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Affect/Effect

A poem inspired by the words of the bright and beautiful Poppy. Specifically, "2AM" and "Dandelions."

By Suze KayPublished 4 months ago Updated 4 months ago 1 min read
24
Affect/Effect
Photo by Ivan Dostál on Unsplash

Come 2AM, I'll call to remind you:

No one is an empty sea. No one loves

no one, and no one is loved.

//

I affect the world and the world effects me.

Just pick up the phone. Plug into the current, and let me hold the lamp.

Can you feel the growing certainty that here is not yet right, too?

In the morning, a boy will sneeze in a grocery store

and we’ll need to sell all the furniture and live in a caravan line of RVs.

//

I try to make my peace with it. You can’t lose a lawn you never had,

but if you want it that badly it may already be lost. And after all,

dandelions grow just as well in parking lots.

___________________

This little ditty was written in response to Poppy's prompts for January. Join the fun, why don't you?

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About the Creator

Suze Kay

Pastry chef by day, insomniac writer by night.

Find here: stories that creep up on you, poems to stumble over, and the weird words I hold them in.

Or, let me catch you at www.suzekay.com

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Comments (17)

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  • Harbor Benassa3 months ago

    The ending packed a real punch. Great crafting.

  • Daphsam4 months ago

    "I affect the world and the world effects me. Just pick up the phone. Plug into the current, and let me hold the lamp. Can you feel the growing certainty that here is not yet right, too?" Great lines here. Well done!!

  • Test4 months ago

    'm going to go with 'Inknowing (Noun) An intuitive sensation, often unsettling, that something in one's environment is misaligned or awry, despite the absence of clear, rational evidence or specific knowledge to support this feeling.' My brain does weird shit when I'm tired. Like making up random words. Supposing this is something like I meant 😁 Or else it was meant to be 'unknown'. But I'm sticking with the former!

  • Paul Stewart4 months ago

    I really wanna pick apart this and go into how splendid a read it was. But instead, cos I'd be here all day, but I will just stick to saying, this is just brilliant, just, yeah. I also thought, like LC you were going to poetically explain the difference, but what you did was so much better! Great entry for Poppy's challenge thingo.

  • Cathy holmes4 months ago

    "In the morning, a boy will sneeze in a grocery store and we’ll need to sell all the furniture and live in a caravan line of RVs." That's sounds familiar, doesn't it? Let's hope not again. Wonderful piece.

  • Novel Allen4 months ago

    Those dandelions are hardy little buggers. They grow everywhere, very interesting though process here. Covid is back-watch the sneezes.

  • Test4 months ago

    Beautifully crafted and that last line. Just perfect. Indeed they do! So much inknowing in this life 🤍

  • Poppy 4 months ago

    First of all, you’re so brave writing about affect and effect. I’ve just accepted at this point that I’ll never be able to understand or remember the difference and now I just use “impact” whenever I can😂 I love the idea of calling 2am and the “no one is an empty sea” is a gorgeous line. “You can’t lose a lawn you never had, but if you want it that badly it may already be lost” I adore those lines. So unique and meaningful. And the ending is a perfect way to finish off a perfect poem. I’ve missed your writing so much Suze! Your writer’s voice is just so gorgeous, I can never get enough of it💙

  • L.C. Schäfer4 months ago

    I thought this was going to be an explanation of the difference, but what you did was so much more enjoyable 😁

  • You can’t lose a lawn you never had, but if you want it that badly it may already be lost. These lines hit me so hard! It blew my mind! Loved your poem!

  • A brief poetic tilt through Nomadland, where things may or may not be enjoyed & nothing is held dear.

  • Mesh Toraskar4 months ago

    Oh Suze this is just so wonderfully crafted. The boy sneezing line stopped me in my tracks because YES! And the dandelion line reminded me of Mary Oliver. I didn't want this to end but that ending couldn't have been better. Loved this.

  • C. H. Richard4 months ago

    Love this line "I affect the world and the world affects me." Something we need to remind ourselves everyday ❤️

  • The Dani Writer4 months ago

    Aww MAN! This is the coolest! 🤩

  • Hannah Moore4 months ago

    I love your closing line.

  • Andrei Z.4 months ago

    Living in a caravan line of RVs doesn't sound that bad, especially if it were somewhere in the wild... it's a pity I ain't got no furniture hence nothing to sell hence no RV for me. I'm curious: why did you allude to a boy sneezing in a grocery store?

  • Jay Kantor4 months ago

    Hi Suze-Q ~ You've certainly Baked-Up a Dande' Sweet one ~ Say hello in the 'Humor' Dept sometime - we miss U'z 'j' in l.a.

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