Hollow Praise

Drop it please...

Hollow Praise, flies out 

of your lips, like a pigeon 

circling overhead,

about to let fall something upon me 

that reeks and reeks.

 

Hollow praise, smears my hair,

stains my Sunday best,

sliding down my neck

slimy and warm, as I squirm. 

 

It forces me to retreat,

scrub myself, till skin peels raw,

yet the stench nests

deep in my nostrils, a lasting insult.

 

Hollow praise, it makes me wonder

why you gave it and why 

I received it?

What flaw in us both, wove 

that moment of sickly pretence?

 

So I seek refuge

beneath a silence, clean and concrete

Better my own echoes

than the dreaded flutter of pigeons, 

poised to drop again.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

This is so ugly and disgusting in a good way. There is a point here and you drop it on our heads like pigeon dung that we just couldn't dodge as it fell from the sky.
What a perfect poem to read this morning...Now the rest of the day when I am outside I am going to be bobbing and weaving trying to avoid what befalls.
Nicely done, Divya.
Your poetry is quite real.
j.

[DIVYA]

Thank you forcsuch an encouraging and kind review, my friend. If poetry is palpable, be it any feeling, joy, sadness, pleasure, disgust, then its a job well done. Coming from you, such appreciation is the ultimate reward for me.

[Richard🖌]

Well, M'Astute Poetess 🤓

I resemble this remark, but with a writer's mind that can't seem to help speaking the length of its own thoughts, feelings, and inspirations, it's no wonder my reviews drag hollowly on-n-on … LOL!
When but a callow lad, my mentor once told me he thinks I must have been vaccinated with a phonograph needle at birth, and that I'm the only person he knows that when asked the time, I respond with how to build a clock!

Seriously, though, when a lengthy review speaks candidly, with goodwill and adept knowledge of poetry and the topic of the work, itself, I don't at all mind … but, when I'm obviously being slathered with butter 'n jelly (for whatever reason) it can become quite annoying to endure, too … so, your rant here is totally understandable.

In your instance, however: over the years, you've simply developed into one of the (if not the) most original and highly accomplished poetesses I know of. And this, to my mind, deserves the best, highly conclusive, and candidly detailed reviews I can muster.

Alas, may you be spared further suffering of this odious ilk of which you write.
I always admire your knack for poetically speaking of literally anything with great candor! ⁓ Richard🖌

[DIVYA]

Dear Richard,

You're so right that a lengthy, candid reviewer with apt knowledge of poetry should be appreciated. I'm always humbled when you engage with my poems, give them your precious thought and time. Over the years, such kindness has helped me grow. I never forget the basics from where I began. When praise is given so selflessly, it becomes akin to a prayer. Thank you so much for sharing such positivity and kindness of heart.
Thank you for the most beautiful review!
Have a blessed day!
Namaste 🙏

[Richard🖌]

You are most gratetfully welcome, Dear Divya 🌺🐝

As you always have, it's You who both humble me and inspire the resonance of my voice in reviews and responses.

Namaskar, M'Dear Lady-Poet 🙏

[John the Baptist]

D, you are the the only poet I know who could make an elegant, righteous protest out of excrement. I'll bet the guilty parties of the guys you have dated have wished they had kept to the straight and narrow.

[DIVYA]

Laughed out loud. ..Thank you for the great review, John. And yes, they regret it.

[Chris Shaw]

Raw and real DIVYA. Ugly with it too in its description. Who wants to get splattered. Your choice of image is excellent. I love that little birds have the agility to crap from a height. That way, no one escapes. Your poetry evokes every emotion in the book and paints pictures that can stay planted in the mind. You travel where some of us don’t and can’t. You have an extra gear. Have a great Saturday . Also reminds me of seeing the pigeons in Trafalgar Square where My Dad would take us as youngsters on Sundays. Now that is a pleasant memory.

Chris

[DIVYA]

Good morning dear Chris!
Its wonderful to read your review on this poem! Thank you for such a great review. The feeling I was trying to convey was that of a hurtful dissapointment because such hollow praise often comes when someone wants something from us so uses fake praise to get us to do the needful. That hurts. Insults our intelligence. So what better than pigeon waste to describe it? My heartfel thanks, my friend. And wishes for a wonderful Saturday!
🌹❤️

[JMichael]

Wow! What a profound write, Lady Poetess!

From your always perfect choice of artwork to the sublime Oxford educated use of verbiage, this poem is just a wonder to behold! I mean….even the spacing between your verses is just simply OUT OF THIS WORLD! I suggest you track down every single (near invisible) online journal and submit this piece of poetic art for publication! You are a shining light in the galaxy of poets where most explode after one verse like a flatulent supernova! YOU ARE A STAR!

Hollow praise? Thought so!

Love the poem anyway!

[DIVYA]

😹😹😹😹😹😹
Ohhhh what a rapscallion of a review JM! But yeah, I love it for its right in the spirit of this poem, LOL. You're the best of the best reviewers on this cafe, you should be reviewing bestsellers on the New York Times -one million dollars per review. You opened my eyes, you changed the course of ny poetry, you lit up my glum skies like a meteor!!!!!
Thank yoouuuuu!

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Divya... Yes an angry, "ugly" poem...and I'm not sure if this is pointed at someone or just anyone who happens to get on the wrong side of you... in a way there is some dark humor here as well, I love the repetition in each stanza...it digs in deep...I think you may mean that some praises are hollow and mean nothing or they are cruel and dirty and you must cleanse yourself from them..... I need to know just what you feel and to whom.... my dear friend....
Warmly, B

[DIVYA]

Thank you so much for sych a thoughtful review, dear Betty. The mind of a poet (If I may call myself that) is a strange thing where a spark becomes a conflagaration. We poets need something to make out of nothing. This is just one such poem, not aimed at anyone but addressing a malady, at large. I'm so glad you related to it. Sending you warm wishes for a happy weekend, my dear friend! 🌹

[Betty Hermelee]

Dear Divya
Always a sincere pleasure to read your work…. whatever mood you happen to be in….be well
Warmly
B🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷💕