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Notes About The Poem

September 25, 2025

~ Second Place ~
Premiere Contest: 1434 Any Poem
Sponsor: Brian Strand

Driftwood

Cardiac cadence 
         of mama tides 
            keep zodiac time
    
       tears  like tides
 taste of brine on baptized lips

sway me   sea
       in cradle-swells 
              between the crests 
            
            coddle me
       in a pink-wombed 
   conch shell
  for I   like driftwood 

 have died yet survived the storm.

hopelongingseasorrowwomanfree verse

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Sara Kendrick

January 3, 2026 at 8:53 AM

Congratulations on your winning work. Way to go. I enjoyed reading it today. Sara K

Susan Ashley

January 4, 2026 at 9:29 AM

Dear Sara, thank you for sharing in the imagery and emotion of this poem with me. Your kind congrats are received with appreciation. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Janice Canerdy

December 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM

Appealing use of personification in this descriptive, flowing poem, Susan! CONGRATS on your win. Janice

Susan Ashley

December 31, 2025 at 9:29 AM

Dear Janice, thank you for your gracious visit and kind congrats. Your lovely thoughts are treasured. Warmest wishes for a happy new year.. ~Susan

Sotto Poet

November 7, 2025 at 10:16 AM

This poem serves as a splendid metaphorical exploration, likening existence to the meandering journey of driftwood, dear poetess friend Susan. In fact, existence may unfold with gentleness or harshness, as we drift amidst the relentless tides of being. Marvelous melody of sounds. This is a fave from you, dear friend, best regards

Susan Ashley

November 21, 2025 at 8:10 PM

Dear Lasaad, my talented poet friend, it’s always wonderful when your poetic presence graces my poem’s page. I truly appreciate your beautifully expressed insights into my poem. Your precious thoughts add value and luster to my verse. Thank you for your gracious visit and for the honor of your fave. Warmest wishes, my eloquent poet friend.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich

October 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM

Fantastic. Love this!

Susan Ashley

October 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM

Thank you, Andrea, for your uplifting words! Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Paul Callus

October 7, 2025 at 2:48 PM

Metaphorically beautiful, Susan! Driftwood is a survivor, resilient, and capable of adapting to transformation...and so is this woman who has faced challenging times and weathered them with strength and conviction. ~ Warm regards & hugs my friend; so pleased to have stopped by to read your poetry today after an unplanned hiatus. // paul

Susan Ashley

October 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM

Dear Paul, my inspiring poet friend, it's wonderful to see you! I hope all is well with you and yours. I hope your unplanned hiatus has come to an end and you will be able to return to PS on a more regular basis once again. I'm so happy you were able to visit my poem. Thank you for your beautiful and insightful comments. They are treasured :) Your poetic spirit has been sorely missed. Warmest wishes and hugs.. ~Susan

Victor Buhagiar

October 7, 2025 at 7:44 AM

This poem is a wonderful metaphoric exercise where life is compared to driftwood. Indeed life can be pleasant or cruel, as we float through currents of life. Wonderful alliteration.

Susan Ashley

October 7, 2025 at 9:21 PM

Dear Victor, my poet friend, thank you for your insightful response to my poem. Driftwood is beautifully symbolic of life and the human experience. I’m so happy to know you enjoyed the metaphor and alliteration. Your poetic spirit inspires me. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Ghairo Daniels

October 5, 2025 at 6:21 AM

Beautiful, Susan ! Exquisite cadence : life & death & mama altogether - so much said with so few words. U are a poetic genius. Be blessed & know that you are forever coddled, yet free. I really enjoyed how you’ve brought together the Heart, the womb & the Sea - such an eternal feel to this poem, despite the longing. ThkU 4 U. I feel your humility. Much love, Ghairo.

Susan Ashley

October 5, 2025 at 11:08 AM

Dear Ghairo, I am humbled and honored by your precious and generous thoughts. The beauty of your heartfelt comments wrap around me like a big poetry hug. Thank you for gracing my poem and my heart with your golden poetic presence and for feeling my verse. You have a special gift both for composing impactful poetry and meaningful comments. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan

Len Gasun

October 2, 2025 at 12:06 AM

Wow! This is enchantingly beautiful and uplifting my dearest poet friend, Sus. Driftwood shows great strength and resilience. Your poetic talent always shine in every piece I read from you. Thanks a lot for sharing this superb write. Fave! Blessings to you always my dear. Hugs

Susan Ashley

October 5, 2025 at 11:02 AM

Dearest Len, my wonderful poet friend, I'm thrilled by your visit and deeply humbled by your generous words and gracious spirit. Your poetic presence shines upon my poem and brightens my page and heart. Thank you, my sweet friend, for your wealth of kindness. I am truly honored by your fave too. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Sam Kauffman

September 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM

My Dearest Rhyme Time friend, your heart literally calls out from your words - calls as the tides takes you wherever they go to new beaches and new seas. Driftwood is an amazing phenomenon born out of trees that no longer live in the forest enjoying the seasons yet have a new life of sculptured beauty- transformed. The depth of your poems, your metaphors and symbolism raise your writing to heights admired by all, sweet poetry sis. Blessings of renewal from the sea to you. Love driftwood!

Susan Ashley

September 27, 2025 at 7:29 PM

My Dearest Rhyme Time friend, I'm always so grateful and gratified to receive your precious comments. Your poet's heart and soul is full of insight and imagination and fully able to see through the layers of a poem's language. Thank you for sharing in my poem's imagery, symbolism and emotions with me. So glad to take the driftwood journey with you, my sweet poetry sis! I agree that "driftwood is an amazing phenomenon" and it's ever inspiring. That we share an awe of driftwood does not surprise me. Thank you, my dear sis, for the gift of your poetic spirit, it's treasured. Warmest wishes riding peaceful waves to your shore.. ~Susan

Frederic Parker

September 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM

Susan, dear friend, dear poet, your poem is a tapestry of sadness searching for comfort from a heart that is yearning for possibilities to feel full and fulfilled...Frederic

Susan Ashley

September 26, 2025 at 7:30 AM

Frederic, dear friend, dear poet, thank you for your gracious visit and for seeing into the heart and soul of this poem. Your insightful response to my verse reveals the depth and breadth of your gifted poet's soul. Your poetic spirit is ever inspiring, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Paige Hind

September 25, 2025 at 5:59 PM

I love love "Sway me, sea, in cradle-swells between crests" !!! Beautiful, Susan.

Susan Ashley

September 26, 2025 at 7:27 AM

Dear Paige, my wonderful poet friend, thank you for your visit and for your inspiring remarks. I'm so gad to know the "sway me" line resonated with you. Your response to my poem lifts my spirit above the clouds! Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

sara Etgen-Baker

September 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM

outstanding imagery, Susan! I especially liked the 2d line. Faving

Susan Ashley

September 26, 2025 at 7:24 AM

Dear Sara, my inspiring poet friend, thank you for your uplifting words and for the high honor of your fav! I'm so happy to know that the 2nd line resonated with you. Your poetic spirit brightens my poetry page and my day. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan