The Jealous are Troublesome to others, but a Torment to themselves. ~William Penn, English writer and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania
When
Silence
Is the mode
For us to “talk,”
You must realize
That problems won’t be solved,
Feelings will be swept under rugs,
And a satisfying, peaceful
Relationship will never happen.
I guess this is the way you want it though.
The only way to thaw out a cold war
Is for the parties to meet midway.
Somebody has to make a move,
And the other one does, too.
Relationships never
Survive jealousy.
Isn’t it time
You met me
Halfway
Now?
Note: This poetry form is called Double Etheree.
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Very cool. Looks hard to figure out, though, how to get what you want to say to fit into the shapes you want to see.
Thanks, Dawn. No, it’s not easy writing in this style of poetry, but I kind of like the challenge!!
This poem sounds to me to be about ambiguous loss. 😢💔
That’s the thing about poetry. Interpretation can be all over the board! “Loss” is one good interpretation of this one, though — well done!
I’m sorry for the loss that you may be feeling. The poem also might be about estrangements. 💔
Another excellent guess!! You’re on a roll, TD!!
💔😥
The form looks difficult and the message seems to be directed to someone who should meet you half way.
Spot-on, my friend. While the form’s rules might at first sound too rigid and interfere with creativity, I’ve found the structure forces me to think outside the box.
That is good. 😊
True sentiments, Debbie – jealousy is so destructive, and so is silence!
Indeed. Some people are just hard to get along with, whether because of jealousy or silence. And if we can’t get along in our families, how can we expect to get along in our world??
This is really good and I think the style you chose works perfectly with the message.
Thanks, Kelly. I’m glad you appreciated it!
The form is perfect for the subject matter. The gap between the two sections is a nice representation of the gaps that happy to all of us in life. Speaking of jealousy, I didn’t know until a couple of years ago that an expansion rhinestone bracelet my maternal grandfather gave me for Christmas when I still was in grade school (or perhaps junior high) had been a source of unhappiness for one of my girl cousins. He gave her some sort of present that she didn’t particularly like, and it took her years to get over the feeling of jealousy when she thought of that bracelet.
I thought about giving it to her as a Christmas gift last year, and then again this year. Unfortunately, I’m not that generous!
Thanks, Linda. I wonder why gifts like the bracelet your grandfather gave you become such a source of jealousy. I imagine your cousin didn’t want what he gave her, but he probably just thought he was being generous. After all, it’s not like he completely omitted giving her anything! Same thing happens too often after a person’s death, when things get parceled out — some just don’t want and refuse to accept what they’re left. Sad.
Now, if you were to give her that bracelet, you’d be dishonoring your grandfather’s wishes, right? Not to mention giving up something that you like and carries warm feelings of him. I wouldn’t be that generous either!
Debbie, as I’ve shared with you many times in the past, you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gifted with words! There is so much truth in what you said here….
“The only way to thaw out a cold war
Is for the parties to meet midway.
Somebody has to make a move,
And the other one does, too.”
How appropriate for this time in our history!
Merry Christmas, my friend! To you, The Monk, and Domer! Looking forward to 2026!
X
Hope your Christmas was wonderful, my friend! I’ve been having WordPress issues — again — and haven’t been able to fix them. It seems they just keep signing me out and forcing me to log back in … on every blog I visit, including my own. What an aggravation! It’s so troublesome that it’s making me consider (for about the hundredth time!) whether I even want to keep blogging!
I certainly don’t fault you or any of my other blogging buddies for taking such a “drastic” measure. Nobody’s got time for jumping through these hoops!
Thanks for your always kind words. I hope you were able to get the day off and enjoy a needed rest. Did you put out your Elf on the Shelf this year?!?
Well done! The words alone are powerful (and so very accurate) but the form makes them even better. Jealousy is such a poison in relationships, and if we aren’t careful, that poison can kill a relationship altogether.
I hope you and yours had a lovely Christmas and have a Happy New Year too!
Thank you, Ann. Although I miss reading your posts, I’m glad you pop in here once in a while — I’d hate losing contact altogether! Here’s hoping you and yours have a very happy new year!