Susan Ashley Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

Making Art With the Universe

Introspection 

suspends in dark blue amnion
as rainwater blooms a reflection pool
an oasis of energy for contemplative embryo;
in stillness I grow.. my pulse a flowing stream of raindrops 
my body  the rhythm maker   
my mind  the artiste
in a cocoon  a rhythmic womb —  
a primal nest gestates my om 

    b r e a t h i n g   i n    
              
               b r e a t h i n g   o u t 

saturation of breath
soaks and stretches my cortex canvas;
within the indigo sphere 
I paint a mural 
upon my sacred temple walls
a self-portrait 
with a benevolent brush dipped in starlight –
I surrender staying and portraying within the lines

uncaged colors roam
beyond my human extremities and Earth’s edge 
gouache-plashes of teal and fuchsia
fraternize with fibers of flesh and marrow 
conceiving abstracts as airy as sparrow dreams
as I - a mindful explorer flies an inner cosmos
beyond the confines of the canvas white
outside the frames of physicality and reality
to throw open window panes to the unlimited 
to banish pains of the limited —  free

my meditative spirit making art with the universe


Susan Ashley 
September 7, 2022


~ Fifth Place ~
Premiere Contest: 2022 Poetry Marathon Mile 18
Sponsor: Mark Toney


~ First Place ~
Premiere Contest: Brian Strand Premiere Choice
Sponsor: Brian Strand


Photo: The Seer; Laurie Bain Hamilton - owner of primalpainter

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The Situation August 31, 2023 at 11:00 AM I can be thrilled by intelegence and also touched by reality. One poet here tells of everyday events, adding a few phrases here and their. But her poetry that I fav has a mixture of both. I can tell when her muse kicks in and she proof read it and will win an award. Surely you know her too. Susan Ashley September 6, 2023 at 6:41 PM Dear TS, your gracious visit is truly appreciated as are your kind words. Thank you for your time spent with my poem and for sharing your thoughts. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Robert Lindley June 8, 2023 at 2:16 PM A masterpiece from a master artist's hand my friend. Beauty, knowledge, light and in depth analyzing all well shown. A fine fav and a true gem too. God bless. Susan Ashley July 4, 2023 at 8:51 AM Dear Robert, both your visit to my poem and your heartwarming response to the spirit of this piece is truly appreciated. Thank you for sharing in the contemplative journey of this poem with me. The honor of your fav is received with gratitude, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Paul Marc January 14, 2023 at 8:43 PM Love this poem: “a mindful explorer flies an inner cosmos beyond the confines of the canvas white outside the frames of physicality and reality to throw open window panes to the unlimited to banish pains of the limited — free my meditative spirit making art with the universe”. You can paint such joyful and inspiring images :) Susan Ashley January 15, 2023 at 4:44 PM Dear P.M., it’s wonderful to see you! I’m so glad to know you enjoyed my poem. Thank you, I am both delighted by your gracious visit and inspired by heartwarming words. Warmest wishes for a healthy and happy new year.. ~Susan

