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Sharon Hudson's avatar

The hesitation, the free fall, the journey within…such a lovely swirl of becoming. I so enjoyed reading, and feeling your poem.

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

Thank you, Sharon. Sometimes I wonder, though, who that young man was who wrote HI in the snow. It was about the same time that Ted Bundy was lurking around SLC, so it was a good decision ... but!

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Sharon Hudson's avatar

Well, there’s that. Whatever moved you to make the decision you made, brought you to this time, this place, and we are so grateful for your intuition! ✌︎

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

"Hold tight and wait / For the wind to calm."

"…the caress of skin and cloth and hair and grass and sand…"

"I'd rather have you gone forever / Than always saying / Goodbye."

Lovely lovely lines here, Sue. I wonder, had you begun these poems at an earlier time when the memories were new? Or are the memories still fresh after these many, many years?

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

I wrote these at the time of these relationships. There were two that are kind of mixed in here, but one (tarantellas and ferris wheels) was the most painful because I worked with him at the newspaper and listened to his snark for a year before he got married and left the area. THAT was a bitch to ignore and everybody in the city room watched the melodrama. Trying to ignore him, I heard his colleague say, "we'll get a rise out of her ...." It was nuts.

Then there was the man who actually prompted my move to Santa Cruz. He was a traveling salesman. I said a painful goodbye in SLC; then he visited me in Santa Cruz and we said goodbye again. Holy merde, make it stop.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Sounds unbearable. Men are no damned good. ha ha ha.

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Bob's avatar

Since these poems could apply to my relationships with women I could say women are no damned good. But I still love them. Just gave up dating them. A long time ago.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Well, yes! I like your take on it. One of my mother's "parting" gifts, at age 94 was to leave me some of her wisdom. One of her lessons to me was "Men are no damned good." Based on HER life experience, she was right. I remain open minded...

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

A few exceptions ... but yeah.

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Fran Gardner's avatar

Tarantellas and desert corners. So delicious! These are marvelous poems, Sue. Thanks for sharing.

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

They're also very old. I must've been channeling inspiration from the ether because I hardly changed a word of these. Thank you for your comment, Fran. Yes, those are delicious word choices.

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