reciprocation especially when time is spent to understand them. I will be working with horses tomorrow and will keep this in mind. Wonderful acrostic Lisa and I really liked open your view and hourglass.
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Di, so very cool you work with horses. In my job we used to take kids (girls only) out to a racehorse rescue org and they worked with them under equine therapy and horse trainers. It was a joy to watch them. Thank you very much and hope you write a poem about tomorrow <3
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It was brilliant day and actually it was a workshop relating to equine therapy. My friend does equine therapy and has a sanctuary for horses, some brumbies (wild horses) too. We were also combining it with poetry and nature journalling. So yes a poem is brewing :)
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Oh wow, Di, it doesn’t get much better than that. Very awesome your friend does equine therapy and has a sanctuary. One group that I’ve been reading about that seems to greatly benefit from it are Veterans suffering from PTSD. Cool on the poem brewing :)
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Absolutely gorgeous painting! 😍🤩
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I thought so too! Glad you like it, Gia.
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Hi Lisa, this is very clever. I like it very much indeed.
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Robbie, thank you and glad you like it.
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🌞💫
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I really responded to “Remember one-way streets are
Easy, but limit destinations.” However, as a girl I learned to drive in a town full of one-way streets, and those were definitely not easy. :)
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LOL, Someone!
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A clever use of forms, Li. I suppose we have to learn to navigate those one-way streets. It was great to hear you read today. I don’t remember the poet’s name, but the poem had such beautiful images of the moon and water.
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Thanks, Merril. Good to hear you read also. Do you have your poem linked up somewhere? I’d like to read it and see how the stanzas all tie together. I have included the Jianqing Zheng’s info in the OLN comment section if you want to check him out.
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You’re welcome and thank you.
I see you found the link. 🙂
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Yes, I did :)
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Couldn’t agree more, Li! Love how you said something that has been on my mind so beautifully and in the form of an acrostic. ❤️
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Thanks much, Punam <3
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Sorry I missed this…love the painting and what you wrote…love the last two lines.
Lisa I’m leaving for Atlanta in a few hours…I’ll be back on Friday. Have a great week!
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Omigosh, I’m reading this several hours too late. See you on Friday, and don’t work too hard, my friend. Will be working on the post this week.
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Words to the truth Lisa. Thought provoking my friend. 🙂✌🏼🫶🏼
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Rob, thanks much <3
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