Susan Ashley | + Follow Poet |
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The Empty Room

Alone  the bones of the room 
bear no weight of responsibility 
nor does it bare its breast of secrets

a broken pane 
provides a breath with a pang of lavender
a wistful inhale 
inhabits the lungs of this space
as the room tries to embrace...   
oh embrace the breathing breeze
to squeeze a semblance of life into this place

but the breeze—  a gypsy whisper-warm  
needs freedom  to come in and sweep 
sun-dust into swirls of pinprick-stars... 
then to go    not beholden to bones 
stoic and standing still
not beholden to dust   stranded midair  
only to fall in despair—  abandoned 
with less a good-bye   
as bygone laughter and lullabies
are held on lath-tongues 
behind horsehair plaster walls

but mute memories 
mingle in dust like fireflies in dusk;
her suckling coos  
the woe of rocking chair nights   
hot plashes of mud-puddle tears
—a colored canvas that minions of time 
would rather gesso white 

in its bones the room 
remembers its worth as a womb 
nurturing a baby’s breath 
beneath blue-skin-skies 
where rows of purple spires grow
till Mistral winds blew hard and cold 
and flew her lavender soul 
far from home

oh  the loss of life 
wind-crashing-seas-onto-rocks— 
loss of life 

skeleton-ribs-of-the-crib 
stripped-of-her-lavender-sprig—    
loss of life

Copyright © Susan Ashley | Year Posted 2024

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Mark Massey Date: 8/31/2025 4:31:00 PM Hey Susan, this is a haunting write. The room and its contents are an anguishing reminder of tragic loss. Congrats! Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 9/7/2025 10:06:00 AM Dear Mark, it’s wonderful to see you! Thank you for sharing in the emotions and imagery of this poem with me. Your heartfelt response and kind congrats are truly appreciated. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan

Subimal Sinha-Roy Date: 8/5/2025 11:57:00 PM Congratulations, Susan for your podium fnish. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 8/8/2025 8:13:00 AM Dear Subimal, thank you for your gracious visit and kind congrats. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan

Valsa George Date: 8/5/2025 4:34:00 AM Dear Susan, read once more your heart wrenching poem and feel the emptiness of the room and the silence that hovers over the crib and the lullabies gone mute. Back to congratulate you on your meritorious win in the Marathon race along with other recognitions the poem has so far earned. Continue your race. All the Best! Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 8/9/2025 7:23:00 AM Dearest Valsa, soulful poet, I relish your return visit. You're comments are beautifully expressed and your kindness is warmly felt. Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts and heartfelt congrats with me, they are received with my truest appreciation. Warmest wishes, my esteemed poet friend.. ~Susan

Gary Radice Date: 8/4/2025 11:38:00 AM The death of a child captured through the poignant imagery of a nursery lying empty is so very well executed here Susan with such a beautiful use of the English language. Congratulations on your top podium place in Mark's contest and, I note, in contests prior to this too. Cheers - Gary Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 8/8/2025 8:16:00 AM Dear Gary, it's always wonderful to see your choo-choo avatar on my poem's page :) Your beautiful comments are an honor to receive, especially since I hold your amazing poetry in such high regard. Thank you for sharing in the emotions of this poem with me. Your kind congrats are held in my truest appreciation. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan

Mark Toney Date: 8/3/2025 12:02:00 AM Susan, welcome back to the track! Congratulations on your podium finish on Mile 1 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 2 has already started. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 8/3/2025 7:58:00 AM Dear Mark, it's wonderful to see you! Thank you for your kind congrats and for my poem's placement in your esteemed contest. I'm honored the share the podium with the gifted poets on your list. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Hiba Junaid Date: 6/1/2025 12:20:00 AM Susan, so glad to return to this moving, magnificent piece with the heartiest of congratulations, my friend!!! Wish you success, happiness, and joy always. Your friend, Hiba <3 Login to Reply Hiba Junaid Date: 6/6/2025 4:17:00 AM Thanks so much, Susan <3 You touch my heart. Susan Ashley Date: 6/1/2025 10:39:00 AM Dear Hiba, my inspiring poet friend, I revel in your return visit and heartiest congrats. Thank you, Hiba, it's a honor to once again share the podium with you. And congrats for your poem, The Now Continuum, being #1 on the 100 Best New Poems list! :) Every accolade is well-deserved! Warmest wishes, my creative friend.. ~Susan

Rob Carmack Date: 5/13/2025 6:53:00 PM Moving poem. You are becoming a new favorite of mine. Congrats on taking 2nd place. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 5/15/2025 8:16:00 AM Dear Rob, I am humbled and honored by your heartwarming comments and by my poem's placement in your esteemed contest. Thank you for your kind congrats and for your contest sponsorship. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan

Suzanne Delaney Date: 2/10/2025 4:04:00 AM dear Susan: I am in awe. This view of an empty nursery after the death of a baby is an amazing piece of writing. Congratulations dear poet friend. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 2/10/2025 9:29:00 AM Dear SuZ, I'm truly touched by your response to my poem. Thank you for sharing in the mournful moments with me and the empty room. Your kind congrats and soulful presence here fills me with appreciation. Warmest wishes my poet friend.. ~Susan

