Hey there folks.

Today’s Day 18 NaPoWriMo shenanigans involve taking a poem from a magazine or book (preferably a poem you are not immediately familiar with) and then producing a poem on your end via indulging in a call and response routine. You cover up every line except the last one, then answer it with a line of your own and work your way back up to the top of the entire poem until completion.

For this exercise, I have selected one of many amazing poems out of a volume called “Depression’s Dance” by a poet known as Hastywords, who I have written several duets with in the past. The poem that I picked from her collection was from Page 94 of her book and is called “Silence Without Sound”.

Hastywords has her own website where she has interviewed many people about being real, overcoming bullies, showing compassion and opening up about relationships, along with her own writing of raw, emotional, engaging and delightful poetry.

Hastywords – I am a poet with a mind full of rainbows and devils

So, first of all, here are the lyrics to her poem “Silence Without Sound”:-

“SILENCE WITHOUT SOUND” by Hastywords from her book “Depression’s Dance”

Your kiss sends me flying
Above nature’s golden leaves
Your words send me diving
Into waters full of mystery
But my heart keeps stopping
Worried I’ve flown too far
Worried I dove too deep
In the moments without a beat
I can hear the demons call
They know me by name
They mimic your voice
I don’t deserve to be happy
The voices are harsh, berating
Asking why someone could possibly
Love such a troubled soul as me
In the end I fall, in the end I drown
Because I flew too high they said
Because I dove too deep they cried
Taunting my feeble humanity
They save me from the sky
They protect me from the sea
And they promise me the one thing
They know I really crave, need
They promise me silence without sound

And here is my response poem to her poem but please remember, if you want them to both match up, you have to read from the bottom up of her poem and the top down from mine with each line, if you want to see how they truly fit together 🙂

Thank you for reading and hope you all enjoy it 🙂

Photo by CHENA from Pixabay

“The Best Way To Appreciate The Sound Of Silence” by David Ellis

The sound of silence is a sound most profound
In its most purest form, my mind becomes so serene, so peaceful, spellbound
A promise of simplicity, resetting everything back to humble beginnings
When the ocean feels like making waves, then that is when I truly listen
Sometimes, when the only skies I know are unforgiving and unrelentingly grey
And my feelings are more vulnerable with every breath I take
The deeper that I decide dive in, the easier it is to swim
Flying like Icarus, I often end up too close to the sun
But we all find it impossible to fall or drown when survival instincts kick in
Learning to love who we are, what we have become and all that we have achieved in this life
Should we be asking why, when there are other more important mysteries left to be solved?
Silence should amplify the voice of our self-confidence, not just our fears and doubts
Everyone deserves happiness when their acts of kindness are indeed selfless
We can find our own real selves but only if we are willing to ignore egos and put others first
If you truly know yourself well enough, your name is the most powerful thing at your disposal
With it you can dispel hate, casting away demons that threaten to consume you
Filling your heart with noble deeds, dreams and positive thoughts
There is always room deep inside to let in even more light
There is always another chance to let our dreams take flight
We should never stop listening to the advice given from within our sensitive hearts
Braving our own uncharted waters, unafraid to take on the challenges of the high seas
Words that speak to the very core of our souls
With nature’s splendour above and below giving us strength, courage and balance
A partner’s kiss is truly the best way to appreciate the sound of silence

Still want more? Well then, you’ve come to the ‘write’ place 😉 – here are some more Day 18 entries form other talented NaPoWriMo community poets.

