For The Sunday Whirl poetry prompt: Wordle #193
http://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com/
laughing, silent, holy, arrival, sigh, chime,
alone, scar, ingest, stray, plain, pale
Publicly Private
Plainly prefers her time alone.
Yet knows the occasional gathering
of friends and family could by far, work
healing on the scars of early childhood.
Delightful chime of shared laughter,
the talking and teasing with each new
arrival, finding a comfortable place
amidst familiar faces.
The soft stray sighs of frustration from the kitchen
where too many fingers linger, offering help
unneeded. The almost holy silence when feast
finally arrives and is then ingested.
Knows her early departure might bring
whispered comments, but she rushes back to where
even the palest of shadows reaches to welcome
her, into the one space she defines as home.
Elizabeth Crawford 12/28/14
Soul's Music 
This is a lovely poem … which I can easily identify with – thanks for sharing it.
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This is delightful, Elizabeth. I too can identify with early departure! Too much feasting brings an irresistible urge to sleep.
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This is really how I feel when it comes to family gatherings. I just want to get in and get out. I don’t have much family nearby, only my mother and my son. But the drama between them is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Thank you for telling it like it is. I sometimes get tired of reading oh so happy and reverent holiday poems.
http://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/2014/12/hidden-treasure.html
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The ties that bind…it is a real dilemma (a dialectic as therapists might say)…one foot in and one foot out of the family web..i am not sure we can ever truly untangle ourselves from it..it created us and despite many things it must draw us back through love..but ahh..home..the joy of creating our own safe place..there is nothing better…a peaceful new year to you Elizabeth…snuggled and warm
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Our responsibilities sometimes get in contradiction with our comfort…but only lock yourself at even very cozy home – could turn someone in becoming a hermit…may we find something between…it’s good to measure the time spending out as it said in your sincere poem. Thanks for bringing the truth up. ~ Peace and love in New Year to you! x
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As they say, there is no place like home! Oh how I can relate to your poem.Happy New Year!
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I know about early departures – but most of all I know where my home is. Randy
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Oh I might have written these lines myself. I so love going back home to my own small space.
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A beautiful poem of the solitude that is so important for us. Happy new year, my friend.
Love,
Pamela ox
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Oh I like that very much – I relate to the slightly early departure, the imagined comments… and the deliciousness of the place known as home. Well done!
And Happy New Year!
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As an introvert, I can identify with this.
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A wonderful piece, so much said, so much left unsaid. Where is the truth? Somewhere inbetween.
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This is so beautiful.
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