I first saw this done at nAncy’s blog, Just Say the Word. She started a poem, and allowed and encouraged visitors to add to it via comments. The result was delightful, with all kinds of people adding all kinds of lines. So I thought, why not do the same here at TweetSpeak Poetry? But with a slight twist.
And the twist is – make your contribution like a tweet on Twitter – 140 characters at a time. You can add as many comments as you like, but keep each to tweet-length (in keeping with the purpose of Tweetspeak Poetry – to provide a place for poems produced via Twitter). I’ll take each comment and add it to the body of the main poem.
We’re starting this morning, Monday Dec. 21, and we’ll conclude on Wednesday morning, Dec. 23. What follows is the starting theme or idea – fire and rain – with the first “tweet-like” lines.
So welcome to our “Poem by Comment.”
Fire and Rain
The bush consumed by fire,
yet not; the sands singed
by heat, yet sanctified by
flames, becoming
too holy to be trod upon as the rain begins.
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- Poets and Poems: Paul Pastor and “The Locust Years” - June 26, 2025
Glynn Young says
4 tweeted contributions from @ doallas:
Rain begins:
Drops as rivulets marked by hope-steps.
each leading to the bush
consumed yet not
becoming yet not
the path He trod before us.
We have stepped into
the intersection of fire
and rain
of yet-to-be Passion
the path to Light
deep
as black of night,
steps to take unsure.
Gray slush-mix
of want and not,
of looking not finding,
of seeing but missing
the one true place
of protection
from the elements.
Each drop of rain
each speck in the eye
unseeing,
the flames
what they consume,
the secrets buried in the bush
in the sand pulling us in.
nAncY says
as we are called
and make bare our feet
our faces we cover
from sight of glory
@bibledude says
standing drenched by rain
waiting, wanting, shivering
praying for the warmth
of the crackling fire
that seems so far away
Russell Holloway says
to stand
to make ready
move forward
shoulder to shoulder
Lorrie says
yet our lips dare
part to speak
from stammering
hearts unworthy
Anne Lang Bundy says
What magic this
From You, my Lord
That in my heart burns
Passion for Your Word
It fills me, drives me
It makes me new
Til it can’t be contained
From me spills out You
And in the pouring out
Of what burned bright
It becomes living Water
Cool fresh and Light
L.L. Barkat says
flames lick, stick
to skin, breathe black
smoke of secret long held,
yes, buried, as we said before,
invoking time’s goodbye,
dust in ashes will yet
find…
Maureen Doallas says
precious store:
Word on stone
stone-writing
the long pilgrimage
in bare feet
how rain cleansed
drops hit lips
skin breathed
awake its
secret
Doug Spurling says
Throw down the rod.
The secret burning revealed.
No, my Lord.
Your fire does not consume
the bush but burns my heart.
I have found myself in this staff,
I c,c,can’t return.
I ‘m only a lowly shepherd,
this is my rod, this is my place.
Please send s,s,someone else, not me.
I have heard the cries of My people
Their tears have fallen like rain,
I will be with you
Now go.
Maureen Doallas says
Such secret
as resides in me:
from dust
am I become
of You
am I
in image
seen
of Word
I see
in flames
if words
be consumed
as flames,
Passion