28 Comments
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Antonia Malchik's avatar

This leaves me wordless and in awe. Most of your writing leaves me wordless and in awe. And also full of so much love. For you, for Sophie, for all my own people, for the world. This one brought to mind some of Marina Tsvetaev’s poetry, love and heartache and floored by seeing a writer touch the live wire at the heart of everything.

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

Poems for Blok, 1

Your name is a—bird in my hand,

a piece of ice on my tongue.

The lips’ quick opening.

Your name—five letters.

A ball caught in flight,

a silver bell in my mouth.

A stone thrown into a silent lake

is—the sound of your name.

The light click of hooves at night

—your name.

Your name at my temple

—shrill click of a cocked gun.

Your name—impossible—

kiss on my eyes,

the chill of closed eyelids.

Your name—a kiss of snow.

Blue gulp of icy spring water.

With your name—sleep deepens.

--Marina Tsvetaeva

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Antonia Malchik's avatar

But … how did you know that’s exactly the poem I was thinking of? 😭

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

I'm only barely familiar with her work, so I looked it up and this poem was the first I read on poetry.org. I will dig in more.

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Antonia Malchik's avatar

There is so much to her story, and to her poetry.

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

These words are a live wire! Perfect way to describe it.

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Robin LaVoie's avatar

“Identity seepage and blur”…yes.

And a gorgeous picture of Sophie.

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Tracy's avatar

Sweet lady, I hope writing that provided you with some solace- it was beautifully written and praying for you and precious Sophie.

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Katherine Halsey's avatar

Your writing slays me e v e r y time. Mining powerful, exquisite prose from the impossibly difficult . . . the overwhelming love manifest in your daily practice of showing up and "doing it." I am in awe. Beaming love and light to you. Always. All ways. ❤️

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Mary Moon's avatar

She is beautiful. In that picture, serene. She is indeed La Sirena. You take your love for her and turn it into poetry which goes straight into our hearts.

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

Thank you, Mary. I hope that she is serene. I am grateful that you see that in her.

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Amanda Wald Rachie's avatar

Ahh! You and Sophie the mermaid are dear to us all. Sending love.

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Zobot's avatar

Gorgeous writing. 'Liquid Hope' is worth looking into, it's a really good company making really good food

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

We actually use a similar product called Kate Farms. We left the hospital with some Nestle that really upset me, but our dietician recommended Kate Farms.

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Rebecca Loudon's avatar

This made my breath catch in my throat like a bundle of sticks. Love from the snowy north. Rebecca

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

What a compliment -- a bundle of sticks! I'm glad you haven't burst into flame!

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Stephanie Hunt's avatar

Dear you, thanks as always for molting your skin into prose, for feeding us whole delactables of wisdom, wonder, angst, love. This one made me think of my mom and her feeding tube days the last months of her life. How she’d buy 2 buck Chuck wine and pour it in, freed from how it tasted.

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Elizabeth Aquino's avatar

Wow. That's some memory, Stephanie. Your dear mother...

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Chris J. Rice's avatar

She is beautiful.

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Sandra Yudilevich Espinoza's avatar

I can picture you lying next to Sophie (for some reason I am getting a dark screen where a picture might be?)... fingers intertwined... quietly and, dare I say peacefully after the coughing, etc episode - may you both get good sleep- the sleep of angels. Good night. I’m sprinkling fairy dust on the scene of you and Sophie

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Sandra Yudilevich Espinoza's avatar

I have a picture now. And Sophie IS beautiful!

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jody's avatar

there you go again. spinning words into what? gold I think. and beautiful Sophie. looking so strong and present in her way.

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Clare Crespo's avatar

You are an amazing writer and a very special human being. This piece ripped my heart.

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Jodi B.'s avatar

What’s the word for when you encounter something so profoundly beautiful that you’re left with no words, only tears and gratitude for that brief encounter?

Yeah, your words do that for me….

Thank you. - J

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

Beautiful. You. These words. Sophie.

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37 Paddington's avatar

Beautiful Sophie looks like she's a famous writer in that portrait. It's the intensity of the gaze, and the hair. I read recently that we carry the cells of the children we birth in our own bodies for life, and so when we imagine that we feel what they feel, it's those cells we carry speaking to their sibling cells, across space. You keep on, and I can only witness your journey, with love, with gratitude, with awe.

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