dVerse Poets – Quadrille – Fretboard of Poetry
Photo: pixabay.com
The Wall
The wall,
amalgam of clay and fire
stands boldly,
but time smiles benignly
knowing full well that it must
eventually give way
slowly,
frittering and fretting
as washed by life,
revealing
a softness so strong
it has no need of that
hardened,
calloused skin.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Note: Fret refers to a number of things – worry, to be consumed, and to be worn down. It was an old masons term for the deterioration of bricks.
Paul, pvcann.com
parallax 
I love where your work takes me in my mind. You paint wonderful word art. I feel it. 🙂
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Thank you for this wonderful compliment, much appreciated and so glad my work can speak.
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“a softness so strong, there is no need…” what a great line in a great poem
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Well that is a wonderful compliment, thank you so much for that.
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You are very welcome, your poem was a joy to read.
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The image of time smiling benignly on a wall made me smile at your quadrille, Paul, but I felt a tinge of sadness that it must eventually give way ‘frittering and fretting as washed by life’ – beautifully put.
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Besutiful Paul – rich and elegant!
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Thank you so much for sharing that Rob.
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The personification of time is a beautiful picture. 😉
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Many thanks Michael 🙂
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:-)) A great pleasure to me, Paul.
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🙂
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I’ve known quite a few of those walls. Lovely poem.
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Heather thank you for sharing this, yes, I could make a fortune at demolition 🙂
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And this made me think that when we fret too much, we wear ourselves away,
much like bricks.
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I believe that, I’ve seen so many go that way, some to serious ill health.
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Lovely
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Many thanks Ruth 🙂
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Brilliant writing – “but time smiles benignly
knowing full well that it must eventually give way
slowly,” – this line is so true to life, and the purpose of walls to keep others out or keep others in?
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Yes, that’s really it, what do we do with them? Good boundaries maintain a good gate. Thank you so much Eugenia.
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My pleasure!
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Will it have Trump’s name on it?
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Lol, no, we dynamited that one 🙂
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Beautiful words that made me ponder on the walls built inside the mind. They, too, are washed by life, revealing and a softness so strong.
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Yes, the mind and the heart, takes a while but most of us at least become aware.
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This is beautiful, Paul. Please don’t laugh but I remember my father with your poem.
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Then we share a view, so no need to laugh, that I appreciate Winnie and thank you.
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I appreciate that, Paul. You’re welcome and thank you.
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Most welcome Winnie.
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What a lovely piece Paul.
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Thank you very much Linda, so glad you liked it.
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Love the contrasts here – how softness can evolve from strength (or hardness in the case of the wall.) Great image too.
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Many thanks VJ, yes I have long been captivated by those contrasts.
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Welcome – there is truth here.
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Certainly is 🙂
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I love the thought of the wall wearing down as a metaphor for life.
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Thank you Bjorn, yes, so many useful metaphors and images. The wall spoke to me of resistance and surrender.
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The texturing of life comes through in this.
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts, much appreciated.
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This is lovely.
I could imagine a soft face of a gandpa.
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Ah yes, the transformation of life.
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Lovely analogy, we should learn from this wall 🙂
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We must 🙂
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Love the soft strength. Everything we do will crumble. We may get some words to endure…
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I like that, some words to endure, many thanks.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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Thank you 🙂
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The contrasts teach us so much! Beautiful …
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They sure do Punam
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I love this image created by our words there is so many layers of deep meaning to be gleaned here
>
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Thank you, yes indeed, many layers.
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Great words of maturity. The sort of thoughts you come to realize after a few decades. I love the photo too!
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