DISTANCE • by J.D. Di Lella

Far away
from the touch
that comforted me
when despair followed me like a shadow
nourishes one
very young
inside you
who only feels the tickle of the toes from above the skin
while tucked safely in a belly.
One day
some day
soon
I will touch you both
with more than
words.

J.D. Di Lella is a fourth year Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at Eastern New Mexico University. Regardless of his day job responsibilities, he has managed to publish twenty-four short stories and poems over the past three years in his college’s literary journal, El Portal, and in other fine publications such as Clockwise Cat, Alienskin Magazine, The Battered Suitcase, Lorelei Signal, Aoife’s Kiss and Bewildering Stories.

Posted on April 21, 2009 in Free Form, Inspirational, Literary, Other, Poems
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8 Responses to “DISTANCE • by J.D. Di Lella”


  1. Roberta SchulbergGoro Says:
    April 21st, 2009 at 7:43 am

    Mommy, how did the baby get in the belly?

  2. Robin Herrnfeld Says:
    April 21st, 2009 at 8:25 am

    I like this.

  3. Amy Corbin Says:
    April 21st, 2009 at 8:47 am

    I like it, too.

  4. Joan Says:
    April 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Just beautiful, especially the last three lines. I love it.

  5. sjhigbee Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 5:06 am

    Lyrical and heart-tugging in its poignancy…

  6. Roberta SchulbergGoro Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    Far away?

  7. J.D. Di Lella Says:
    April 26th, 2009 at 9:54 am

    Friends:

    Thank you for the kind words – I truly appreciate each and every one of your sentiments.

    As for Roberta’s question on the first line, “Far away”, that can refer to distance (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) the father feels from his family. “Far away” could also mean a ‘divorce’ or a legal separation or simply . . . a great, vast geographical wilderness that keeps mother, child and father apart.

    In the case of this poem, it reflects a true situation of the writer. I’ll let you guess as to which one is best suited to your tastes.

    For me, poetry must not be stated so simple as to give an easy answer to the reader. I would hope the poet lover would put his/her own spin on the words, the message, and make it their ‘own’ because when any poem is sent to the world, it is the reader that owns it – no longer the poet.

    Best,

    J.D. Di Lella

  8. Roberta Roy Says:
    April 26th, 2009 at 11:45 pm

    Joe, I really enjoyed this, especially knowing the outcome.

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