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Mystical Lore of the Twilight Hawk

Aloft, with keen eyes in sorbet skies’ raspberry half-light visceral vibrations of vitality does await. Soaring in a hush, with plumage plush, a silent stealth kite, he glissades on ghostly winds with mystical wings of fate. Poised to plummet from his summit of purple sundown spread with wingspan wide, wreathed gradual glide, hunts a twilight hawk. Floating form causes flocks to brainstorm on life or death dread, those flying forlorn, late to roost, are reduced by his stalk. Aerodynamic, his dramatic dive deals destiny, raptor raptly pursues passerine through air’s plum-bruised dim. Whispering wings whisk to live and not die desperately, over the arborvitaes the future for one is grim. If it’s true that energy never dies; its cries transform, then songbird's notes will ascend on hunter's wings in reform. Susan Ashley December 3, 2017 ~ First Place ~ Contest: Your Best Poem In The Last Year Sponsor: Silent One ~ Seventh Place ~ Contest: Best Rhyming Poem October - December 2017 Sponsor: John Hamilton

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Anil Deo

Date: 1/7/2022 5:51:00 AM

This 2017 poem was showcased in PS today, and I am so glad. I can hope to learn new words, alliteration, Lore, and More ... Reading your work. Happy New 2022 . Anil Deo

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/7/2022 11:26:00 AM

Dear Anil, your gracious comments are truly heartwarming and are received with gratitude. Thank you for sharing your precious thoughts with me and for the follow. I will follow you with pleasure, my friend. Warmest wishes for a happy new year filled with light, love and inspiration.. ~Susan

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 1/6/2022 10:31:00 AM

I see why this placed first in your best poem of the year, and you write many wonderful poems! "Poised to plummet from his summit of purple sundown spread with wingspan wide, wreathed gradual glide, hunts a twilight hawk. Floating form causes flocks to brainstorm on life or death dread, those flying forlorn, late to roost, are reduced by his stalk." Wow!

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/7/2022 11:24:00 AM

Dear Caren, it’s such a wonderful pleasure to hear from you. Your beautiful spirit and lovely comments are treasured. Thank you for sharing your precious thoughts with me. Happy new year, my sweet friend.. ~Susan

Joe Maverick

Date: 1/6/2022 9:09:00 AM

Plenty of description in this Susan, Metaphoricaly soaring high indeed Congrats on the first prize.'

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/7/2022 11:22:00 AM

Hi Joe, I relish your gracious visit. Your amazing comments and kind congrats are received with gratitude. Thank you for sharing your precious thoughts with me. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Joe Dimino

Date: 3/8/2018 7:45:00 AM

Someday. We pray, live and breath love, life after life, till the earth's great transformation. Great write, Susan. Beautiful on many divine levels.

Susan Ashley
Date: 3/8/2018 7:40:00 PM

Joe, your comment to my poem is profound and thought provoking. I truly enjoy reading your amazing comments as much as I enjoy reading your beautiful poetry - both possess emotional, spiritual and intellectual depth that is intriguing, compelling and admired.. Warmest wishes my friend! ~Susan

Eve Roper

Date: 2/8/2018 11:08:00 PM

Congratulations on your win, Susan! Great rhyme and flowing poem I enjoyed reading. Hugs Eve ~`*

Susan Ashley
Date: 3/8/2018 7:27:00 PM

Oh I'm so sorry with my late reply to you Eve.. Your lovely comments and kindhearted congrats are truly cherished and I'm happy you enjoyed my poem. Thank you! Warmest wishes. ~Susan

Line Gauthier

Date: 2/5/2018 10:25:00 PM

Back with congrats, Susan. It is a pleasure to reread your poem.

Susan Ashley
Date: 2/6/2018 4:27:00 AM

Thank you Line for the kindness of your return visit and your heartwarming comments. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Silent One

Date: 2/5/2018 4:44:00 PM

I remember this brilliant poem and the great alliteration.. Great choice for the contest Susan.. Congratulations on your placement in the contest, I am happy you entered and the poem will be showcased..

