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to sail the sky - Premiere Contest Winner

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* For Mary Kathleen Lessard Caithness *

                              ~

cast tie-lines to shadowy depths above
          meteors to plunge the ocean of suns
               kick off - tally-ho! from the pier of known
     a scoundrel's nod to the skull and bone

vast skies uncharted now beckon ahead
          a dusk of dreams splashed yellow and red
               naught but astounding, the adventures be
     an endless sojourn 'cross a sparkling sea

the sky-palette waits for a score of tales
          come a warm solar wind to puff the sails
               all worries and why's now, abaft the beam!
     set our course due for a foolish dream!

a celestial tempest to bend the jack
          to his tasking a-hold the kicking strap
               stem the tide, aye, mind the moonbeam drift
     spread her wings wide and give her lift

the sextant's now set to the Milky Way
          (we'll grave her clean on a windless day)
               to port side, a wink from the Seven Sisters
     off starboard, the gleam of nebulous vistas

we sunder the clouds with our wake of mist
          now dark matter deep and heaven-kissed
               tossed by the waves through a sea of night
     we gasp for the void, yet we drown in light

our spirits denuded and paean-versed
          we dare constellations to do their worst
               for now we all pull to the labor at hand
     to chart the expanse of this boundless land

at the bidding and mercy of a rapturous breeze
          three prayers for fair winds and following seas
               'til our hearts are sated and our marrow torn
     and we drop our anchor there, worry-worn …

on the sands of time, we'll commend our dance
          and return our dust ... to the great expanse.






~ 1st Place ~  in the "Sky" Poetry Contest, Anthony Slausen, Sponsor.

~ 1st Place ~  in the "Best Rhyming Poem 2018" Poetry Contest, John Hamilton, Sponsor.

~ Poem of the Day ~  at Poetry Soup.com, awarded February 1, 2018.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2018




