Dominoes fall

[~Sophia~]

Dominoes fall - by Lidia Laidlaw pen name ~Sophia~

as they will and
I roll the spots of my life -

that exists - though
I cannot prove it

by sanding the cigarette burn
out of the table top

fixing the damage to a white car
destined to meet blue metal

or making amends to a family
that now believes in God

but, I’ll continue to entertain your
exonerating punch lines

as if they are egrets preening
in their erudite reflection

because I still believe you can live
with dignity but - you can’t die with it

though, I cannot prove it.

[firefangled]

Dominoes fall

as they will and
I roll the spots of my life -

that exists - though
I cannot prove it

by sanding the cigarette burn
out of the table top

fixing the damage to a white car
destined to meet blue metal

or making amends to a family
that now believes in God

but, I’ll continue to entertain your
exonerating punch lines

as if they are egrets preening
in their erudite reflection

because I still believe you can live
with dignity but - you can’t die with it

though, I cannot prove it.

This is a courageous statement. To live this way is more affirming than affirmations and expresses faith more succinctly than any denomination of faith.

Poetically, these images, both common and beautiful, you raise well to the level of such lofty considerations. Well done, Sophia! I loved it.

[~Sophia~]

Thank you firefangled! You are generous (and kind). Your comments mean a great deal to me!

[a_little_wisp]

because I still believe you can live
with dignity but - you can’t die with it



Epic statement of the year, and I'm blown away.

wow.

[BienvenuJDC]

I believe that you are right.

Is dignity relative? What is dignity?

(1) the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed
(2) a) high rank, office, or position b) a legal title of nobility or honor
(3) {archaic} dignitary
(4) formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language

With all that said by our beloved Webster...what is dignity?

Great thought provoking poem.

[~Sophia~]

Epic statement of the year, and I'm blown away.

wow.

Hi Wispy! I'm not sure about epic but, so many people speak about dying with dignity, I think we should live it. Hugs!

__________________________________

Hola Bienvenue (together we're multilingual LOL). Thanks for reading and commenting! Besides Webster's definitions, for me dignity means never having to say "I'm ashamed" of something I've said or done.

[Virgil]

I think this is very fascinating too. I do like the conclusion toward understanding dignity and death. I found that core section thge core of the poem, these coupled lines especially:

by sanding the cigarette burn
out of the table top
and

as if they are egrets preening
in their erudite reflection
Those lines are exceptional, and I also like these coupled lines, not so much because it's extraordinarily poetic but because it connects well with your themes of dignity and death:

or making amends to a family
that now believes in God

The one coupled lines that I didn't care for was this:

fixing the damage to a white car
destined to meet blue metal
For some reason that seems out of place and not very interesting to me.

Otherwise I thought this very good Sophia.

[~Sophia~]

I think this is very fascinating too. I do like the conclusion toward understanding dignity and death. I found that core section thge core of the poem, these coupled lines especially:

and

Those lines are exceptional, and I also like these coupled lines, not so much because it's extraordinarily poetic but because it connects well with your themes of dignity and death:


The one coupled lines that I didn't care for was this:

For some reason that seems out of place and not very interesting to me.

Otherwise I thought this very good Sophia.

Hi Virgil! Thanks for reading and commenting. Actually the poem is about living with dignity rather than dying with it.

I guess some might argue it's the same thing but when I think about dying with dignity I think about mercy killings and things of that nature.

I was trying to write about a day to day dignity long before death. I'm glad you liked the majority of it though!!

[Virgil]

Oh I definitely didn't mean mercy killings. I meant living one's life through the end with dignity. I think that's what you mean too.

[~Sophia~]

Oh I definitely didn't mean mercy killings. I meant living one's life through the end with dignity. I think that's what you mean too.

Yes, sorry. I misunderstood your comment then. My mistake! Thanks again!

[ampoule]

because I still believe you can live
with dignity but - you can’t die with it

though, I cannot prove it.


Yes, dignity is one of the riches we earn while on this good earth and as we know, we can't take our riches with us.

Your poems blow me away...sometimes like dandelion fuzz and other times like a bomb. My my my.

[~Sophia~]

blow me away...
sometimes like dandelion fuzz
other times like a bomb.

I've often thought even your comments are poetic. Thanks ampoule!

[The Comedian]

~Sophia~,

Another poem that I greatly enjoyed. Like Virgil, I loved the lines


by sanding the cigarette burn
out of the table top

The "es" sound of "sanding" and "cigarette" echo the sound of sandpaper over wood, then the harder, repeated sounds of "table top" tell of the rigidity of the surface and help to link the second line acoustically with the "ette" of the "cigarette" in the first line.

Thematically, the idea of a dignified life creating a dignified death works well.

Best,

:)

[~Sophia~]

Thank you Comedian. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm not really a lyrical writer and don't often consider sounds in a poem. I would not have even thought of those things if you hadn't point them out.

[qimissung]

You've created some beautiful images around an interesting, thought-provoking question, ~Sophia~.

To be fair to those who long to die with dignity, it is something many fear, and it is so easy to die painfully, improvidently, in austere lonliness.

And it is so easy to forget dignity in the avalanche of busyness we humans are so good at creating and labeling necessary.

I think of my dog, Blossom, who spent a day dying. I sat with her, and held her, but many hours before her heart stopped beating, she was gone from me.

I guess I think there is something to be said for both, but we are better at forgetting to live with dignity and honor, and I love your poem that, with images 'both common and beautiful' (to quote firefangled), you have gently encouraged us to think and observe.

[~Sophia~]

To be fair to those who long to die with dignity, it is something many fear, and it is so easy to die painfully, improvidently, in austere lonliness.

Hi qim! Thanks for your thoughtful comments!!

I may be misunderstanding the part of your reply that I’ve highlighted but, I don’t believe that any death comes easy. I do however believe in the saying “we all die alone” and in that regard, all the best any of us can hope for is someone to hold our hand on the way out the door.

I truly did not intend in anyway to downplay the right of those who are suffering from a terminal illness or those who are depressed, indigent or lonely (even suicidal) to die with dignity. I believe we all have the right to control our destiny. To choose when and how.

In this poem, I was trying to convey that I hope to live with dignity no matter what the circumstance and - strictly speaking for myself - I don’t think I can die with dignity if I don’t live with it “though, I cannot prove it”.