Thank you! We thought it could be fun to look back at this moment when we're looking forward. If you have ideas for other kinds of "looking back" articles you'd like to see, please do share! :)
What about collecting some of the poems into an Every Day Poems book? I'd sure buy one.
(I kind of got overwhelmed with printing off favorites and now I've misplaced my notebook in the renovation packing. It's here somewhere. It will turn up.)
Working on a theme-based approach—thank you for the idea! :) (Also, you got me thinking... maybe things that match up with public days and months... which is how the women's poems post was born today. :)
A book is an interesting idea. We'll keep that one in mind, too. :)
I love the heart and being of, The Quiet Listeners. The trees here are so much like my stepdad was with me.
"How they will bend down to you
so softly.
They will bend down to you
and listen."
And almost every line of Stafford's "Any Morning" is my favorite. ;) The scene. The mood. The humor. The peace & delight.
"People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't
monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget."
This stanza sums up how I feel about writing words down and crafting something out of them. Like gathering little stones from the beach to save for later.
One part of his legacy will always be his generosity in listening to those who did not typically have a microphone. Children, widows, the underprivileged, and the brokenhearted. Then he would pray for them while he put on his work gloves and fixed something for them. Or bought them groceries. Or changed the oil in their car. Or . . .
There was a short one called "Aging" by Yahia Lababidi ....
"like the life stuffing were slowly
being spooned out of me."
***
And "A Blessing for Writers" by L.L. Barkat. Tactile and colorful. On re-reading it, it makes me wan to fill a special box with special stones and strings and ribbons. And these lines:
"Make something. Know that it is yours."
"Somewhere on this side of the world, I will be holding up a morrir for beautiful you, wearing your beautiful string of words."
***
How about Stafford's "You Reading This, Be Ready"?
"What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
***
Barbara Crooker's "Instructions for Getting Through to the Other Side"
"Look for one object of beauty every day; it isn't that difficult."
"Be a filament of light in the darkness."
***
Naomi Shihab Nye in "Shoulders"
"We're not going to be able
to live in this world
if we're not willing to do what he's doing
with one another."
***
Glynn Young's "Tell me a poem, a story"
"Tell me a poem, a story
of a favored poet or poem,
one that changed your life"
***
And then way back in 2014, I got a request to print one of my wee poems. It still makes me happy. So I'll share it. Sorry. Not sorry.
Love that poem by L.L.! And also Barbara's poem. So glad you shared this, