Posted in Poetry

if distances were not as long as dark, lonely nights: a duet

 

By Susan Daniels and Noel Ihebuzor

Noel:  If distances were not as long as dark lonely nights

Susan:  The callous earth sees to it
that even our nights and days
oppose one another;
but, let us ignore laws of geography and physics
for this moment, and meet.

Noel:  If feet could leap distances
ferried and nourished by fertile faith
if minds could travel long distances to their longings

Susan:  Then I would fly to you, heedless of gravity, and mocking it;
the sky, neither night or day where we would answer each other
would blush, rivaling the colors of dawn, or of sunset,  at our defiance
of the order of things, our audacity.

Noel:  If mind, soul and body could paddle silvery
in soft warm lagoons
in canoes invisible to the uninitiated

Susan:  Only light the way for us to find each other

Noel:  If the journey of exploration
was a journey into the deep self
one of discovery and recovery

Susan:  We would range farther
than the resonance of dream language,
sparks dancing past matter,
to a place where twin flames
recognize one other
and blend.

Noel:  Would these harsh beginnings
not signal new becomings
and perfection end points

if only we
you and I could kill present addiction
to birth a future full that whispers and beckons
if, if you could, if we could

Susan:  We would,
and in our waking walk together
generate something live
from these whispered ifs;
a pale hope, and fragile
unfurls into full-blown being;
yes, hope can dream and bring forth joy
as it breaks and buries bitterness.

Noel:  If we could reach within ,
to find that lock to unlock a door
that holds us prisoners,
bound and shackled,
then we would unlock us
this us that currently
glides and drifts, inviting,
suggesting

Susan:  Only unchain us,
that we might taste
even a tenth of what tempts us
into crossing these lines
of time, of space,
of who we are now
and who we could become.

 

***All I am going to say about this is wow, we did good duet, Susan!  Can’t think of anything else to add that wasn’t said above – well except, powerful!

Author:

Development and policy analyst with a strong interest in the arts and inclusive social change. Dabbles occasionally into poetry and literary criticism!

10 thoughts on “if distances were not as long as dark, lonely nights: a duet

  1. The sheer melody of this piece has got my mind gyrating and leaping over bounds to glide with you ‘heedless of gravity.’
    The mastery with which you (Noel & Sarah) weave through themes and yet spin them into a resplendent yarn of love, passion, desire, freedom…is humbling.
    Well cooked! I can’t help but come back for regular and ample servings

    Like

    1. Thanks, Nsisong, Iyene eka mi and my creative aburo! I am sure Susan (not Sarah), my co-creator and partner in duet will be glad to read these kind comments, all the more so as they come from someone like you who write beautiful poetry too. (By the way, Susan and i are developing a new theory of typing slips which she calls keyboard stammer…and I am sure she will want to know why your keyboard stammered Sarah! Lol!)

      Like

  2. I wanted you to know that I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award. I think Susan had mentioned that you were hesitant about accepting any nominations but I just wanted to acknowledge how impressive I think your work is.

    Like

  3. This Duet in poetry is at once beautiful in its lyrics and ,flow yet frigtening because it begins to take life from the first stanza and the life grows with each stanza but knowing what I know that life can only be a still birth.
    How sad
    No how nice.

    Like

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