I meet a crowded, free-board bus
Fantasizing all of us
As travelers taken by the hand
Unaware of where we’ll land.
Does no death bring me to my knees
Except my own? Delusion sees,
Sipping clouds that wander by,
Wonder neither how nor why.
Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “Moving clouds, a heavenly perspective”. Also linked to dVerse Quadrille where Mish is hosting with the keyword “sip”.

Beautiful poem, Frank, with some very serene images to go with it
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This is a very interesting topic and poem, Frank.
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This is so thought-provoking, Frank:
“Does no death bring me to my knees
Except my own? Delusion sees”
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Thank you, Shawna!
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The bus in this to make me think of how we all travels toward that only end we all shall go… sipping the clouds is almost a cure against the angst of that knowledge
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There is angst in knowledge. Thank you, Bjorn!
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This quadrille could be the beginning of a science fiction tale, in which the travellers on a bus are abducted into the sky. I love those ‘sipping clouds’, Frank.
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Good point. That would be one way to expand it. Thank you, Kim!
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I adore the idea of sipping clouds! Makes me want it to be May or June, and lie down on the grass and soak in the clouds up above and sip on their beauty! 🙂
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It will soon be May or June. Thank you, Lillian!
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another one rides the bus! the clouds are changing quickly today
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They do change quickly. Thank you!
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I guess we are all on that bus. Flows beautifully.
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We are. Thank you, Sarah!
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There’s a mystical quality to this, Frank. The bus has hippy connotations…
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It does now that you mention it. Thank you, Jane!
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🙂
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Such a deeply philosophical write, Frank! 🙂
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Thank you, Sanaa!
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This brought up the song,”oh death” by bluegrass founder Bill Monroe. But then the closing lines sounded like something form an English poet! Well done! Perhaps we should be more like clouds!?
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Perhaps! Thank you, Glenn!
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Nature slips you another masterpiece and you sip it well!
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Thank you, Mary!
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it just is. when the student is ready, the teachers appear 🙂
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Good point about those teachers appearing when the student is ready. Thank you, Jade!
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🙂 you are welcome, Frank.
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Lovely form and rhymes; the feel of classical verse. I dig the metaphor, but I would like to think that any death could weaken our knees.
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And death should. Thank you, Glenn!
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Maybe we ought to be carefree as clouds as in:
Sipping clouds that wander by,
Wonder neither how nor why.
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That makes sense. Thank you, Grace!
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Delightful bus ride!
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Thank you, Beverly!
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“Sipping clouds that wander by,
Wonder neither how nor why.”
I like the acceptance of wherever the end destination will be.
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Thank you, Maggie!
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Intriguing! Reading the comments, this piece has created such a variety of interpretations, which are so interesting to read. Mine is rather dark. Poor souls taken away to a deadly destination while the voice in the poem ponders how much we truly care. I’m sure I am way off. I would love if you elaborated on your intentions of the poem.
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It is a tad dark, I suppose. I may have been thinking how pain and death help us heal, keep us on the right path, without our realizing it. The deaths that bring us to our knees are the best opportunities for healing. Thank you, Mish!
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Sipping clouds, yes!!
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Thank you!
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I really like this, Frank. Different for you and effective use of the prompt.
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Thank you, V.J.!
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Welcome.
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There is mildly dark but fantastic essence to this that I really like Frank. I agree with VJ, it’s a slightly different nod from you…
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Thank you, Rob. It was mildly dark.
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‘Unaware of where we’ll land’ sumps up the journey of life. Lovely poem!
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Thank you, Reena!
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Back to those days you do really need to know where we go, just knowing that we were in good hands. Nice rhymes and lovely poem, Frank!
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Thank you, Miriam!
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You’re welcome, Frank!
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Yes. You took this one deep. Well done!
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Thank you, K’lee!
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I am on the sipping clouds! Beautiful Frank 🙂
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Thank you, Christine!
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Your words bring out the sense of wonder before an adventure.
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Thank you, Astrid!
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I was taken by ‘sipping clouds’ 🙂 Love the scene and the question of our mortality.
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I am glad you liked that, Vivian. Thank you!
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LoVE A LiVENoW
No Longer Sipping
Here And THere
Breathing
Living
Entity
Now…
‘They’ Said
Wasn’t Real..:)
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Thank you, Fred!
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Welcome Frank
Thanks too..:)!
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Wonderful blending of prompts. Quite the thought provoking poem.
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Thank you, Teresa!
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nice words
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Thank you!
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You always manage to pack a lot into a few words. Death is a subject we often ignore, thinking that will make it go away. But we are all headed in the same direction. (K)
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We are. Thank you, Kerfe!
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There is so much of import and beauty here. Dostoyevsky has said something to the effect that it is easy to love humanity in general, but messy and difficult to love humanity in particular, the idea that no death brings us to our knees except our own… this really touched me. Life and death are around us like the air, like the clouds, and it touches us usually impassively or briefly usually as if we were the clouds or the atmosphere, passing and surrounding silently and without regard. Empathy is part of what humanizes us, perhaps the essential feature. It is though a lot to take in, but we are all on that bus together, and we often just stare out at the clouds on the journey rather that at our fellow travelers. The clouds are beautiful and powerful however. Loved this Frank, thank you.
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Empathy may be all that counts. I think what you quote from Dostoyevsky is right. We should face the messiness and love the particular. Thank you, Lona!
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