Ink Empress Date: 2/6/2025 9:48:00 PM Dear Susan, poetic soul, i must say this poem left me feeling so much as always and more than anything, i admire your wordplay and creative nature of writing especially in phrases such as "swirls of pinprick-stars" " mute memories mingle in dust like fireflies in dusk" "oh the loss of life —wind-crashing-seas-onto-rocks— loss of life " you always weave words in such a descriptive manner , and i cant help but be in awe! And the depth of what youv conveyed here , your readers can grasp and feel. Congratulations on your top win! Well deserved! Sending you light always Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 2/8/2025 8:01:00 PM Dear Ink, my soulful poet friend, your visit brings me much delight! I'm gratified and appreciative to receive your beautiful comments. Your heartfelt response to my poem inspires me. Thank you for your kindness and for your heartwarming congrats. You are wonderful sweet poetess. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

Greg Gaul Date: 2/4/2025 4:27:00 PM Susan, all your masterful devices were in play as you composed this masterful verse. Congrats on your win, your writing only gets better. GG Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 2/5/2025 12:19:00 PM Dear Greg, thank you for your heartwarming comments and kind congrats. It's wonderful to hear from you as I admire your poetry so. It's an honor to share the podium with you, my poet friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Hiba Junaid Date: 2/4/2025 8:37:00 AM Hey Susan, this is a beautiful poem with a lyrical rhythm, but once looked deeper, the heartbreaking implicit meaning greatly saddened my heart. I cannot hope to imagine just how sorrowful losing a child can be. I hope God Gives you the strength to go on, and I hope you can meet the little one in heaven. Much love, Hiba. Login to Reply Hiba Junaid Date: 2/7/2025 10:17:00 AM I do not know how to reply to you specifically as there seems to be no option for it but thank you so much Susan for your compliments that I hold very close to my heart. You are an artist crafting masterpieces free for us to read. Also, I am relieved to hear it is not autobiographical! For the people for which this is a reality, I hope they find peace and be reunited with their loved ones sooner than they think. Susan Ashley Date: 2/5/2025 12:25:00 PM Dear Hiba, soulful poet, it's an honor to share the podium with you. The expressive power of your poetry is impressive and beautiful. Thank you for your lovely comments, they are received with joy and appreciation. I'm so gratified to know you felt the sorrow in my verse. Your heart is full of the beauty of empathy. Thankfully, this poem is not autobiographical.. but like you, my heart goes out to parents who have suffered the loss of a child. Warmest wishes my poet friend.. ~Susan

Tom Woody Date: 2/3/2025 11:46:00 AM I think I remember this one. What could move our hearts and stir our emotions more than a grieving mother missing her little one? And you're writing is just always so superb Susan. Congrats on your placement. It's no surprise Craig found it to be a top-notcher as well Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 2/4/2025 5:38:00 AM Dear Tom, thank for your heartwarming words and kind congrats. I’m honored by my poem’s placement in your prestigious contest. It’s also a thrill to be included among the gifted poets on the podium. Your contest sponsorship is appreciated as is your friendship in poetry. Warmest wishes.. ~Suze

Maurice Rigoler Date: 9/12/2024 10:32:00 AM Susan, reading this beautiful poem instantly reminded me of Rainer Maria Rilke (my favorite German poet). Many of his poems delve to the "inner substance of a thing", what in German is called "das Ding an sich". Surprisingly I too have written a poem about a room. I will be reading your work with renewed interest. / Maurice Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 9/12/2024 7:15:00 PM Dear Maurice, your time spent with my poem is sincerely appreciated. I treasure your thoughts, indeed, I feel honored to receive them. Thank you for sharing in the emotions and imagery of this poem with me. I am not familiar with your favorite poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, but I will have to research his work now. Your poetic presence is inspiring and I’m grateful for your wonderful visit. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan.. P.S. I will have to look up your poem about a room too :)

