So many people
all with differing views
in our changing world
looking for love and kindness
Seeking Authenticity
Some seek their truth
Answers that define us all
Uniqueness shines through
Reveals how different we are
Seeking Authenticity
So many voices
lost in the thundering roar
crying to be heard
claiming their place in the world
Seeking Authenticity
We are a mix
like it or not // here to stay
Proud of who we are
As the wheels… go round and round
Seeking Authenticity
My Zinnia Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse, Anmol shared that in the midst of all that is going on, June is Gay Pride month. He asked us to write a poem that relates to this. I decided to look at what I feels is the motivating factor underlying all that is happening, and that, I believe, is being recognized as authentic! I decided to use the Tanka form for this poem, and do several stanzas.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
Roth Poetry 
Unity. Equality. Authenticity.
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Yes!
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Zinnias are my all time favorite. Yet I don’t grow them. Too sandy and too wild in my yard. And yes to unity.
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Thank you! This was one of my favorites that grew this year in my flower bed!
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I like your concept and the tanka stanzas as the vehicle to express it. I think the color of your flower is Charlotte Red.
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Thank you so much! That sounds like a great color for me!! I appreciate your comment!
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You’re most welcome.
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Nice.
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Thank you!
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Welcome.
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True that is. 🙂
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Thank you very much!
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If we’re not seeking authenticity, what are we seeking? I love that repeated line.
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You are right! Thank you so much!
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Yes, that’s true. We all want to be authentic to our inner self
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Thank you Suzanne!
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that authenticity and respect is all we need to make our world so much sweeter!
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Yes, living real is not always easy!
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Beautiful
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Thank you Haroon!
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You are welcome
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Thank you for sharing truth, wisdom and beauty through your authenticity!
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Thank you so much! That is my goal in posting all my posts! I appreciate your kind affirmation!
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A nice sequence, Dwight, with the echo of the repeated line running through it like a thread. It’s so true that uniqueness shines through.
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Thank you Kim!
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Authenticity for each and every person in this world. I like your take on this.
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Thank you Lillian! I believe that is what rings true and connects.
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Stunning use of repetition here that echoes the message and sentiments we are so desperately trying to get across! ❤️ A new favorite from you 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words!
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Great words and beautiful zinnia!
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Thank you so much!
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We should never be afraid to be who we are. (K)
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So many people, so many voices … and yet with a commonality that’s so difficult for some to accept.
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We come from a century of small closed cultural groups now into a world where everyone wants everyone else to think exactly like they do!! Very difficult for some of us older folks!
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Poet Dwight: I enjoy seeing how your put your poetic muse to work in specific ‘forms’ and come up with social statement ideas beautifully expressed!
Plus, Zinnias are always a dose of happy in-your-face color – nice photo!
😉
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Thank you Laura for your kind affirmation! A lot of times we get lost in the externals and forget this is really what we are after! My Zinnias are really beautiful this year!
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the repetitive form is nice. 😉
True words too
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Thank you Lona!
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True words. Authenticity, the freedom to be ourselves as we are, what we all seek.
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Thank you! Sometimes we forget it is not our job to judge the lives of others.
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The thing you seek is seeking you.
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Yes, we just don’t realize it!
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I learned it from reading Rumi.
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good watching
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Thank you!
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I never would have come up with that word, but you’re right, Dwight. We all seek to recognized for who we are–our authentic selves. Nicely done.
And your zinnia is stunning!
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Thank you Merril. I find the blogs I enjoy most are those who come across as being authentic!
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😀
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You’d think that authenticity would be relatively easy to find, who each of us truly is–but it isn’t. Hearkening back to your poem about children, loss of authenticity is learned, not innate.
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Very good observation! We are taught to keep our authenticity or to give it up and live a lie.
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To our detriment.
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It’s so sad that anyone should have to seek authenticity. There is hope in these lines…”We are a mix
like it or not // here to stay”. I read your last stanza again, flipping the two messages around. Hmm….even more hope.
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Yes, it could read either way. I appreciate your kind words.
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A universal message masterfully expressed!
Thank you for the photo of the vibrantly-colored zinnia; it brought back memories of my early life. We don’t often see zinnias here in southern Florida…too hot I guess!
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Thank you! Zinnias are very hardy plants. I think they would grow most anywhere!
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This is so good. I like the way you re-use the line ‘seeking authenticity’. It works for me as a stilling anchor and counterpoint for the clamour you express so well in each other line of the poem. For me, by the last iteration, it so subtly changes the message to ‘seek within’. Such a vibrant poem so well matched to the vibrant flower image. I like that the bits we see first, the gorgeous pink bracts, are not the real flower. The yellow inner ring is made up of many little real but equally vibrant flowers. Masterful. I’m just in awe!
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Thank you so much for you wonderful kind assessment of my poem. Authenticity is greatly lacking in our world today, especially in News and Politics. Your words are a great encouragement to me. Thank you again!
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