Paghunda Zahid December 29, 2022 at 8:59 PM It's so beautiful... Well deserved placement. May the New Year bless you with health, wealth, and happiness Susan Susan Ashley December 29, 2022 at 10:49 PM Dear Paghunda, I’m delighted by your gracious visit. Thank you for sharing in the emotions of this poem with me. Your comments are treasured. Warmest wishes, my friend, for you and yours to have a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich December 18, 2022 at 5:04 PM I am back with a very belated congrats. Looks like I predicted right on your winning. And you even got a trophy Susan Ashley December 26, 2022 at 11:17 AM Your return visit is so considerate, Andrea. Thank you for your heartwarming congrats and lovely thoughts. You are not only a great poet and friend but a clairvoyant too :)) Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Valsa George December 17, 2022 at 8:50 PM "I paint a mural upon my sacred temple walls a self-portrait with a benevolent brush dipped in starlight –" Once more I stand aghast looking at the mural you have painted in teal and fuchsia.... From the limited, you have created the unlimited......! So lovely! Congratulations Susan on your most deserved trophy win Susan Ashley December 26, 2022 at 11:09 AM Dearest Valsa, your precious thoughts touch me deeply. It is an honor to receive your beautiful comments and kind congrats, my lovely friend. Thank you for sharing in the emotions of my poem with me. Your shining presence lights up both my page and my heart. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich November 9, 2022 at 12:13 PM Wow, free verse at its finest, Susan. I bet you will end up a top winner in the entire marathon. Congrats today, Susan Ashley November 16, 2022 at 9:05 AM Thank you, Andrea. Your lovely comments and heartfelt congrats are truly appreciated. There are so many great poems being submitted to the overall marathon contest - so many talented writers on PS! All I can say, is that the competition in this marathon contest is stiff, so I'll be grateful for any placement I may receive. I have no doubts you'll be up there too, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Gary Radice November 3, 2022 at 2:08 PM As with all your works, Susan this poem demands more than just one read to fully appreciate all that you describe. The words brought the image alive and I thoroughly enjoyed the discovery in the process. Cheers - Gary Susan Ashley November 16, 2022 at 9:00 AM Dear Gary, your gracious visit and beautiful comments are received with gratitude. I'm so glad to know that you enjoyed my poem. Thank you for sharing your precious thoughts. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

John Watt November 2, 2022 at 10:32 PM My dear PS-PS, the beauty of this dazzling artwork is only surpassed by the elegant beauty of your poem. Your introspection lingers in my mind as your lush imagery washes over my poetic soul. "Conceiving abstracts as airy as sparrow dreams", indeed! You write with such an abundance of passion for language, art, and the cosmos (both inner and outer)... an exquisite piece from start to finish with a captivating title that makes for a fantastic ending line that leaves a lasting impression. Congratulations for this worthy marathon winner and Best New Poem. Warmly, and with enduring admiration ~PoBro Susan Ashley November 16, 2022 at 8:55 AM Dear PoBro, my elation over your comments is only surpassed by my gratitude for your poet's soul and the grace of your friendship. I deeply appreciate not only your beautiful comments but also the depth and breadth of your awe-inspiring poetry, both your generous gifts serve to elevate all who partake in the enriching experience of your expressive nature. Thank you, John, for your precious thoughts and heartfelt congrats. Warmest wishes and hugs.. ~your PS-PS

Mark Toney November 2, 2022 at 1:24 PM Wow, Susan. I just saw your chosen image, which is out of this world! A perfect choice for your 'mindful exploration beyond your human extremities and Earth's edge... flying through the inner cosmos... outside the frames of physicality and reality.' Congratulations on your win on Mile 18 of my 2022 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on because Mile 19 has already started. Susan Ashley November 16, 2022 at 8:10 AM Dear Mark, I truly appreciate my poem's placement is your challenging marathon contest. It is indeed an honor to share the podium with the gifted poets listed. Thank you for your heartwarming comments and kind congrats, they are received with gratitude. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Jennifer Proxenos October 30, 2022 at 10:48 AM Hi my awesome friend. You write poetry extraordinaire, and you create poetry for future generations to be read and studied by students worldwide. No doubt Mark will have high regard for this entry to his contest. I hope you are well, I am recently recovered from a covid related viral infection, landed in hospital for 6 days almost didn't make it. Susan I see all your well earned trophies, am so proud to know you. Always know that you are a very special friend. Hugs and blessings Jennifer. Susan Ashley November 8, 2022 at 10:50 AM Dearest Jennifer, my lovely friend and poetry sis, it is indeed a pleasure to see you! I am honored and humbled by your beautiful thoughts. Thank you for casting your warm glow upon my poem and upon my heart. We are all well here, but I am so sorry to hear of your recent and serious bout with Covid. How scary for you and your family.. My dear sis, I'm so relieved to know that you are home and out of the hospital, and I hope that you are getting stronger and feeling better by the day. Please know that you are a very special friend to me as well. Warmest wishes, love and hugs sent on healing breezes.. ~Susan

