I’d searched
Along,
To find
The words
I felt belonged,
Until I found
I need not look
Too far beyond,
Words I had said
That endured strong,
The many times be read
When to convey a love,
I’ve held for you so long!
Poetry on a Canapé
A journey through Jean-Jacques Fournier's poetry
Poetry on a Canapé 
We cannot underestimate the power of words. A word can create hope out our chaos; a word can destroy a friendship. It speaks to the emotion that hides behind them – anger, joy, compassion.
I especially appreciated these lines.
“I need not look
Too far beyond,
Words I had said”
You make a good point Rebecca, on the power of even a single word. Enumerating its varied influences, all of which I as most have had the like personal experience. It is indeed amazing when you recall the incidence of that one word among the whole vestige of a discussion. The word that sparked, specifically and uniquely, the creation of friendship or by the same token the destruction of one that was to be a life long association. Even a word of beauty that had been said so often, repeated in another context, now made to turn ugly. Power indeed! Jean-Jacques
Words that held strong. Very powerful. Really emphasizes the power of words and the realities they can create. And to see what was already said, is it. Again, powerful!
Thank you Paulette. The word and the power of it, to express love or hate, peace or war, ecstasy or suffering, and life or death, etc, etc.. All this controlled by more or less the word, by we said humans, the imperfect creature, over all others with the creation of that symbol of ultimate power… The word, for good or bad, at once beautiful and frightening, consciously and not, but for the most part, out of habit unconscious to its use, to play with the freedom we believe is ours in our kaleidoscopic life and world. Jean-Jacques
Dear friend, how expressive your poetry is with the least amount of word gathering…I am sorry, I haven’t visited you often lately but please know such lack is only due to circumstances…If it weren’t for them, your blog site would be one at which I will spend most of my day reading one after another of your poems of unique flair…
Ah! my very dear Hülya. How nice to hear from you and your ever so welcomed warmth and touching comments. I understand circumstances, and that now and then a few words of mine can carry sufficient matter to be the cause of you’re eking out enough time to let me know you are there, gives me pleasure and confidence that when time permits I will happily hear again from this beautiful person. In the meantime, be well and be happy dear lady!
Your friend, Jean-Jacques
How you speak to my heart’s unique joy and excitement by visiting me again! (You see, the feeling is mutual…) I continue to be sad about my limits of time and energy, for I would love to spend many hours with your poetry – silently, from a hidden corner is fine with me. I thank you from the depth of my heart for being here once again with your always uplifting choice of words of eloquence. I also wish you well, very well, dear friend!
Thank you for your sweet inspiring words of encouragement. I do hope that my words continue to speak to you so, dear friend. Jean-Jacques
I can’t possibly imagine how else your words will affect me. dear thoughtful friend.
One must find getting used to surprises, especially pleasant ones, as I have thru the discovery of beautiful supportive people, interested in poetry who spare not their encouragement. And here you are too now with your supportive words. How fortunate I am to be so favoured. All this keeps adding weight and purpose to my poem ” Friend “~ a singular entitlement ~ of some 12 years ago, that I included in near every one of my published books, as well as on my blog.
À bientôt chère ami… Jean-Jacques
Allow me a pleasant surprise yet once again but this time, hopefully, also giving you one…If I have kept it up correctly, you have now ten books of poetry and dear Jean-Jacques: I would like to start my collection of them one by one. Who better than to tell one of his adoring readers which book to start with first…but you, the author himself?
Oh my… what a bind you have created, as your surprise puts me on the spot when asking that I should select a sequence of acquisition of my books. I am overcome by such a request my dear Hülya, and somewhat at a loss to respond safely. I have favourite poems, as well as some I consider to be of my best in every book. So what am I to say?
I bow to your intelligence, knowing that you are aware of the author’s old saying, that his best book, is always ” his next book ” as did Elmore Leonard once say if I recall correctly. Therefore might I suggest you start with #10 Kaleidoscope, and work backwards. Then when you get to # 4 stop there, and let me know, then send me by e-mail to fon.int@sympatico.ca a mailing address, with a phone number to which I can have the pleasure of sending you a gift copy of each of my first three books; these I have on hand at home, but are now out of print. In the meantime, you will get an idea of them, as books 7,8, and 9 are second edition total rewrites of my first three books.
When you are ready to make these acquisitions, the most efficient and economical way to do so is to go on my blog, click on MY BOOKS, and click on the last book, Kaleidoscope, and the all my books will show up, and you can take it from there and order as you please.
For what you have embarked upon, to say thank you for me is too thin, and insufficient. Therefore I ask you to know your surprise has touched me ever so deeply and more than my words can express, even for a wordy scribe!
À très bientôt chère ami, Jean-Jacques
You have my warmest thanks for your immediate and ever so courteous and modest reply. I shall heed your recommendation (and somehow had a strong enough urge to begin with your latest book, still, needed to have your insight and you have been extra kind to lend it to me). Before this weekend is over, I should be a click away…
Thank you my dear friend. Excellent choice to start with, and I can but hope you will be pleased with your decision. May you find a goodly number among its 90 poems that will speak to you in a worthy manner. Remember my suggestion of a mailing address. Jean-Jacques
I will remember your generous suggestion, dear friend. When the time comes, I will be shamelessly knocking at your door…
Take a minute to read the next poem, titled “Looking” ~ for quiescent fit ~ it’s for you…!
Oh my, dear friend, what have you done for me! I will read it again and again…it describes me so! And in such caring acceptance of my restrictions. In gratitude, I remain your friend who will not start a day without sneaking into that corner of your blog site…
Encouraging words for a doubtful scribe, my dear Hülya, but indeed food for a poetic soul who forever strives to hopefully get it right. Jean-Jacques
Amazing. Your friend, the other “doubtful scribe”…
Safety in numbers… one likes to know one does not struggle alone in the worthy adventures of a scribe. Jean-Jacques
Humbled and honored to be seen a worthy scribe…
You need to remember that I have read your work, and worthy is to say the least! Jean-Jacques
…am I allowed to blush at my age…Thank you, dear Jean-Jacques.
One learns every day, something new. I had no idea there was an age limit for blushing. I had come to the point of wondering if I still could, now I’ll have to make an effort to recall what I can of my good manners, so as to blush at the prescribed time.
Blush my dear friend… it’s the healthy thing to do! Jean-Jacques
…and now I am donning a huge smile…I thank you for it.
Émouvant….
Merci Diane… pleased that you found it so! Jean-Jacques