Yesterday marked the beginning of the November Poem a Day Challenge #NovPAD and The Poetry Pub has offered a set of prompts for the event, #PoPubPAD. Day 1’s prompt to start us off was: Hello.

Here’s my attempt.

“Hello,” from halouen, “to shout in chase”
Or  hala “to fetch” in old high-German
A cry from one bank over the water
To get the crossed ferryman’s attention.

And though it was Mr. Bell’s invention,
Thomas thought, “Hello” was better to greet
The other in conversation, to tell
The receiver, I’m here, ready to speak.

“Hello,” is now a word of greeting
And in that way it may bring one to
the end of waiting, an invitation 
To say I am here and glad to see you.

Hello! I see you there. Do you hear me?
Can you help me across this divide,
Rivers of experience, years made wide,
By the current of circumstance and trial?

Hello! I call to get your attention
To catch your eye, to fetch your ear
Possibility calls with connection
What shall we say? Where go from here?

(c) Randall Edwards 2022