New Song Training
An Ekphrastic challenge entry

I am losing
Parts of us,
By mistake? Or somehow choosing
To open-handed release my you: no fuss only wonder at the weight remaining.
The touch/taste/smell and sigh of we
Has seeped inside these walls and beams
Darts out of sight too quick for me to see
Leaving the timbre of your voice, it seems
Just out of reach despite my heart’s determined straining.
I don’t know when you last laughed
What warmed your heart
Or left you cold adrift upon a raft
Of longing, needing touch to jump start
And renew that vitality seeping, weeping, draining.
Can I call to you with music? Which song
Will guide you to me across space and time?
Will you hear me? Has it been so long
Since we wove ourselves together, knit with rhyme
Flying sure into eternity, towards forever aiming.
When did you last the sweet chords strum?
What chorus, bridge, and melody
Did you sing to me to coax me come
Into your arms? All I know is you: now far from me
As I dust your guitar, the strings thrum reproachfully complaining.
Did I not love enough, or not so well
That your spirit/body suffered life and left
Now I remain, and silent strings refuse to tell
Me of love with the notes you coaxed. I am bereft
As I breathe across the strings and dream the notes, tears blur, the music staining.
-
This poem is an entry into Mackenzie Davi’s latest ekphrastic challenge. I was assigned the image heading this poem to inspire a story or poem of my choice.
You can see the other entrants and read more about the challenge here:
About the Creator
Judey Kalchik
It's my time to find and use my voice.
Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.
You can also find me on Medium
And please follow me on Threads, too!



Comments (11)
What a beautiful poem, perfectly suited to the lovely photo. I especially liked: “ What chorus, bridge, and melody Did you sing to me to coax me come Into your arms?”💙 Also liked the rhythm and rhyme ✅.
A beauty! Congrats Judey. 👏😊
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Ugh, my heart. "The touch/taste/smell and sigh of we Has seeped inside these walls and beams Darts out of sight too quick for me to see Leaving the timbre of your voice, it seems Just out of reach despite my heart’s determined straining." This is just amazing. I adore every line, I could easily copy paste its entirety as my favorite. Just full of longing, heartbreak, and love that was once happy. The way you weaved in the guitar is so well done. Seamless. "When did you last the sweet chords strum? What chorus, bridge, and melody Did you sing to me to coax me come Into your arms? All I know is you: now far from me As I dust your guitar, the strings thrum reproachfully complaining." Central to the speaker's love story. What a great read. 💜
Beautiful,Judey.
Heartbreak for sure here
Lovely yet heartwrenching!!!💕❤️❤️
This is gorgeously heartbreaking Judey. So well written. I thought this would be my favourite part but then found so many more astounding lines: 'I don’t know when you last laughed What warmed your heart Or left you cold adrift upon a raft" Incredibly beautiful poem!!
Great poem and use of Christy’s photo for inspiration!! Loved “Can I call to you with music? Which song Will guide you to me across space and time?”
You can also read my stories.
Nice one