Symbolic Scribbles Series #008-1

Last series #007-1 left us with @Jozef Cain and his poetic reply while this series will feature new writer @Julie Radford with her poetic reply to him.

Remember the joy of receiving a handwritten note or letter? 'Symbolic Scribbles Series' rekindles that magic, creating a space for poetic symbolic 'scribbles' where meaning hides in metaphors and symbols, waiting to be discovered. Each poem builds upon the last, like a literary game of telephone, where interpretations can twist and turn in unexpected ways.

Guidelines: Poems should be at least 60 words and use rich symbolism and metaphor

To join the letter chain, send your symbolic scribble to the most recent featured poem by emailing noxartlab@gmail.com or messaging

S y l v i A 🌞 K a l i n A

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New series will be released 3-4 times a week, so subscribe to stay connected! We look forward to building a publication that transcends distance and bridges it with fun and inspiring poetic scribbles.

Sincere thanks for reading!

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The beauty of this publication has really been unfolding, changing and shaping as we see where the symbolic translations of one takes the mind of another.

If you’d like to see the chain of evolution check out Series #007-1

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So let’s kick off Series #008-1 with Jozef Cain

and The Reply by

julie radford

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Image by eberhard grossgasteiger

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evergreen — Jozef Cain

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foreign hands beat cymatic 
patterns into my psyche
from a distant land
where i may never stand
a piece of my soul
resides outside of me

out there with you
and the holy spirit you imbue
pumps divine blood through
my heart until it slams into
my ribcage; crack, snap, pop

marrow pours onto the page
like graphite dust;
auto-writing your story into mine,
a helical harmony 
of us

are you the capstone mystery?
i wonder, as i gaze at the morning star.
are you the answer to the sphinx's riddle?
i ask, as i watch the waves ripple.

rolling alabaster cubes
into brick walls
performing divination;
until they're worn 
down
into spherical polygons
looking for inspiration

perched on sweet cedar, like a jackal
howling your name at the moon;
i could die...
convinced my heart
is finally as light
as one of your seraphic feathers




©2025 Jozef Cain

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[The Reply]

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mixed media photo by Alyssa Powell

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f e e l the void’s rhythmic pulse. —

julie radford

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on the edge of the cliff, i reside, eyes blind -
yet the full moon shines so bright, 
i feel a warm, yellow glow
grazing my oblivious sight.

the breeze is begging me to join its dance.
your howls are wrapping me in a cosmic stance.

a tapestry of wonder and unease knitting our waltzing heartbeat. 
oh how you’re begging me,
to show you the stars,
the sea,
the light to set our spirits free. 

though sightless, i watch our worlds clatter and fall.
i sense your fervor, your mournful tone.
not capstone, nor star, nor ancient lore.
t a s t e , how i’ve become so much more. 

a humble witness to your restless night, your ceaseless fight. 

l i s t e n , the answer, dear seeker, lies
not in me.

the divine you've touched with my own feather,
we're bound by unseen tether. 

from this perch, where stone meets infinite sea, 
the morning star, the echoes of your unyielding glee
- not time, nor space will set you free.

for in your wonder, in your quest -
beyond the cliff, beyond the surge,
lies
wisdom in one final test.

where cliff and sky and sea are one,
a veil of truth, your journey done.

your eyes may open to the light,
or stay forever sealed in night.
s e e , in the end, it’s not the view,
but how you’ve learned to see anew.



©2025 Julie Radford

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