For dVersePoets: Poetics
The red-faced blues
lost in a labyrinth
of golden verbs
& social cues
Like blocks of gems
in a spectrum of
cookie cutter letters
that don’t spell words
lost in a “know-it-all,
don’t you?” – universe
Your smooth sounds
like jigsaw sea glass,
are tossed & tumbled
in and out
above, around
grooves of my ever
confused mood
Stop staring at me,
at my expression
I am just trying to
explain why speaking
feels like a life lesson &
why I struggle to secure
these obscure puzzle pieces-
I have no words to say
So speak, I’ll wait-
After all – silver is just
another shade of gray
Gretchen Leary 2013
Gretchen Leary (McIntire) 
It would be perfect if words interlock smoothly even when confused ~ Still its a puzzle to learn the shades of color, much less figure out life’s lessons ~ Lovely to see you Gretchen ~
Yes, each piece must have a place, must fit somewhere.. I like that silver is just a shiny shade of gray & will remember that. So true.
really like this closing refrain:
After all silver is just
a shiny shade of gray
~ M
I changed the line a tiny bit but the same idea. Thank-you! 🙂
..and i rather liked the revision Gretchen… ‘another’ is more effective than ‘shiny’… lovely write… smiles…
really wonderful, Gretchen. i love your pitch and your message.
Thank-you Jane! 🙂
jigsaw sea glass…that is just fun to say…smiles….but it symbolizes as well how the smooth sound comes across and how the world is a bit different…you work in the spectrum as well, smiles…i was hoping you would get in on this one…smiles…
I was excited when I saw the title of the prompt for sure. Very applicable to my life 🙂
hey i remember this one…love the elements…silver being another shade of grey is a great close…its good to see you….have missed you as well…
‘Why speaking feels lioke a life lesson.’ Beautiufully put. Great read.>KB
Your writing gets better all the time…nice, Gretchen, as I agree about the silver and gold…
Have missed your writing…always it contains a gift of honesty and insight.
Great how you applied the word to langauge and understanding. and the ending was just great… I kind of got the image of that old proverb “speach is silver, silence is golden”…
How great to revisit a poem like that…
silver is just a shade of grey…i like… and i know that feeling when the mind is fragmented and what comes out of the mouth is possibly fragmented as well…but good on the listening.. we have unlearned to listen to others cause we’re so busy with talking…
hey… good to see you gretchen…enjoyed the re-read…. hope you’re doing well
loved the cookie cutter letters and jigsaw sea glass – beautiful imagery. the finish blew me away – very well crafted.
I love the colours in this, from the “red-faced blues” to the “silver” being another “shade of grey”.
Thank-you Rowan, I was trying to fit Red, Blue, Yellow and gray into it 🙂
lost in a “know-it-all, don’t you?” – universe <- wonderful
Oh, I can relate to your poem. Have you noticed that some people always have to speak first? I've learned to wait. It is easier and seems to be my piece of the world.
A well-defined struggle. I can relate! Nicely done with the colors as well.
Great job! Personal yet well crafted!
Love the imagery Gretchen.
“The red-faced blues
lost in a labyrinth
of golden verbs
& social cues”
A wonderful opening.
Anna :o]
Your answer to the Puzzle prompt – I was hoping you would attempt this one, because I knew you’d come up with the right disparate pieces, not necessarily fitting together in a perfect set of rows, but aching with vulnerability. You have the knack for explaining the Aspie’s conundrum in poetic form. The “silver is just another shade of grey” is especially nice. With much appreciation, Amy
Thank-you Amy. You always know just what to say to make me smile!
Hi Amy! Just sent you an important email. Not sure how often you see your emails.
Going to it now. Again, great work, G.
I agree – a fine poem with a strong finish.
I love that ending ~ Lovely to see you Gretchen ~ Hope you are well ~
a stellar close! good to see you after a very long time
This pierced my heart and made me wonder how often I’m not patient enough with my Aspie son when he doesn’t ‘get’ what I’m trying to tell him. Wonderful poem.
I am grateful when people are patient with me. I am articulate but often miss cues, I’m getting better at identifying sarcasm but sometimes still ask to be sure, phrases like “that’s what friends are for” and fake kindness are often mistaken as genuine. Hang in there. You sound like a good dad if you are trying to be patient. Patience helps me so much.