Susan Ashley
Date: 2/5/2018 5:22:00 PM

Thank you Silent One for your truly lovely comments and kind congrats. You came up with such a wonderful idea with this contest.. I deeply appreciate the honor of my placement, your light and your mentorship. Your inspiration lifts us all higher my friend. Warmest wishes always. ~Susan

John Fleming

Date: 1/21/2018 3:29:00 AM

Marvelous piece of poetry, Susan...simply sublime. Reminds me of Gerard Manley Hopkins brilliant poem "The Windhover". Loved every word of this poem of yours. My very warmest regards. :) john

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/21/2018 3:43:00 PM

Thank you John for your beautiful comments and for mentioning my humble write in the same sentence as the elegantly written and exquisitely dynamic poem "The Windhover" - such a lofty compliment I hold in dearest appreciation. My very warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

Sandra Haight

Date: 1/5/2018 4:39:00 PM

Such a well-written poem, Susan! Congratulations on your fine placement in the contest! Hugs, Sandra

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/5/2018 9:12:00 PM

Sandra, I truly appreciate your wonderful words and warmhearted congrats. Your beautiful comments are uplifting and cherished.. Hugs and warmest wishes to you my friend.. ~Susan

Line Gauthier

Date: 1/5/2018 3:10:00 PM

Congrats, Susan. Wonderful poem.

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/5/2018 3:32:00 PM

Line, your wonderful comments and heartwarming congrats are cherished. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Lu Loo

Date: 1/5/2018 1:38:00 PM

perfect rhythm and rhyme, lovely imagery too, congrats sweet Susan! :)-luloo

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/5/2018 2:09:00 PM

Your beautiful comments and kindhearted congrats are cherished Laura. Thank you for sharing your appreciation with me, my lovely friend.. Warmest wishes ~Susan

Gregory Richard Barden

Date: 1/5/2018 12:25:00 AM

Congratulations on your well-deserved win, Susan - blessings and best wishes for a Happy New Year, friend! :-)

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/5/2018 2:06:00 PM

Gregory, your warm words of congrats and best wishes inspire me to reach higher in the new year. Thank you for your charming comments.. Warmest wishes and Happy New Year to you my friend.. ~Susan

Caycay Jennings

Date: 1/4/2018 8:07:00 PM

Congratulations! Hugs ... CayCay

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/5/2018 2:04:00 PM

Thank you so much, my lovely friend, for your warmhearted congrats and the hugs :) Sure could use the warm hearts and hugs around here since we had a raging blizzard yesterday and wind chills now of -10 to -35 degrees till Sunday.. brrrrrrrr Hugs and love to you CayCay :)) ~Susan

Subimal Sinha-Roy

Date: 1/4/2018 12:23:00 AM

Congratulations, Susan on your fine win.

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/4/2018 2:16:00 PM

Thank you Subimal for your kind words and warm congrats.. ~Susan

Bartholomew Williams

Date: 1/3/2018 12:49:00 PM

You've taken me right to dusk in the field with this one, Susan, awaiting the hawk's next dive! Congratulations on truly capturing a scene with your winning entry!! All my best to you in 2018 and beyond. :) Bartholomew

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/3/2018 4:29:00 PM

Barholomew, I relish your wonderful and heartfelt words.. Thank you for your beautiful comments and your lovely congrats. I appreciate your kind words and hold them dear.. My warmest wishes to you for a happy, healthy and inspire 2018 my friend :) ~Susan

John Hamilton

Date: 1/3/2018 11:29:00 AM

Your vocabulary is off the charts with this one Susan, thanks for entering sorry for the lower placement, nonetheless impressive write

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/3/2018 4:25:00 PM

John, thank you for your wonderful comments and for the honor of being placed on your winner's list. I hope you enjoyed a lovely Holiday season my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Dale Gregory Cozart

Date: 1/3/2018 11:27:00 AM

Gorgeous imagery and word choices, Susan! Nice write indeed.

