A light beam addenda. Native American children would change their names after they earned them from feats they performed. Still given to them by others that recognized their abilities.
Ah, light, luminous, makes sense. I too disliked my name when I was a young boy. I thought ‘Alan’ sounded weak, so for a period I wanted to be called Dick, as in Dick Tracy. Innocent times. Thanks, Fotini.
How perfect that i scroll to your actual eye peeking out of 'the shine that sparks' by the end of this post. You are the only Fotini I know, so I expect all the Fotini's of the world to be beautiful poets.
I love my first name (i at times even thank my parents for choosing this name for me). Don't wanna be boastful, but my first name means an idol, a heavenly maiden, an artist and a writer.
I was just contemplating your name and trying to discern its origin/meaning. Thanks for shedding some light on the matter!
I love your poem. I can definitely identify with the feeling that life is one big dream, and that all of us are made of light in a way we will probably never fully understand (cue clichés about a knife being unable to cut itself, etc.).
I found your paragraphs before the poem to be quite poetic in their own right, which makes sense. Once you train your mind to write poetry, that poetic sense tends to lend itself to anything you put your pen to. The rhyme, whether "intentional" or not, between "withered" and "mirrors" is especially sonorant.
Mike, thank you very much for the love and your insights. I will agree with you on the last part about the training of the mind and the poetic sense. One thing I have noticed is that after all this time, whenever I start writing, whether prose or poetry, I pay attention to the sound of every word. So my unintentional use of "mirrors" which came as a last minute revision may be not so unintentional after all. My mind does its own thing by now :)
Yes, I LOVE how being a poet really lets you play on the border between intent and accident, self and other, human and divine. The words come from somewhere, and we shape them as best we can, and we continue to hone that skill, and then we start realizing that everything is that way. Our choices aren't exactly what our culture has always told us they are. Neither are our identities, even our bodies. It's so much fun! I'm celebrating you and me and all poets, all artists, all humans (even the ones who temporarily forgot they are artists), all forms of life, all expressions of this big beautiful weird Universe we find ourselves in!
Really wonderful - that opening stanza is so striking 💜 And then big feels all the way to the end. I didn't like my name (Richard), and then went by a nickname (Dick) for years, but my family always had other names for me: Rich, Richy, and so on. I used to hate Rich. And then one day a few years back, I started to appreciate all the varieties, and now I love all the various names people use, and am happy with whatever people want to call me. Naming is definitely a long and interesting journey, particularly with regards to the self. Love that your name means 'luminous' in Greek too.
Thank you for all the kind words, Dick 🙏 Names carry many baggages, family history, memories, meanings. It's up to us eventually not to consider those a burden. I guess there are a lot of us who had a difficult relationship with our names -- strange creatures, we humans :)
Your parents were extremely wise… your name truly shines in you, and your soul’s brilliance radiates powerfully. Your poem emanates light, and especially the latter half evokes to me about the universe and the luminous essence that brings this dream called life into existence.
Only a true connoisseur could know such deep secrets, so I suspect you may be the Universe in disguise. Or a Goddess, who knows.
So, there is no need to try be light, since you are light itself, and this world would be nothing without your beautiful gaze
I guess we are all tiny beacons glowing in the dark, Forrest. And when our lights meet the world gets broader, even for a fleeting moment. Thank you for reaching out, I treasure your words. 🙏
A truly luminous poem. I too really loved Lisa’s post.
Thank you, LeeAnn!
A place you can get lost in. Love these lines "If I were to hide somewhere
I would crawl inside myself." Tender lines and lovely poem!
Thanks Pilgrim 🙏
A light beam addenda. Native American children would change their names after they earned them from feats they performed. Still given to them by others that recognized their abilities.
I was named after my maternal grandmother. I never thanked her -- so much for my feat.
Ah, light, luminous, makes sense. I too disliked my name when I was a young boy. I thought ‘Alan’ sounded weak, so for a period I wanted to be called Dick, as in Dick Tracy. Innocent times. Thanks, Fotini.
Kids and their wishes :)
How perfect that i scroll to your actual eye peeking out of 'the shine that sparks' by the end of this post. You are the only Fotini I know, so I expect all the Fotini's of the world to be beautiful poets.
And all of them blushing from your words, Treasa. Thank you, my friend 💛
I love my first name (i at times even thank my parents for choosing this name for me). Don't wanna be boastful, but my first name means an idol, a heavenly maiden, an artist and a writer.
