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Dying On the Vine

Your death did steal my breath and heartbeat like a thief, I’m nothing but a dying tree without a leaf - barren branches bland reaching skyward in drab brown doomful gloom, I ache and pray winds to take me down. Susan Ashley September 27, 2020 ~ Sixth Place ~ Premiere Contest: Your Best Quatrain Sponsored: L Milton Hankins ~ First Place ~ Contest: Hm's And Na's October 2020 Sponsor: Constance La France (N/A'd in contest: Rithimus Divisa 7) excerpt from: Death Is The Bane Of My Existence; June 17, 2018 judged; Oct. 1, 2020

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Hilo Poet

Date: 8/14/2021 12:08:00 PM

Your imagery down to its conclusion is just extraordinary, Susan, your poignant words reach straight to the heart effectually. My compliments on your honorable placement my friend, Aloha!

Susan Ashley
Date: 8/15/2021 6:46:00 PM

Dear William, I relish your beautiful comments and I am so pleased to know that my poem touched your heart. Both your gracious visit and heartwarming words are so appreciated. Thank you, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Sotto Poet

Date: 8/14/2021 10:22:00 AM

Susan, congratulations on your win with a beautiful quatrain. It's well-deserved with this beautiful metaphor, and thank you so much for your gracious visit to my page ( I'm pleased to see you back; I hope everything is good). Blessings and best wishes for a great weekend.

Susan Ashley
Date: 8/15/2021 6:43:00 PM

My dear friend, Lasaad, thank you. I relish your wonderful comments and heartwarming congrats. It is always an honor and a pleasure when you visit my poem's page. Everything is fine in my world except for the lack of free time to enjoy the Soup as much as I'd like to.. your warm welcome back is so appreciated :) I hope you enjoy a fine week ahead. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

L Milton Hankins

Date: 8/14/2021 10:09:00 AM

Susan, I enjoyed your poem so much and was happy it rose to this place in my contest. Congratulations!

Susan Ashley
Date: 8/15/2021 6:36:00 PM

Dear Milton, I'm so pleased to know you enjoyed my poem. It is both a thrill and an honor for my poem to place in your contest and for me to share the podium with such gifted poets/poetesses. Thank you for your wonderful comments and kind congrats. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Paul Callus

Date: 12/14/2020 1:36:00 PM

What a beautiful metaphor this is, Susan. You have said so much in just four lines. I can feel the very heartbreaking loss which the writer experienced. ~ Congratulations on placing first; I have no doubt it was a deserved placement. ~ Warm regards & Hugs // paul

Susan Ashley
Date: 12/15/2020 6:09:00 PM

The thrill I feel when I receive your beautiful comments never fails to amaze me, dear Paul. Thank you for your precious thoughts and for your kind congrats, my wonderful friend. Your positive encouragement heartens both my heart and my pen. Warmest wishes and hugs.. ~Susan

Constance La France

Date: 11/8/2020 5:22:00 AM

Susan, congratulations on your win in my HM's and NA's October 2020 Challenge with this excellent poem _Constance

Susan Ashley
Date: 11/8/2020 8:57:00 AM

Constance, I am honored by my poem's placement in your contest and humbled to be amid the gifted pens on your winner's list. Thank you for your heartwarming congrats and for your sponsorship of a contest that breathes new life into poems with a HM or NA designation. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Marilene Evans

Date: 11/6/2020 10:51:00 PM

Oh! Heart wrenching. Congrats on your win.

Susan Ashley
Date: 11/7/2020 8:08:00 PM

Thank you, Marilene. Both your heartfelt comments and kind congrats are truly appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Janice Canerdy

Date: 11/6/2020 8:34:00 PM

So descriptive and moving, Susan--CONGRATS on your win. Janice

Susan Ashley
Date: 11/7/2020 8:09:00 PM

Thank you, Janice. Both your wonderful comments and kind congrats are truly appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Greg Gaul

Date: 11/6/2020 6:23:00 PM

Your poetic sensibility may take you down in this verse but I see your imagination and power lift you up in poetic status in writing about your own mortality. Writing inward engages all who can share empathy.

Susan Ashley
Date: 11/7/2020 8:06:00 PM

Dear Greg, the beauty of empathy shines in the awareness and finesse of your amazing comments. It is a joy and an honor to receive your deep and precious thoughts. Thank you for gracing my poem's page with your wonderful presence. Warmest wishes, my friend.. ~Susan

David Kavanagh

Date: 11/6/2020 9:54:00 AM

Heya Susan I haven’t seen this one before, absolutely out there on it’s own, this is the stuff real classics are made of, A well deserving winner in the contest I’m actually shocked it was overlooked in its intended initial contest, I’ll be keeping an eye on your poems going forward, congratulations cheers David

Susan Ashley
Date: 11/6/2020 5:53:00 PM

Dear David, I relish your wonderful response to my poem. Thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts and your kind congrats with me. That this poem was overlooked in a previous contest is not surprising considering the abundance of quality poetry on this site. I am always thrilled when these second chance contests highlight N/A'd poems and brings poets like us together to enjoy each other's work. I look forward to reading more from you. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

John Hamilton

Date: 10/30/2020 8:02:00 AM

Back for a second read, it's still a stunner to me, fantastic imagery, sorry my prediction didn't come true this time, it's a winner to me!

