This is a response poem inspired by the poem “if this were a love poem” written by Susan L Daniels and found on her wonderful blog here.
If this were a response to your love poem
I might say once I cried a thousand tears
you saw them as stars
they really were fears
of all that was blooming
if this were a response to your love poem
which it isn’t
so I won’t
I could mention you called my name
held it as a banner
a sweet refrain
as I listened in shame
if this were a response to your love poem
which it isn’t
so I won’t
I could tell how the sound of you
sparked hope and fear
as I sat silenced here
your voice fading away
if this were a response to your love poem
which it isn’t
so I won’t
this can’t be a response poem
about a feeling shared
but never dared
and so it’s not
Stephen Kellogg – 2012
Stephen Kellogg
Stephen Kellogg's Blog 
This is absolutely STUNNING!
Susan,
WOW Thank you! And thanks for the inspiration! I so enjoy writing response poems. Here’s one I really liked as it combined form (a new one for me) with response.
https://stephenkellogg.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/1047/
Thanks again and I look forward to more collaboration!
Peace,
Stephen
Wonderful work here, Stephen, and I hope we can bat more images back and forth. Really enjoyed what you did.
Reblogged this on Susan Daniels Poetry and commented:
WOW. I was going to change mine, but Stephen Kellogg wrote this, so I won’t. GORGEOUS.
Love it.
Tram,
Thanks!
Stephen
Saw this via Susan’s site thoroughly enjoyed – thank you!
Rambly,
Nice to have met and interacted with you. Thanks for stopping by and dropping a line of encouragement. I look forward to collaborating in the future.
Peace,
Stephen
Very nice Stephen
Bruce,
Thanks and as always, thanks for stopping in and encouraging me.
Peace,
Stephen
Came here on Susan’s recommendation – glad I did. Really nice poem.
Holly,
Thanks for following Susan’s recommendation and for leaving a comment!
Hope you come back soon.
Peace,
Stephen
just lovely – this response in denial speaks to the heart of a love that breathes!
Noel,
I like the line “the heart of a love that breathes.” With a line like that, I hope you write poetry :D.
I’ll be dropping by your blog to find out.
Peace,
Stephen
Oh, Noel breathes poetry..
Stephen- your poetry is amazing. I will be honored any advice that you have for me!
Kimberly,
Thanks for the feedback it’s much appreciated. If you want some feedback / advice on poetry, you are welcome to send me a poem or link to a poem you’ve written and I’ll be happy to give you my comments / opinions / suggestions either in the comments or via e-mail.
Peace,
Stephen
Thanks Stephen….I greatly appreciate it!
wow is right. fabulous. (Susan is great, isn’t she?)
Thank you very much! and yes, yes she is 😀
Peace,
Stephen
#3b #12r (ask Susan 😉 )
Ha… I actually have been reading Susan’s blog just long enough and apparently at the right time to remember when that “system” got implemented… I do need a bit of clarification though… Am I right that if #12r is used and a person is named that means it’s their turn to write one based on the prompt 😉
Well didn’t I just get carried away… I saw your comment pop up and thought it was in relation to the comment I had left on your haiku… so Susan, if you’re reading, that’s the prompt I had in mind. as my thought on the rule wouldn’t apply because you wrote the original… 🙂
Wow – if you’ve found a pattern in these numbers you ARE the Rainman!! 😆
I love when Stephen gets to responding to poems with poems! Delightful.
It definitely makes me want to raise my bar so he will do it again!
Oh honey, You’ve got a pretty dang high bar as it is. This one took me by surprise, and I didn’t have the muse with me at the time, so I had to sit out. 😦
Aw, shucks, thanks. Hey–we are (a whole bunch of us) batting poetry prompts or challenges around. Hope you will join us some time!
I keep updated on several via DVerse and Margo Roby, and I’ve seen you involved. I just need to work myself into the groove of these. By the time I come up with something the time has already passed. lol I’ll join in eventually though. Thank you!
Oh, you should The ones were are doing with Whimsy Mimsy and Johnny Crabcakes, etc., have no time limit, and I swear the energy getting exchanged there, creatively, has to be similar to what one would experience at a workshop–only attended in sweats, if you so choose. God, I love the internet.
hahaha, okay, I will check those out. Thanks!
Susan,.
Looking forward to our next collaboration… Don’t raise your bar too high, I don’t want it to be out of reach 😀
Stephen
David,
Thanks! I enjoy it too. Glad you liked it!
Scrolling back through Susan’s and ran across this. Very nice voice.
Alice
Alice,
Glad you stopped in… and Thanks! Susan’s poem was fun to write against.
Hope you have some time to wander around the place a bit, leaving footprints as you go…
Peace,
Stephen