Saturday, December 19, 2015

Special Feature Collaborative Poem--By Barbara Tate with Karen O'Leary--United States

Tan Renga--

Barbara Tate, Winchester TN
Karen O'Leary, West Fargo, ND

dementia
pointing the finger
at phantom pain

her eyes sparkle
as she calls my name

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Barbara Tate, Winchester, TN
Karen O'Leary, West Fargo, ND

thunderbird
the distant growl
of a coming storm

dad's slurred voice roars
outside the door

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Editor’s note—It was such a joy
to work with Barbara on these
Tan Renga.  Thank you, Barbara,
for all you do for our Whispers
community.

41 comments:

  1. What are the odds, I was listening to Glen Campbell when I happened upon this collaboration...

    A perfect measure of simpatico, Barbara & Karen, both enlightening and engaging.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Michael,

      Thank you so much, my friend. What a joy to have you back at Whispers. Barbara was the inspiration for these poems. I enjoyed the endeavor.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Thank you. This has truly made my day. It is an honor to work with Karen and hope for an inspirational and creative '16.

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  2. love this heartfelt write - great work, both of you xx

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    Replies
    1. Dear Jack,

      Thank you so much, my friend. I'm glad you enjoyed our poems. I appreciate all you do for our writing community.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  3. Barbara and Karen,
    These are quite good. Did Barbara write the first 3 lines and you came up with the other two, in these Karen? Great poems.
    Your friend,
    David Fox

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    Replies
    1. Dear David,

      You are correct. Thank you so much for your kind words. It was fun working on these with Barbara.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Love the collaborative ties that bind on this piece...nice job to both!

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    3. Dear Ken,

      What an encouraging voice your are here at Whispers. Thank you so much for your kind thoughts.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    4. I am so blessed to have found Whispers. Everyone's friendship means more than I can say.

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    5. Thank you so much for your kind words, Barbara. I'm so glad you found Whispers, too.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  4. Quite an interesting collaboration. I really liked the picturesque way the two were tied together. Great job Barbara and Karen.
    Love, Charlene.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Charlene,

      Thank you so much for your lovely comments, my friend. What a joy to have you at Whispers, sharing the gift of words.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Thank you. Am looking forward to '16.

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  5. Dear Barbara and dear Karen,
    liked what you wrote,best always,angelee

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    Replies
    1. Dear Angelee,

      Thank you so much for your kind words, my friend. I appreciate the light that you are here at Whispers and in the writing community at large.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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  6. I don't know who said heartfelt, but it is what I felt. Let me scroll up--thanks Jack--it is exactly that. Collaborations are wonderful ways to work with others and inspire each other.
    Way to go Barbara and Karen. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mary Jo,

      Heartfelt means a lot to me as it is always a joy to know that one's writing enables others to feel some connection. Thank you for your kind words.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Thank you. I feel the same way as Karen. "Heartfelt" means so much.

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  7. Yes, this is a wonderful, inspired collaboration. I think that you work well together!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Marianne,

      Thank you so much. I hope we can collaborate on more pieces in the new year as Barbara is talented and fun to work with. I appreciate your kind words.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Thank you. I'll hold Karen to that. She writes some good strong lines. I'll be looking forward to it.

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  8. Oh, these are brilliant! Love the anomalies!

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  9. Dear Sheika,

    Wow! I thank you so much for your zealous review. Your words sure brought a smile to my face. It was a pleasure working with Barbara on these poems.

    Blessings,
    Karen

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  10. These are truly lovely. - Laura M Kaminski

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Laura! Barbara was the inspiration for these poems. It was a joy working with her.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  11. Thank you, Andrea Dietrich, for the following--

    very nice. I enjoyed your work in that form.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Andrea, for you kind words. Barbara was the inspiration--I kind of tagged along. It was fun working on these with her. Glad you enjoyed them.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. Thank you but Karen wrote the truly strong lines and brought the whole thing together.

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    3. Thank you so much for your kind words, Barbara. What a treat to work with you.

      Karen

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  12. Loved these two Renga. Thank you for this inspiring writing.
    Nalini Priyadarshni

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    Replies
    1. Dear Nalini,

      Thank you for your kind words. It is such a pleasure to have you a part of the Whispers community.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  13. I simply loved both of them, they touched a raw nerve.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Raamesh,

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful words. It was fun working on these with Barbara. I appreciate your ongoing support.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  14. Replies
    1. Thanks ayaz! What a gift you are to the writing community. I really appreciate your encouragement and support.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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    2. I could feel the heart break of dementia in these..Sara

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    3. Dear Sara,

      It is important that the poetry conveys meaning so your comment is greatly appreciated by me. Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement.

      Blessings,
      Karen

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