Susan Ashley
Date: 10/30/2020 4:04:00 PM

Your return visit is appreciated twice as much, John. I relish your lovely thoughts and to know that this poem is a winner with you is all the "trophy" I need :)) Thank you for being such a great poetry friend and for all the wonderful visits! Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

John Watt

Date: 10/16/2020 1:06:00 AM

I'm thrilled to see you posting again, you amazing poetess! I have some catching up to do, and better get on my horse to ride through the dozen or so new ones I'd missed... giddy up! Loved this excerpt with the brooding mood painted by a bare tree in despair. Some marvelous alliteration and assonance to tell this dark story. Excellent.

Susan Ashley
Date: 10/17/2020 7:47:00 AM

John, your "giddy up" made me giddy.. lol! and your thoughtful and enriching comments made my day. When your shining presence graces my poem it enhances its value both on the page and in the realm of my grateful inspiration where your response to my poem is cherished. Your endearing and thoughtful comments keep me reaching in the positive direction of poetic growth. Thank you my dear and wonderful friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Robert Lindley

Date: 10/4/2020 4:24:00 PM

Very expressive piece my friend. The gloom and the dark of death painted so very well. God bless..

Susan Ashley
Date: 10/4/2020 7:32:00 PM

Thank you, Robert, for your time spent here with my poem. Your valuable comments are treasured more than you can imagine, my dear friend. It's so wonderful to see you, Robert, you're poetic spirit has been missed. I hope and pray things are going well. Warmest wishes to all.. ~Susan

Jennifer Proxenos

Date: 10/1/2020 8:34:00 AM

To be able to carry on living and knowing that you have lost a loved one is the hardest thing us humans have to go through, but whether we like it or not, it is a cycle, and our turn comes, how is it possible that all our efforts, our poetry, our love shared, only will become a memory to our loved ones one day - I accept it, but it's not easy. Hugs,love and blessings, Susan. Jennifer.

Susan Ashley
Date: 10/3/2020 4:35:00 PM

Yes, it’s not easy to come to terms with mortality. I agree with your deep and expressive thoughts, Jennifer. In the end all we can do is accept it... Thank you for sharing your precious feelings with me, my friend, your heart shines. Warmest wishes and hugs.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 9/28/2020 1:33:00 PM

I like this a lot, Susan. A well chosen stanza for Greg's contest.

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/28/2020 6:00:00 PM

Thank you for your encouraging comments, Andrea. Warmest wishes, dear poetess.. ~Susan

Harry Horsman

Date: 9/28/2020 6:49:00 AM

A slow torturous death it seems. But as a dying tree, will spring revive? I wonder..Your poem, does indeed create so many scenarios love it..

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/28/2020 9:29:00 AM

Thank you, Harry, for your thoughtful comments. The pain of lost love is unforgiving. Unfortunately, in this piece it is an emotional death from which there is no return: "In mournful shrouded clouds my darkest mood does dress / in desolated winter drear no Spring can bless." Such is the heart and mind of the speaker of this poem :( Your gracious visit brings me much joy, dear poet and friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Victor Buhagiar

Date: 9/28/2020 1:17:00 AM

I am seeing so many extracts from poems. They all seem superb. Your is brilliant. Luck with the contest. ~~

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/28/2020 9:22:00 AM

I agree, Victor, there are so many excerpts from poems that stand brilliantly on their own. I can only hope that mine stands out amongst the awesome poems entered in the contest. Your encouraging and heartwarming comments are deeply appreciated, dear poet. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Evelyn Judy Buehler

Date: 9/27/2020 10:13:00 PM

The agony of going on without the one you love is is so well described in this feeling verse, Susan. My very best wishes for the contest. :)

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/28/2020 8:12:00 AM

Evelyn, your gracious visit and perceptive comments are truly appreciated. Thank you for your kindness and your best wishes, my friend. Warmest wishes to you:)) ~Susan

Angela Crabtree

Date: 9/27/2020 2:24:00 PM

A great rhyme, Susan! I can visualize my trees in a few weeks in this form. :) Angie

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/27/2020 8:11:00 PM

I relish your wonderful comments, Angie. Indeed, the trees will be like that in November around here, but first, I'll be enjoying the fabulous Fall foliage season.. the leaves are just starting to tinge with color now :)) Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Maureen Mcgreavy

Date: 9/27/2020 10:29:00 AM

Woah, and woe, I am felled with this ink. My best to you in the contest! I think Greg will love this. xomo

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/27/2020 12:26:00 PM

I relish your awesome response to my poem, Mo. I hope your intuition is correct :)) Thank you, my dear friend for your gracious visit. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

John Hamilton

Date: 9/27/2020 10:15:00 AM

What a mournful ( I liked Michelle's word so apropos) but beautifully written, I see another winner here.( I was right last time) so nice to have you back posting Susan even if it is recycled oldies.

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/27/2020 10:24:00 AM

Recycled oldies.. indeed! Lol! That's how I feel some days.. haha! Thank you, John, for your encouraging comments. Your shining presence here is truly appreciated as are your inspiring comments. Let's hope your golden streak in predicting winner's holds true :)) Warmest wishes always, dear friend.. ~Susan

Michelle Faulkner

Date: 9/27/2020 9:53:00 AM

So mournful, I can feel the agony of loss and yearning in your expressive lines, Susan - so glad to see some new postings from you, also!

Susan Ashley
Date: 9/27/2020 10:01:00 AM

Hello, my lovely friend. It's so wonderful to see your shining presence here! Yes, it feels really good to be able to spend some quality time here again with some of my favorite poets and friends, like you, Michelle. Thank you for your heartfelt and encouraging comments. I'll be over to view your poetic gems asap :)) Warmest wishes always, dear poetess.. ~Susan