Shared Poetry: Rag-Picker

Last week, I participated in a prompt challenge in a site called Blogger’s Paradise.  They had the amazing idea of two bloggers co-writing a story/poem in response to a prompt and they (the participants) had to do it alternately with a partner. That is, one must respond to the other one’s comments; to get the ball rolling. I am no stranger to shared poetry and to completing sentences or rhymes because I have a buddy for that (my clown, among others) but I wanted to try if I could do it with someone I knew nothing about and if I could somehow know what he/she is going to reply to my comments next. Curious and excited for the challenge, I gave my line… waiting for a brave soul to reply to it. And sure enough, someone did.

I had the awesome privilege to meet OrangeDilip and had an amazing time concocting this poem.
It was difficult, not knowing what to respond at first… but I do think we did great.
Here is my first attempt at shared poetry with ‘strangers’.

The Rag_Picker

Dilip & M.Gin

There is beauty, there is life. In these things I scavenge.
Polyethylene covers thaws in heat, putrid revenge
I harm myself just to survive.
Sometimes hard; sometimes harder
In this filth, I quench my thirst and feed my hunger.
In this filth, i collect thy cover like never — forever;
The hope of having a brighter tomorrow dims every day.
Yet the courage to gather food prickle…
Because until the day I die, these rags may be my only riches…
My inner light begins to glow;
my mind stirs; when they call
me ‘The Rag-Picker’

Weekly Prompt #1: Rag-picker