A beautiful name, your name, Negar! Loving it and honouring it is no boast, names are to be revered.
Loved the natural progression through the poem!
I am glad you like it, Daniel, and thank you for the restack!!!
I was just contemplating your name and trying to discern its origin/meaning. Thanks for shedding some light on the matter!
I love your poem. I can definitely identify with the feeling that life is one big dream, and that all of us are made of light in a way we will probably never fully understand (cue clichés about a knife being unable to cut itself, etc.).
I found your paragraphs before the poem to be quite poetic in their own right, which makes sense. Once you train your mind to write poetry, that poetic sense tends to lend itself to anything you put your pen to. The rhyme, whether "intentional" or not, between "withered" and "mirrors" is especially sonorant.
Mike, thank you very much for the love and your insights. I will agree with you on the last part about the training of the mind and the poetic sense. One thing I have noticed is that after all this time, whenever I start writing, whether prose or poetry, I pay attention to the sound of every word. So my unintentional use of "mirrors" which came as a last minute revision may be not so unintentional after all. My mind does its own thing by now :)
Yes, I LOVE how being a poet really lets you play on the border between intent and accident, self and other, human and divine. The words come from somewhere, and we shape them as best we can, and we continue to hone that skill, and then we start realizing that everything is that way. Our choices aren't exactly what our culture has always told us they are. Neither are our identities, even our bodies. It's so much fun! I'm celebrating you and me and all poets, all artists, all humans (even the ones who temporarily forgot they are artists), all forms of life, all expressions of this big beautiful weird Universe we find ourselves in!
Your comment turned me into a poet without words -- temporarily I hope :) Nevertheless I could not have been more content. Thanks, Mike.
Beautiful Fotini! Lovely intro to poem.
'into countless stars ablaze
and the myriad parts of me
would become the void itself'
-
The luminous, no longer void, ablaze with meaning.
-
I'll add in this ted talk about 'being ourselves'
https://youtu.be/veEQQ-N9xWU?si=vIR5hn_brTFjtP97
Thank you for the like and the restack and all the bonus links, Síodhna 🖤 Much appreciated!!!
What a beautiful poem, and with such a perfect picture to go along with it!
Thank you, dear Lisa! I am really glad I finally responded to one of your prompts. 💛
Really wonderful - that opening stanza is so striking 💜 And then big feels all the way to the end. I didn't like my name (Richard), and then went by a nickname (Dick) for years, but my family always had other names for me: Rich, Richy, and so on. I used to hate Rich. And then one day a few years back, I started to appreciate all the varieties, and now I love all the various names people use, and am happy with whatever people want to call me. Naming is definitely a long and interesting journey, particularly with regards to the self. Love that your name means 'luminous' in Greek too.
Thank you for all the kind words, Dick 🙏 Names carry many baggages, family history, memories, meanings. It's up to us eventually not to consider those a burden. I guess there are a lot of us who had a difficult relationship with our names -- strange creatures, we humans :)
Wonderfully put :-) Strange creatures we are, indeed!
Oh, gorgeous. So complete.
Oh, thank you so much, Margaret!!!
Your parents were extremely wise… your name truly shines in you, and your soul’s brilliance radiates powerfully. Your poem emanates light, and especially the latter half evokes to me about the universe and the luminous essence that brings this dream called life into existence.
Only a true connoisseur could know such deep secrets, so I suspect you may be the Universe in disguise. Or a Goddess, who knows.
So, there is no need to try be light, since you are light itself, and this world would be nothing without your beautiful gaze
Please keep shining on us 🙏
I guess we are all tiny beacons glowing in the dark, Forrest. And when our lights meet the world gets broader, even for a fleeting moment. Thank you for reaching out, I treasure your words. 🙏
I think this poem grows and grows on further reading, really lovely work Fotini!
Wow, that’s quite a compliment, Síodhna. Thank you!!!
I loved hearing about your childhood feelings about your name. Such a beautiful name and meaning 💛💛💛 Your poem is the perfect accompaniment too.
Thank you for all the love, Amanda. 💛
There’s a tremendous sense of slow reverie in this poem. I like it! On the theme of names the word supernova gives it away - all of them are new.
Glad you like the poem, Edgar, thanks :)