Home » Poems » Alison A Smith » Must I Know?

Poet Suzette Prime

Notes About The Poem

Written 8th October, 2026 submitted to The Dance of Life Poetry Contest sponsored by Suzette Richards

Suzette Prime Prose contest parameters:

Title: Of your choice, but MAX 5 words—it frames the prose and the verse as a whole.

The prose: MAX 50 words. Prosimetrum prose introduces the setting or distils a mood. It opens a door for the poem to crystallise the thought, or it may follow the verse where it contextualises it.

The Suzette Prime verse: MAX 10 lines—no more than 13 syllables in any given line. Tip: Use imaginative line breaks and/or stanzas instead of punctuation.

Must I Know?

At midnight, the sea draws back its dark hem, exposing wet stones and mangrove roots. Each wave revises what I thought I understood. I search the shore for something certain, reading each mark as though it were meant for me. I wait for a sentence that will stay.

perhaps  
I ask too much of the shore  
to make its silence certain  
words may hide my doubt  
do I wait  
for an answer or permission to be still

feelingspsychologicalseavoicesuzette prime

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I Am Anaya

October 9, 2026 at 1:59 AM

Oh such fine prose, and in such confinement this form. The protagonist on an intense walkabout. Great job. My best. 🌊

Alison A Smith

October 9, 2026 at 2:21 AM

Thank you Anaya. It took a few days to understand what I needed to do. Then prose was easy. The Suzette Prime takes a while to get syllables right.❤️

Andrea Dietrich

October 9, 2026 at 12:13 AM

I think you did this very well, Alison. I hope I can figure out how to do a poem as worthy as yours. Happy Friday from where I am staying at a women's retreat this weekend. Today promised to be a full day. 😊

Alison A Smith

October 9, 2026 at 12:56 AM

Enjoy your retreat .... ❤️

Karen Jones

October 8, 2026 at 1:28 AM

Wow! I’m so impressed by your poem! It’s engaging and interesting hooking readers with the first line. Love how you describe the sea! You should score high in the contest. Best wishes! 😍

Alison A Smith

October 8, 2026 at 2:36 AM

Thank you Karen❤️

Must I Know?

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