Malabika Ray Choudhury October 28, 2022 at 2:55 PM Congratulations on your trophy win, Dear Susan. Your poetry is sublime and creative - every word you choose brings a brilliant connotation to the mind of the readers. More than a trophy-winner, you are an imaginative artist - universe is your subject. Love and blessings ~ Mala Susan Ashley October 28, 2022 at 4:33 PM My dearest Mala, it's so wonderful to see you! Thank you for gracing my poem with your beautiful comments and congrats. My heart revels in such heartwarming words from you, a cherished friend and grand poetess of immense poetic talent.. I'm so glad your enjoyed this piece, my sweet friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

David Kavanagh October 3, 2022 at 2:30 AM You certainly don’t paint by numbers Susan, your introspection paradoxically likes to live outside the box, off canvas, off-piste, a place where we must use our imagination to cast off the chains of the prosaic, brilliant creative writing, congratulations, cheers David Susan Ashley October 3, 2022 at 11:56 AM Dear David, I relish your vivacious thoughts! Thank you for sharing in the experience of this poem with me. Indeed, introspection can lead to meditation which can lead to a higher sense of self-awareness and mindfulness that can free one from ego to then become one with the universe, which is definitely outside the box! Your heartwarming congrats fill me with gratitude as does the beauty of your comments. Warmest wishes, my friend.. ~Susan

Line Gauthier October 2, 2022 at 4:33 PM wow ~ a beautiful poem, Susan ~ Susan Ashley October 2, 2022 at 5:06 PM Dear Lin, your gracious visit and your heartwarming response to my poem fills me with gratitude. Thank you, my friend, your uplifting words are treasured. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Kim Rodrigues September 28, 2022 at 5:54 AM My favorite verse includes: soaks and stretches my cortex canvas. Hugs ~ Kim Susan Ashley October 1, 2022 at 9:37 AM Thank you, Kim, for your wonderful comment. I'm so pleased to know you enjoyed that line.. it's one of my fav verses in the poem too :) Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Bill Baker September 27, 2022 at 5:09 PM Congrats on your Trophy win! The ceative way birth, through the cosmos was shown, life in the blending of flowing colors, and purpose through making art being one with the universe. A FAV of a lifetime, Susan. Your poem held my attention, drawing me into the excitement of our relationship with the universe and the miracle of birth throught the expression: breathing in ... breathing out. The finale, my spirit making art with the universe, genius. Bless you and your poetry, Bill Susan Ashley October 1, 2022 at 9:45 AM Dear Bill, I am touched by your thoughtful response to my poem. Thank you, for your uplifting comments and heartwarming congrats, both are held in my humble appreciation. I am also deeply honored by the distinction of your fav and filled with gratitude for your friendship. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Beata Agustin September 22, 2022 at 8:12 PM Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your talent... which is delightfully inspiring. God bless you. Susan Ashley September 26, 2022 at 11:03 AM Dear Beata, your beautiful comments are so very uplifting! Thank you, for your heartwarming visit. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Janice Canerdy September 22, 2022 at 6:31 PM A big CONGRATS on your well-deserved win with this vividly descriptive, deeply personal poem, Susan. Janice Susan Ashley September 26, 2022 at 11:05 AM Dear Janice, your gracious visit and heartwarming congrats are so very appreciated, as is your inspiring comment. Thank you, for your kindness. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Sara Kendrick September 22, 2022 at 2:50 PM Very creative work that you have penned in this winner. Unique choice of art of which to write such a deep descriptive free verse work. Way to go. Congratulations. Sara Susan Ashley September 22, 2022 at 3:16 PM Dear Sara, thank you for your thoughtful comments and kind congrats. Both are truly appreciated. Actually, the poem was written first, then the picture was found after when I was looking for a meditative art piece to give a visual to my poem. Your lovely presence is treasured. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Sotto Poet September 22, 2022 at 10:18 AM Ashley, many congratulations on your top win, which was very well earned. Your inspiration is shining out in high gear, and although it never fails to impress me, it also always makes me yearn just a little bit more; this is truly wonderful! You are an Artist with a mind that is sailing outside the constraints of the prosaic reality as well as the thoughts that several people share. Susan Ashley September 22, 2022 at 5:58 PM Dear Lasaad, it is a pleasure to receive your beautiful comments and heartwarming congrats. Your thoughts humble me. It is always an honor when your esteemed presence graces my poem’s page, thank you for your gracious visit and kindness. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Sam Kauffman September 22, 2022 at 10:16 AM My Dearest Rhyme Time Friend, I shake my head in wonder as I sink into each layer of this magnificence - each hue of your brilliance, your combination of words and dramatic imagery. You are a master artist of elegance and eloquence as you paint "your sacred walls" and "fraternize with fibers of flesh and marrow!" We are blessed who read your heart through these words of the growing soul - a masterpieces. CONGRATULATIONS on your win. Sending you blessings in tints of deep blue wonder and royal purple joy! This is regal! Susan Ashley October 1, 2022 at 11:06 AM My Dearest Rhyme Time Friend, I shake my head in wonder and gratitude for receiving such thoughtful and beautiful comments as only you can give. I am the one who's blessed to have such an amazing poetry sister in you, Sam. An intuitive poetry sister who shares in the expression of my poetry, and who also shares her own wondrously creative and inspiring poetry with me and the world so that we may experience the beauty of your soulful eloquence. Your heartwarming congrats are so very appreciated as is your precious friendship! Warmest wishes, love and hugs sent on raindrop streams.. ~Susan