Gershon Wolf Date: 8/3/2024 8:06:00 PM Sadness now rocks the cradle... Awesome penning, per the S.A. Gold Standard, my long-lost friend. Bravo! ~ Gershon Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 8/25/2024 8:11:00 AM Dear Gershon, wonderful poet friend, please accept my apologies for my late reply to your awesome comments. Thank you truly for your gracious visit. Your thoughts are treasured and inspiring. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Anisha Dutta Date: 7/2/2024 7:01:00 AM Very nice and expressive, perfectly composed on your poetic touch. congrats and love. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 7/2/2024 5:25:00 PM Dear Anisha, thank you for your thoughtful comments and kind congrats. They are sincerely appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Carlene Juju The Dragon Date: 6/30/2024 5:18:00 PM I Read this Twice because I love how I can imagine myself there with your imagery, " in its bones the room remembers its worth as a womb." .... This abandoned place, once full of life seems like a serene place to hide and be alone with memories just for a sentimental moment. So Beautiful! Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 7/2/2024 5:29:00 PM Dear Carlene, your time spent with my poem is sincerely appreciated. Thank you for sharing in the emotions and imagery of this poem with me. Your thoughts are beautiful, they are a joy to receive, I'm honored, my friend. warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Duke Beaufort Date: 6/30/2024 9:38:00 AM Susan, you make a wonderful point. Things change and inhabitants and associates leave us. We only hope it works out well for all involved, but there surely is a sadness in passage of time and events that you capture with poetic elegance. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/30/2024 5:59:00 PM Dear Duke, your wonderful insights are a pleasure to receive. Thank you for sharing your esteemed thoughts with me and for sharing in the imagery and emotions of this poem too. Your kindness is held in my truest appreciation. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Jack Horne Date: 6/26/2024 5:51:00 AM love the sensitive way you handle this heartbreaking subject, my friend - as always, with your poetic excellence Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/27/2024 6:32:00 AM Dear Jack, your poetic presence and inspiring comments are as uplifting as they are empowering. Thank you my dear friend for your gracious visit. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Valsa George Date: 6/19/2024 11:48:00 PM Good poetry is one that leaves a mind boggling impact before it is fully understood and keeps growing, with its meaning never exhausted. If so, your poetry falls into that rank. Dear Susan, you stand head and shoulders above the average poets like us. Your empty room breathes of life, loss, wistful longings and a sense of undefinable pain. The diction and choice of words resound the emptiness of that room where 'mute memories mingle in dust like fireflies in dusk'... ! I can only stand in awe of your poetic prowess. Congratulations on your win. Let more trophies clutter the attic of your poetry page. Into my FAVE. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/23/2024 5:17:00 PM Dearest Valsa, poetess extraordinaire, there is nothing average about you or your stellar poetry, your golden artistry shines like the summer sun. I'm proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, Valsa, and am humbled and honored by your generosity and kindness. The beauty of your comments thrill my heart and fill me with appreciation, as does the distinction of your fave. Thank you for your glowing poetry friendship and for your heartwarming congrats. Warmest wishes, my sweet friend.. ~Susan

Sean Kibble Date: 6/14/2024 5:58:00 AM Dear Susan, I have read and reread this masterpiece and yet I feel I must be misreading it. I keep on imagining a 'still birth". Whatever you were thinking about and tried to convey to us comes across as a rich, evocative poem about loss, memory of loss and the passage of time. Wow you wow me each and every time I read any of your poems. Huge congrats on most merited win. Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/14/2024 6:38:00 AM Dear Sean, I'm humbled, honored and elated by your valued comments all at the same time! Thank you for sharing in the emotions and imageries of this poem with me. Indeed, this poem is about loss. I was thinking about the loss of a baby, (it could have been a stillbirth) who brought joy to a family, but then was tragically lost in her young life due to unforeseen circumstances.. a childhood illness during her first year of life. The empty room was her bedroom. I feel the house has now been abandoned by the family that finds it too painful to remain where such a loss is magnified over time. Also, in my mind, the time period is early 20th century, in France, where the lavender fields grow.. such is the landscape of my imagination :) You wow me with your poignant and pensive comments. I hold your precious thoughts and kind congrats in my deepest appreciation. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Joseph May Date: 6/13/2024 6:58:00 PM Susan, A poignant write which shows how an empty room evokes emotions, whispering memories on the wind, Best wishes Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/14/2024 6:22:00 AM Dear joseph, thank you for your wonderful visit and thoughtful comments. They are sincerely appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Frederic Parker Date: 6/12/2024 12:27:00 PM Susan, Dear friend, Dear poet your poetry excels and touches the heart, Congratulations on your 1st place, well deserved, and another masterclass in writing poetry, my dear poetic friend...Frederic Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/13/2024 5:53:00 PM Frederic, dear friend, dear poet, I'm elated by your wonderful response to my poem. Thank you for sharing in the emotions and imagery of this piece with me. Your comments are a joy to receive, I am both humbled and honored. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Janice Canerdy Date: 6/12/2024 7:12:00 AM Susan, a huge CONGRATS on your well-deserved top win with this descriptive masterpiece! The sense of loss is beautifully and vividly conveyed. Janice Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/13/2024 5:50:00 PM Dear Janice, thank you for your wonderful comments and kind congrats. Your gracious visit is truly appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Tom Woody Date: 6/11/2024 5:06:00 PM As always you manage to stir emotions, thoughts, reflections and make us pause in meditation (I'm convinced you revel in making us think deeply until it hurts). Congrats on your well-deserved win Suze Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/12/2024 11:33:00 AM You too my friend:) Tom Woody Date: 6/11/2024 7:03:00 PM I knew you had a sense of humor! Have a great week Susan Ashley Date: 6/11/2024 6:43:00 PM Dear Tom, if you think your head hurts when reading my poems, you should be inside my head when I'm writing them! Haha! It's always great when your presence graces my poetry page. Thank you for your wonderful comments and kind congrats, I'm deeply touched, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Suze

Sally Eslinger Date: 6/11/2024 2:33:00 PM Susan, it is an honor just to read this! Extremely touching. Congratulations Login to Reply Susan Ashley Date: 6/13/2024 5:37:00 PM Dear Sally, I'm inspired and honored by your valued comments and warm congrats. Thank you for your gracious visit and for your kindness. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

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