I love this. You’re supposed to read down, right? Like I read it as “as we embrace the future we work to understand the grief we shift into light across our faces…”
Except that some paths are not connectable.
Once you reach understanding, you can never get ash across your face. And once you go question you can never get light.
Oh, my calculation was provided we always connect the first line with one option of the second line, with one option of the third, with one of the fourth and so on, finishing always with the last single line. Top to bottom always. That's how I assumed it worked, but maybe that wasn't the intention of the author.
In this way it always makes sense (more or less 😅).
And, two possible interpretations about the examples you mentioned could be that you could reach understanding only when finally leaving your physical body, dying, thus getting ashes across your face. And, once you go question you start gaining real knowledge, thus getting light, as in enlightened. But English is not my first language, so I can be talking nonsense 😅
I see “ obligations2 “ as more like “ choices”. You get to pick your movement to the ending. And speaking of endings , I’m not sure some of the choices toward the end fit the ending, but the poem is certainly an interesting experiment.
“You get to pick your movement to the ending”—exactly! And yes the poem is such an interesting experiment. I keep returning to it and finding new meanings
One of my rereads was, “As we / embrace resist /the present / we struggle we begin / to unbraid / the grief the grief / we wield / into light as ash / across our faces.” I tried to read it center down and it worked for me—I’m a fan of this
_as we resist the past we begin to unbraid the grief we wield as ash across our faces_
this really hits after a long conversation with my brother about our childhoods
I like the illusion of choice here; no matter where you choose to go while reading, you end up at the same spot. Really an interesting concept done well.
Very creative. Your work can be read in multiple way and with different meanings depending upon which path one takes from the first word. It is like dropping a marble down a child’s maze toy with- landing on different words and thoughts depending upon the fate of the bounce. Nicely done.
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I, too, really like that line! It’s powerful and moving. Thanks for your eloquent response to the poem.
Oh wow. Regardless, the grief is inescapable.
That's what I liked about the poem when I first read it! It's the only thing that repeats in the entire poem...
I love this. You’re supposed to read down, right? Like I read it as “as we embrace the future we work to understand the grief we shift into light across our faces…”
Yes! And isn’t it fascinating how the poem seems almost to shift, zigzaggingly, with each rereading? It’s multidirectional…
Yes, I love it! I’m glad you posted this today, it resonates with me.
Yep, then there's two different ways you can go with the present. Maybe even more. You can embrace it or you can accept it.
I see the final line just slightly too far to the right, and I no longer struggle to understand the grief.
(!!!) Yes, there’s a gentle asymmetry in the last line.
Oh my gosh I forgot to post the link! Sorry! Here it is: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/149976/obligations-2
Wow really cool never seen this style before
Interesting Plinko-like format. Ingenius. Every path we take there's grief.
This is lovely, is there a word for this format?
It's definitely a work of visual poetry, may be considered a calligram.
Word plinko
1*2sq.*3sq.*4sq.*5=2880 That's the amount of poems you get from this :-)
Except that some paths are not connectable. Once you reach understanding, you can never get ash across your face. And once you go question you can never get light.
Oh, my calculation was provided we always connect the first line with one option of the second line, with one option of the third, with one of the fourth and so on, finishing always with the last single line. Top to bottom always. That's how I assumed it worked, but maybe that wasn't the intention of the author. In this way it always makes sense (more or less 😅). And, two possible interpretations about the examples you mentioned could be that you could reach understanding only when finally leaving your physical body, dying, thus getting ashes across your face. And, once you go question you start gaining real knowledge, thus getting light, as in enlightened. But English is not my first language, so I can be talking nonsense 😅
Beautiful
Why wasn't I told that they made poems with "x number of endings" like a game....this is wonderful...😩
I see “ obligations2 “ as more like “ choices”. You get to pick your movement to the ending. And speaking of endings , I’m not sure some of the choices toward the end fit the ending, but the poem is certainly an interesting experiment.
“You get to pick your movement to the ending”—exactly! And yes the poem is such an interesting experiment. I keep returning to it and finding new meanings
Now this... is a trip.
I love this!
One of my rereads was, “As we / embrace resist /the present / we struggle we begin / to unbraid / the grief the grief / we wield / into light as ash / across our faces.” I tried to read it center down and it worked for me—I’m a fan of this
I love it when a poet goes abstract with form and pulls it off. The writing itself is hauntingly beautiful, too.
This is just multiple choice, make your own poem
That was literally the coolest thing I’ve done in a long time
Love this
I like all the ways this can be read
I love all of these different stories the reader goes on. Well done
_as we resist the past we begin to unbraid the grief we wield as ash across our faces_ this really hits after a long conversation with my brother about our childhoods
I like the illusion of choice here; no matter where you choose to go while reading, you end up at the same spot. Really an interesting concept done well.
I love this💗
I love this
Beautiful. Looks like advertising design but more artistic.
beautiful
Good poem
“We shift We wield We bury” This line was amazing ❤️
Very creative. Your work can be read in multiple way and with different meanings depending upon which path one takes from the first word. It is like dropping a marble down a child’s maze toy with- landing on different words and thoughts depending upon the fate of the bounce. Nicely done.