Susan Lawrence September 21, 2022 at 6:46 PM My dearest Susan, Breathtakingly beautiful..Your flight of heart and spirit~ banishing pains of the limited as only you know how to bring to life this way. With emboldened splashes of soul and spirit and colors oh so vibrant. You have the ability so see inside and outside the realms of what makes us human and bring us to unrealized peace as we travel with you. Exceptional my friend. Love and hugs always, Susan xx :) Susan Ashley October 1, 2022 at 9:17 AM Dearest Susan, my time-travel companion, inspiring friend and soul sister, your amazing comments leave me breathless. I am filled with gratitude for your heart, soul and imagination as we experience vibrant realms of soulful expression, hand in hand in, sailing through the visions and voices shared in the elation of poetry. We sail together on intuitive vibrations of the past, present and future. The splendor of your own transcendent poetry sweeps me up along with you too, as our amazing high-flying journey continues. Thank you, my inspiring friend. Warmest wishes, love and hugs sent on white wings of creative liberation.. ~Susan

Valsa George September 18, 2022 at 11:22 PM "I - a mindful explorer flies an inner cosmos beyond the confines of the canvas white outside the frames of physicality and reality"..... ! When we struggle to ceate a painting within the narrow frame of a canvas, you leave the confines of the canvas and create an art- timeless and limitless .....! This is the essential difference between an ordinary poet and a poet of your stature. Susan, your poetry transcends all limits and as your inward journey progresses, you come up with pearls of insight ! Beautiful poem my friend! Susan Ashley September 26, 2022 at 11:01 AM Dearest Valsa, thank you, the beauty of your soulful heart shines upon my heart and my poem. Your amazing comments leave my both breathless and uplifted. Your words are works of art whether they are beaming on your poetry page or adorning one's comment box, such is the gift of your wondrous expression. I am both honored and humbled to receive such gracious and graceful feedback from a poetess I hold in such high esteem. I am elated to know you enjoyed my poem, my sweet friend. Thank you, once again, for elevating my joy to beyond the clouds! Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Jack Horne September 17, 2022 at 6:28 AM as always, your pen enchanted me so much that I had to read it twice. Beautiful words, my friend Susan Ashley September 22, 2022 at 7:50 PM Dear Jack, you never fail to inspire appreciation for your lovely thoughts. Thank you, my friend, for spending time with my poem and for your kindness. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Andrea Dietrich September 16, 2022 at 8:19 PM Making art in place of making love. LOVE that!!! And it's both the same because your love of poetry is the art you make. You are such a classy poet, susan. One of the best! Susan Ashley September 22, 2022 at 7:47 PM Dear Andrea, how I revel in your beautiful response to my poem. Thank you for sharing your treasured thoughts with me. You, my inspiring friend, are one classy poet and, most definitely, one of the best too! I am humbled by your wonderful words. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

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