20 Comments
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Kortney Garrison's avatar

I trust the dark....each friend brings a spark of the sun...hurl your hope...in a slow boat...the apple of you...just you...tiny galaxy...the branches of your arms...a full glass...no gate...a crown...of beatles move upon the earth...the real world...clouds after rain...our bellies are full.

Ann Collins's avatar

💛🐞🪲💛

Paul De's avatar

Suddenly my love of beetles even increases. Who can resist the fetches of shiny hard shells wiggling with animating legs like an over crib mobile, and sensitized antenna seeking the more this world has to offer, undeterred, even enthused by leaf, mold, and soil?

Ann Collins's avatar

I am perpetually enthused by it all! Thank you, Paul :-)

Susie Mawhinney's avatar

There is 'something about beetles and stars' the scatterling's speak of it with so much love!

Beautiful Ann, from start to finish... 🪲xx

Ann Collins's avatar

I'm always so grateful for your reading, Susie! 🐞❤️

Conny Borgelioen's avatar

I love how you always make me pause and look closer at something so small. Ours is a rich world, and I mean ours as in all living beings, not just humans. You have a lovely reading voice, Ann. It's a joy to hear the love and attention in your voice as you read your beautiful poem.

Ann Collins's avatar

Conny, I’m glad you hear it in exactly the way I intended. That makes my day!

James Hart's avatar

Very nice reading! Low-tech is the way to go. (Sure beats the default AI voices, too, of course.)

Ann Collins's avatar

You've been an inspiration to me, James. I know you said that you had to push yourself in the beginning. But now you're making something special that requires *your* voice to be what it is.

James Hart's avatar

That's so great to hear, Ann, and thank you! (I still gotta push myself, honestly. It's always a little awkward. :)

Ann Collins's avatar

I feel you. This only took me umpteen tries. And still, there are things I’d change :)

Janie Braverman's avatar

You don't need a high tech reading. Your voice, intimate , quiet, is more than enough.

Ann Collins's avatar

Thank you, Janie, I really appreciate you saying so.

Hasse's avatar

Lovely listening. Hope you do more of that, Ann.

Ann Collins's avatar

That's so encouraging, Hasse. I think it's sometimes hard to listen to one's own voice and receive it positively. Your kind words mean a lot to me.

Ray Zimmerman's avatar

Lovely essay.

Marjorie Pezzoli's avatar

“each friend brings the spark of the sun” ✨🌞✨ Absolutely love your reading, good for my soul

Glyn Lehmann's avatar

‘The real world has receded, been replaced by one more real, more beautiful.’

Lovely, Ann thank you. 🪲✨

Ann Collins's avatar

Thank you, Glyn! That is a line by Alane Rollings from her poem “Turbulence” (1994)

Also, I feel it could be said of your music 💛