Susan Ashley
Date: 1/3/2018 4:22:00 PM

Thank you Dale for your wonderful compliments. Your appreciation delights me since I admire your poetic prowess immensely. Your lovely comments are cherished. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Cheryl Hoffman

Date: 12/22/2017 11:17:00 AM

This wonderful poem soars Susan; love the imagery of the twilight hawk!~Che :)

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/22/2017 7:50:00 PM

Thank you Che for your lovely visit and your beautiful comments. It delights me to know you enjoyed my poem and your time spent here is well appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Rhoda Tripp

Date: 12/16/2017 8:09:00 AM

Linguistic skills galore. Very eloquently written.

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/17/2017 1:05:00 PM

Thank you Rhonda, for your lovely visit and wonderful comment. I appreciate your kind thoughts and your presence on my poetry page is delightful. Warmest wishes ~Susan

Connie Marcum Wong

Date: 12/13/2017 1:34:00 PM

Your words seem gilded in this masterpiece of alliteration and splendid internal rhyme Susan. Brava! Outstanding! : )

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/14/2017 5:38:00 PM

Your beautiful comments warm my heart to a rosy glow Connie. Thank you for your uplifting and generous words of appreciation that inspire me to reach new heights.. Warmest holiday wishes to you and your family.. ~Susan

Winged Warrior

Date: 12/9/2017 8:56:00 AM

Love it! love it! love it!...glorious penmenship...internal rhymes and all...did a say I loved it lol...god bless and happy holidays...^WW^

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/9/2017 11:32:00 PM

Lol! You're so silly my friend.. For now, I think I'll just continue to learn from the Grand Master of 'internal rhyme', remember I'm still working on perfecting it and it may take awhile.. :)) Thank you for the additional wonderful comment you left below. Blessings and hugs..

Winged Warrior
Date: 12/9/2017 9:50:00 PM

...and now I gotta watch my back...competition lol...bring it on girl...^WW^

Winged Warrior
Date: 12/9/2017 9:47:00 PM

We all have the ability to do, what we think we can't do...and you have achieved a great high in the poetic dance...stellar poetry, my friend...I am proud and bow...god bless...^WW^

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/9/2017 10:26:00 AM

Wow! What a glorious way to start my day Winged Warrior... I love love love your beautiful and heartfelt comment. Your enthusiastic response to my poem has warmed my heart like a mug of hot chocolate this snowy morn. I picked up my penchant for internal rhyming from you and I'm still working on perfecting it, unlike you who has honed this technique to poetic perfection:) I receive you wonderful words with deepest gratitude my friend. God bless and warmest Holiday wishes to you. ~Susan

Sunlite Wanter

Date: 12/8/2017 12:24:00 PM

You are such a grand poet - this will go into my favorites - it is just wonderful.

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/8/2017 3:32:00 PM

Sunlite, your wonderful words of appreciation for my poem warms my heart to a toasty glow. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment, for the fave and for the smile you inspired. Warmest wishes. ~Susan

Maria Williams

Date: 12/7/2017 10:27:00 PM

Susan my dear friend, another masterpiece from your golden pen. What imagery, what a command of language, what beautiful descriptive lines. Need i go on? You are one of my favourite poets on this site, a true poet indeed....Maria xxx

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/8/2017 3:26:00 PM

Maria my lovely friend, yes, please do go on.. lol! Thank you for the lavish praise you bestow upon my poem. To know that I am one of your favorite poets on this site thrills me more than you can imagine - and truly, the sentiment is mutual fine poetess. I appreciate you, your brilliant poetry and our glowing poetry friendship. Warmest wishes. Hugs ~Susan

Richard Lamoureux

Date: 12/7/2017 5:09:00 PM

Beautiful imagery.

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/7/2017 5:15:00 PM

Thank you Richard for your fine visit and comment. I appreciate you stopping by.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 12/5/2017 2:56:00 PM

ohh, so much pretty imagery with beautiful vocabulary. Just love the alliteration of glissades on ghostly winds and the internal rhyme of plummet from his summit. Oh, as I kept reading, yet another awesome phrase: plum-bruised dim!! What a gem of a poem.

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/5/2017 4:06:00 PM

Andrea, I'm so happy you enjoyed my poem. Thank you for your lovely thoughts and your beautiful comment. Your heartfelt appreciation for my poem delights me and your wonderful words are received with gratitude.. ~Susan