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Date: 6/14/2018 12:43:00 PM
Congratulations on your top win! Somehow I missed this. Enjoyed!
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/14/2018 9:10:00 PM
Thank you very much, Susan - blessings! :-) <3
Date: 6/11/2018 4:55:00 AM
Congratulations on your well deserved top wins Greg! Wow, how wondrous it is to sail the celestial sky. Your well-thought poem brought me to an adventure of a lifetime. Amazing. Regards :)
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/14/2018 9:10:00 PM
This is such a nice comment, Elaine, I'm so pleased you enjoyed my poem! This one is special to me for many reasons. Blessings! :-) <3
Date: 6/9/2018 9:20:00 PM
Back with more congrats, Gregory.
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/14/2018 9:09:00 PM
Thank you so much, Line! :-)
Date: 6/9/2018 5:54:00 PM
A well-deserved first place win, Greg - congratulations! Many thx for your kind comments re my win and best to you as you continue your poetical journey - Bob
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/9/2018 6:14:00 PM
That's very kind of you, Robert, and very much appreciated, my friend. Blessings! :-)
Date: 6/8/2018 5:42:00 PM
Congrats!!! my friend...the celestial seas...an easy breeze...for you Greg...love & light...^WW^
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/9/2018 6:13:00 PM
Many kind thanks, ^WW^ - and greatly appreciated! :-)
Date: 6/8/2018 5:05:00 PM
Yay! Back with congratulations :) xomo! <3
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/9/2018 6:13:00 PM
Thanks so very much, Mo! :-) <3
Date: 6/8/2018 4:43:00 PM
Amazing! Congrats! :)
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 6/9/2018 6:12:00 PM
Thank you so much, Natasha! :-) <3
Date: 2/28/2018 6:17:00 PM
Wow Gregory! That is some storm that the ship is going through. I can feel the motion of the ship. have a nice evning my friend.
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 3/7/2018 7:47:00 PM
Thank you so much, Darlene - I'm glad you enjoyed the voyage! Blessings, friend! :-) <3
Date: 2/27/2018 11:48:00 AM
Back with congratulations on your win in this contest Greg!! No surprise to see you in the first place list :) ~ Judy
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 3/7/2018 7:46:00 PM
That's very kind of you, Judy - thank you so much! :-) <3
Date: 2/24/2018 6:27:00 PM
Wow! Gregory, your poem is stunning in every way. Each line is simply so poetic. Congratulations on your fantastic first place win..
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/27/2018 8:23:00 AM
Thank you so very much, Susan, that's such a wonderful comment ... I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :-) <3
Date: 2/24/2018 5:22:00 PM
"Return our dust etc" this and every line seemed to flow from you pen like liquid gold. What style ! congrats! bbn
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/27/2018 8:22:00 AM
That's very sweet of you, Barbara - I'm so pleased you enjoyed this one, as it is very special to me! Blessings and thanks to you, my friend! :-) <3
Date: 2/24/2018 4:32:00 PM
Back with much deserved congrats, Gregory.
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/27/2018 8:21:00 AM
Thank you so much, Dear Friend ... blessings! :-) <3
Date: 2/24/2018 2:28:00 PM
Yay Greg! I am so pleased to see this wonderful poem win first place! You know how much I love it. Congratulations my friend! : )
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/27/2018 8:19:00 AM
I do, indeed, Connie, and I am so thankful for your continued support - blessings and thanks to you, Dear friend - you're the best! :-) <3
Date: 2/24/2018 1:40:00 PM
Smart to enter this one Greg you knew I loved it, congrats on first place!
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/27/2018 8:18:00 AM
Very kind of you, John, and I'm pleased you liked this one - I'm really quite honored to be on a list with such wonderful poets! Blessings, Buddy! :-)
Date: 2/9/2018 4:25:00 PM
Wow stunning Greg, I too love the dark matter deep, heaven kissed line, every word was perfectly utilized, a true masterful write, missed this as POTD so belated congrats, should be POTW or for the month for that matter!! This is up there with crows command as one of your best!!
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/10/2018 8:37:00 PM
That's very kind of you, John, and I'm so pleased you enjoyed this one ... this is one of my personal favorites, just for metaphor's sake, and the spirit of it. Blessings and thanks to you, my friend! :-)
Date: 2/4/2018 3:40:00 AM
Wow. What a great analogy. Your poem flows like life should flow. Many wishes for the journey, Kai
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Date: 2/1/2018 5:10:00 PM
Congrats on POTD Greg..
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:26:00 PM
Thanks so much, S1!
Date: 2/1/2018 1:29:00 PM
Congratulations on you POTD, Gregory, I too concur, the last two lines are simply elegant !!
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:26:00 PM
That's very kind of you, Mike, and I'm so pleased you liked my poem. Blessings, Bud! :-)
Date: 2/1/2018 12:27:00 PM
AYE CAPTAIN.....
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:26:00 PM
Argh! Kind thanks to you, Matey! ;-)
Date: 2/1/2018 12:06:00 PM
Wonderful imagery and metaphors...congratulations on a beautiful poem winning POTD! Well deserved:-)
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:24:00 PM
That's very sweet of you to say, Donna, and I thank you very much! Blessings to you, Friend! :-) <3
Date: 2/1/2018 11:07:00 AM
Now this is deserving of POTD honors, congratulations Gregory, so very well done...
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:23:00 PM
I'm so pleased you enjoyed this one, Charlie ... thanks so very much, my friend! :-)
Date: 2/1/2018 8:41:00 AM
If ever a poem deserved to be POTD it is this one. Back to congratulate you Greg. I was so pleased to see this beauty honored with POTD! : )
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:22:00 PM
You're my lucky charm, Connie, and I so appreciate your kindness ... what a wonderful surprise this evening to find this as POTD! Blessings to you, Dear Friend! :-) <3
Date: 2/1/2018 7:28:00 AM
What an imaginative fanciful journey, Greg. Congrats on POTD. John
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:21:00 PM
I'm so pleased you liked it, John, blessings, my friend! :-)
Date: 2/1/2018 7:25:00 AM
This is good...A true sailor of life...All the best Gregory...
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:20:00 PM
Many kind thanks to you, Arturo - blessings, friend! :-)
Date: 2/1/2018 7:23:00 AM
A very beautiful poem of roaming where the heart leads us. Your words and imagery are perfect in this. Definitely the right choice for POTD!
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Gregory Richard Barden
Date: 2/1/2018 10:20:00 PM
Thank you so much, James ... blessings, my friend! :-)
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