Vanilla Is

“Little boxes on the hillside; Little boxes made of ticky tacky
Little boxes on the hillside; Little boxes all the same” 
from first verse of “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds

Vanilla Is . . .

the typical white picket fence
surrounding the front yard of a ticky tack house

It’s a sunless sky
waiting for a rainbow to embrace it

It’s an ordinary bird’s egg
before the burst of life emerges from it

It’s a pie without the fruit;
a cake with no frosting

It’s the color of eyes grown dull
longing for a glimpse of romance

It’s my skin untouched by summer -
still breathing winter’s snow

It’s the quickly fading fragrance of inexpensive cologne
as Tabu's more sensuous scent lingers on and on

It’s a milky white-washed soul
of unexceptional interest

It’s a lackluster longing
for nothing in particular

As I see it, vanilla is
                    the epitome 
                                of monotony

Copyright © | Year Posted 2023



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Date: 9/18/2023 4:53:00 AM
Wow! Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your vanilla thoughts. Belated joyous birthday to you... God bless you.
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Date: 9/16/2023 2:26:00 PM
glad to see this was a win - but not surprised at all. Hope you have a great time at the reunion x
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Date: 9/16/2023 10:04:00 AM
Dear Andrea, your imagery and metaphors are striking and cascade down the poetic page in graceful strides to the grand finale "As I see it, vanilla is/the epitome/of monotony". Stunning, is what "Vanilla Is"! Congratulations for your excellent win in Charlotte's contest. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan
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Date: 9/16/2023 7:45:00 AM
My favorite lines Andrea: "It’s my skin untouched by summer - still breathing winter’s snow" but each "is" a delight to read. Congratulations! :)
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Date: 9/16/2023 5:15:00 AM
A very well deserved win this is, beautiful and so creative. Congratulations
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Date: 9/16/2023 5:05:00 AM
andrea, look at you, thinking outside the 'ticky tacky box'! lol and it paid off..these sort of list type poems are very popular currently, and this one has some nice imagery - "my skin untouched by summer/still breathing winter's snow" - i like that a lot'; i also like "epitome of monotony" - congrats on your win in my contest! :)
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/16/2023 11:00:00 PM
Thanks so much. I feel so inferior to free verse writers like yourself who come up with creative imagery, so to get a Win in one of your contests is a great honor for me.
Date: 9/11/2023 4:08:00 PM
What a beautiful poem! Enjoyed reading!
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Date: 9/11/2023 8:00:00 AM
“Its a sunless sky waiting for a rainbow to embrace it” that line is so beautiful, and so many brilliant lines in this poem. I love how seamlessly your poem flows. In such poetic elegance
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:43:00 PM
thank you!
Date: 9/11/2023 7:15:00 AM
This is very creative Ria, about vanilla in List form. Lots of imagery and metaphors. "sunless sky waiting for a rainbow to embrace it", beautiful. Best wishes in the contest. Hugs...~ Ani
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:32:00 PM
thanks, sweet friend. I wish I could have come up with more spectacular images than the few i did, but glad you like this.
Date: 9/11/2023 5:23:00 AM
t’s a milky white-washed soul of unexceptional interest It’s a lackluster longing for nothing in particular As I see it, vanilla is the epitome of monotony--brilliant metaphors, Andrea. Splendidly described.
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:31:00 PM
thanks so much, Vijay.
Date: 9/11/2023 2:59:00 AM
Seems Vanilla is not high on your list of purchases. Still a fine poem with lots of imagery. Hugs.
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:32:00 PM
No, never!
Date: 9/10/2023 7:22:00 PM
so delicious images, andrea, i loved the construction of the poem, the sweet variations fo colors and flavors until the punchline, a wonderful penning
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Date: 9/10/2023 1:52:00 PM
This is a beautiful, well written poem Andrea. Love the lines,It’s the colour of eyes grown dull longing for a glimpse of romance’, ‘ It’s my skin untouched by summer- still breathing winter’s snow’, Gloriously poetic! Great concluding lines. Really enjoyed it today. Thank you. :)
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:33:00 PM
thanks so much.
Date: 9/10/2023 12:23:00 PM
I love: as Tabu's more sensuous scent lingers on and on
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/11/2023 3:33:00 PM
I really love Tabu. Chantilly too
Date: 9/10/2023 11:17:00 AM
Based on that list and those items my husband is, or sometimes can be vanilla. I suppose those you are describing simplicity.
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Andrea Dietrich
Date: 9/10/2023 12:38:00 PM
you got one of those too, huh?
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