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THE SPACES THAT ARE LEFT

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"The Spaces That Are Left" is an exploration of emotional voids, the complexities of human relationships, and the existential reflections that arise from the passage of time.


I never knew what to fill the spaces with
Sometimes I didn't even see them
They were disguised under many coats
With hidden pockets of shallowness
And oversized buttons to mismatched holes.
It didn't matter most of the time
Because the tailor never stopped sewing more
And I was content to let them lie
Beneath the growing pile of tweed
And gaberdine and wrinkled linen
Kind fabrics who wrapped them up
And kept them warm and unprepared
But as time went on and more people
Left the party, the pile of coats
Gradually disappeared and the tailor
couldn't keep up the pace of making
The spaces could be easily filled at first
With dreams, with passion, with sorrow,
With the wrap of a Cherub's leg in bed,
With the carefree knowing there'd be time
To butter them with tears or laughter
Or use their emptiness for meditation
But in the spaces that are left
A greater contemplation is required
It is necessary for them to be filled
With greater aspiration which in itself
Brings further sorrow for deep within them
Is the simple indication
That I will not have enough time
To fill them all.

 

© Allen Ansell 2025

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 3/7/2025 10:37:00 AM
Hello Allen, beautifully penned and very touching. I do think some spaces can never be filled. Sending Blessings and wishing you a wonderful weekend.
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Allen Ansell
Date: 3/11/2025 3:38:00 PM
I do appreciate your appraisal. Thank you so much, and thank you too for your kind sentiments. Blessings, Allen
Date: 3/7/2025 2:34:00 AM
Dear Allen Ansel—This poem demands our attention & in the most understated way takes us to places we associate with Miles or Coleman or Saint-Saëns, a sublime that you're suddenly engrossed by but excitedly are compelled to re-read because its total lack of pretension & the calm clarity rendered in a metaphoricity reminiscent of the best Frost, Moore, Bishop, Dickinson. Let me know if you would like a little nitpicking type revisional possibility, but I'm ecstatic & thank you for sharing.
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Allen Ansell
Date: 3/7/2025 9:27:00 AM
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my poem 'The Spaces That Are Left'. I am very grateful. I am always interested in other poet's ideas, yes. Blessings, Allen
Date: 3/5/2025 1:41:00 AM
Beautifully written sir
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Allen Ansell
Date: 3/5/2025 3:31:00 AM
Thank you very much for your kind appraisal, and for having taken the time to write it. I appreciate it very much. Blessings, Allen

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