1. Ladyleemanila – P is for Pirouette
2. Scrambled, Not Fried – Promise
3. grapeling – it could be that – in defiance of bone / 16
4. PAUL SCRIBBLES – DIVINE FEMININE
5. PEACOCK POETRY by Sam Allen – It Chose Me
6. THOUGHTS OF WORDS – Moment
7. erbiage – *in that grass*
8. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Matins
9. Words in Dark Corners – She is Gone Again
10. Unassorted stories – To the none
11. Oaks to Acorns – Refugee Plea
12. Jane Dougherty Writes – The silence in the woods
13. MEXI MOVIE THE THIRD – Day 18: Peace
14. ORDINARY AVERAGE THOUGHTS – National Poetry Writing Month 2018, Day 18 – Ophelia’s tears
15. Ileea (Swedish but Google Translate is your friend) – Aprillyrik dag 18 – Namnlös x 3 – Namnlös (med blomster) – Namnlös (vid horisonten) – Namnlös (för egen maskin)
16. My Author-itis – Morning Anticipation
17. clayandbranches – NaPoWriMo, Day 18: Nothing Left to Do
18. method two madness – Autumn (after Joan Mitchell)
19. Brittany’s Blog of Random Things – Day 18 NaPoWriMo – Sons of Sinew
20. MY FEELINGS MY FREEDOM – NaPoWriMo Day 18: Focus
21. Real Momma Ramblings – Hidden Torment
22. RIVRVLOGR – traces of tides
23. EAT ALL THE WORDS – Separate Bodies
24. 1st Non-Manuscript – Charlene Delfin’s second blog – Day 18: Every Day is a Chance
25. Rhyme and Reason – Poetry Meets Film Reviews – The Darkest Hour (2011)
26. Flutterby’s NaPoWriMo – 2018 DAY 18 – FALL
27. Flutterby’s NaPoWriMo – 2018 DAY 18 (BONUS) – WITNESS
28. JIM’S LITTLE PHOTO AND POEM PLACE – NaPoWriMo 2018-18 — Day 18, a Poem, Breathe …
29. barbaraturneywielandpoetess – By Candlelight
30. like mercury colliding… – The Bees Are Dying – NaPoWriMo 2018 – 18 April 2018
31. The Great Unknown – NaPoWriMo Day 18: Healing Ritual For Those Afraid To Love
32. MY OWN GARDEN OF VERSE – MEIN GARTEN DER GEDICHTE – NAPOWRIMO 18: EIN ENDE
33. WHAT LIFE SAID TO ME – NaPoWriMo 2018: Day 18- It’s April! It’s Spring!
34. Yesterday and today: Merril’s historical musings – As Linnets Take Wing, NaPoWriMo, Day 18
35. KATIE STATEN – NaPoWriMo #18 – Hollow
36. Voyage des mots – Velvet Glove Underground
37. Insights from “Inside” – Trees in Winter, Siberia
38. Experience Writing – P is for Pasquinade
39. ORIENTATION::QUILTER – Day Eighteen, NaPoWriMo
40. Gloria D. Gonsalves – NA/GLOPOWRIMO DAY 18: A HYMN TO THOU SPIRIT
41. inktuition – NaPoWriMo 2018 day 18: the wind on a not so brilliant day
42. CHARMED CHAOS – HAIBUN: LONELINESS
43. Poetry by Hasen – New Life Comes
44. Frank J. Tassone – HAIKAI POETRY MATTERS – Here. Now. Just This. A #haibun in the moment
45. Zouxzoux – Bursting Ice
46. Summer Blues – A Poetry Blog – Who Was He?
47. kavyastream – Days Gone By
48. Orangepeel – Poetry and Miscellany by Bruce Niedt – PAD Day 18: An Experiment, with a Familiar Old Poem – Tempting
49. VERONICA’S GARDEN – NaPoWriMo Day 18: A Ruined Book
50. fresh poetry – as the mist leaves no scar – from leonard cohen
51. Purple Mountain Poetry – DAY 18: MOTHER TIME
52. erbiage – Space race
53. Poetic Pixels – Fickled Plastics
54. HEPHAESTUS’ WASTE & COSMIC RUBBLE – Day 18 – She Still Sees
55. LILLIAN THE HOME POET – Tracing Whitman’s Path
56. CLAIREVETICA – SWAGMAN
57. HOSKING’S BLOG – #NaPoWriMo 2018 Day Eighteen – To a Young Poet
58. S.T. Marie – NaPoWriMo – Poem #18