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Margaret Ann Silver's avatar

Beautiful.

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James Hart's avatar

Traditional subject matter and metaphorical ties, modern language. Love reading these, Thomas. You make a very good case for sonnets being alive and well.

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Thomas McKendry's avatar

That pretty much sums up my approach to poetry perfectly James! I try to keep it as accessible as possible to a modern audience while also being grounded in the tradition, for how else are we to entice an inexperienced audience into this world of words we love so much? Thank you as always for your encouragement. 🙏

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Mark Rico's avatar

Just absolutely lovely. You've captured the wistful clinging to summer that lies at the bottom of every heart.

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Thomas McKendry's avatar

The original idea for the poem came from a memory of a past relationship that ended, and the sense that a parting of ways was imminent and the desire to delay the inevitable. The seasonal metaphor then took on a life of its own, and there arose several ways to read it I think.

You're comments are, as always, greatly encouraging Mark, thank you.

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Mark Rico's avatar

Ah yes – you're right, I did read it with the young love as another part of wanting to hold onto a season. It's the sort of writing that offers more each time you read.

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Ollie Burgess's avatar

Wow - this is so beautiful.

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Thomas McKendry's avatar

Thank you Ollie, your comments always give me great encouragement. :)

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Marian L Thorpe's avatar

'come close and store

What warmth the fading season's love allows

Against the darkening days that lie before'

Beautiful words.

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Thomas McKendry's avatar

Thank you Marian, in Australia, where I live, we have just entered autumn so this feeling was very present for me at the moment.

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