11 Comments
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augmented man's avatar

Kim, this piece resonates so strongly,

Your imagery turns soil into a mirror, showing both our fragilty and the quiet promise of seeds waiting underneath

thank you for capturing that tension with such grace and hope

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Kim Nelson's avatar

I thank you for reading, Aug. Your comments are always welcome as you offer even more insight than I sometimes see in the words I lay down on the page.

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Maureen C. Berry's avatar

Your title fits! No need to change! It captured my attention instantly. And your poem fits succinctly in the confines of the word. 💜

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Angela Cummings's avatar

So many powerful lines here, Kim! I don’t know if this is a better title, but the word “Germination” came to me as I was reading.

As already stated, “Monoculture” is also quite fitting. Thank you for sharing this.

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Kim Nelson's avatar

Germination is a good focus too. Options!

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Neil Barker's avatar

I like this poem, Kim and agree with kel-lee on the title Monoculture. Perhaps adding something like "Seeds of Monocultre" could work?

I really liked reading these final lines:

"Seeds of ideas will germinate

in this regenerating place,

and over time erase

the collective memory

of our shared disgrace,

and the cycle will begin again."

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Kim Nelson's avatar

Glad it ended with emphasis for you, Neil. Hope is always present! "Seeds of Monoculture" is definitely going onto my list of possibilities. Thank you for your continued engagement here.

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kel-lee's avatar

The title “Monoculture” is actually quite fitting. It carries both literal and metaphorical weight, reflecting the dangers of cultivating only one way of thinking, believing, or being. Just as in agriculture, monoculture in society leads to fragility: the loss of resilience, diversity, and long-term health. The poem's imagery of digging in, poisoning truth, and clinging to familiar growth echoes that perfectly. The closing movement, where death feeds renewal, suggests the inevitability of cycles, but also the cost of repeating them blindly. It’s a powerful metaphor, and the title encapsulates it well! 👏🏻

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Kim Nelson's avatar

Thank you for your close reading and analysis. I appreciate that ostensible and underlying meanings made sense to you. Hooray!!

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X. P. Callahan's avatar

“New Earth”? (Titles are hard.)

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Kim Nelson's avatar

I like that, too, X.P.

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