36 Comments
User's avatar
Treasa's avatar

Did you name the pigeons Jonathan & Susie? I really hope so. I loved meandering through this poem.

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

No I didn't... but now I guess everybody will think I did :)

Thanks, Treasa!

Expand full comment
Treasa's avatar

Jonathan wears a bow tie and Susie a beret even though she's not french 😄

Expand full comment
Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Oh damn, my cover is blown! It was the accent wasn't it- so damn hard to duplicate!

Expand full comment
Daniel Henderson's avatar

A beautiful moment of repose within nature captured effortlessly in poetry!

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thanks Daniel! For the love and the restack :)

Expand full comment
Rod Bluhm's avatar

Absolutely beautiful - with a reminder of nature's escape from our electronic prisons. Well done!

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thank you Rod 🙏

Expand full comment
Jonathan Foster's avatar

Hear,

Those hefty bees

Doppling past

Nectar-fuelled

Over grass

Manically praying

To the last.

Listen,

Gentle one

Through the cacophony

To the gentle love

Of the collared dove

Beneath the carob tree.

I love this poem. The shyness, the understanding, the acceptance, the busy-ness. The cacophony...then the calmness, the being seen, the easiness. Accepted by the natural order for being just you.

If that's me in the dedication, then I'm floored. And very grateful. (If not, then I'll get my coat, as the say:)

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Yes. You are floored.

You felt my poem and offered me one in return, and I can't thank you enough.

We are both grateful, forget about your coat :)

Expand full comment
Jonathan Foster's avatar

Then I’ll have a glass of wine 😂

Grateful 🙏🏼

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Cheers, my friend!

Expand full comment
Jonathan Foster's avatar

Just wanted to say thank you, Fotini. I've floated along smiling to myself occasionally these couple days, purely because of your super beautiful, out-of-the-blue reminder of human kindness and connection. There's something so generous about being spontaneously considered, and reminded that yes, there are places where the dragonflies and bees and wasps all swarm free. So, thanks pal :)

Expand full comment
Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Being there. Collect the carob pods. Chocolate shakes the leaves and save the seeds to Karat weigh the gold you have found today .

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

A rich morning it was! Thank you, Richard 🙏

Expand full comment
Mike Speriosu's avatar

You are to the bees as the bees are to you. You are to the birds as the birds are to you. Each species is going about its own society, observing but not totally understanding what the other species are doing. And each creature is the center of its own universe, wondering (one some level), "Why ME??" That's my take, anyway. Thank you for the thought provoking poem! The descriptive language woven with emotion is so beautiful.

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thank you, Mike!

Your interpretation of the poem is quite different from mine. I love that! I love that each reader can yield various meanings from the same poem. That is why I don’t usually share an analysis of my poems in the posts or why I don’t like reviews — too much information can spoil the surprise reading offers :)

But if you’re curious, read Jonathan’s comment. He got me right away!

Expand full comment
Mike Speriosu's avatar

Fontini, thank you for your grace. In hindsight, I was definitely projecting what was going on in my own mind onto my interpretation of your poem. I suppose that's just what interpretation is sometimes!

I have a similar philosophy about analysis, and I too rarely post discussion alongside my poems. Sometimes I like to do that in a note/restack of my own piece, since a peek behind the curtain can also be fun.

Expand full comment
David Donoghue's avatar

Those first three lines are stunning. Their feel bulbous and packed full of life and activity like a busy summers day. Its so good.

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Oh, thanks so much, David!!! Summer mornings can be overwhelming :)

Expand full comment
Margaret Ann Silver's avatar

Beautiful. I love the many sounds in this coming together along with the story. It's a happy poem to read aloud.

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

And I am happy you like it, Margaret. Thank you! 💛

Expand full comment
The Sea in Me    (Síodhna)'s avatar

I read this one aloud, it's so gentle and soothing Fotini. It has lovely air running through it. A poem for the soul. Beautiful!

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thank you, Síodhna. Your words are a balm for my soul 🙏

Expand full comment
Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Is that for me sweet lady? 🥹 I’m just at the end of a ten minute coffee break, meetings all day…. I will reply properly later with I have time to write words that aren’t awash with tears - bless your beautiful soul🙏🏽

Expand full comment
Jonathan Foster's avatar

Damn! That's what I meant to say ;)

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Take your time, Susie, I am not going anywhere. I just wanted to let you (and Jonathan) know that there are still places where all kinds of insects thrive :)

Expand full comment
Susie Mawhinney's avatar

I hope that one day I will have occasion to sit under the shade of a carob tree with two collared doves, the air alive with the sounds of crickets and bees all buzzing and chirruping about the latest news and when I do I will pull out your beautiful words and think, Fotini wrote this because she cared about insects and people and smile and sigh from the inside out and think, what a beautiful human being - bless you lovely lady 💚

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

All my love to you, Susie 💛

Expand full comment
Michael Edward's avatar

“As if me being here is the most natural thing” — I love that! It feels very right. :)

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Seating under a tree and talking to birds is definitely the most natural thing :) Although at first it may seem silly… Thanks, Michael!!!

Expand full comment
Cynthia's avatar

"I share with a pair of grey collared doves;

walking in tandem, their feet glistening

lavender pink"

I love this image. I love birds and nature so much, I notice the birds all the time, they are like little messengers. Lovely poem.

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thank you very much, Cynthia 🙏

Expand full comment
Cynthia's avatar

😍

Expand full comment
James Lee's avatar

Love this, Fotini. It’s so lucid. ✨

Expand full comment
Fotini Masika's avatar

Thank you, James :)

Expand full comment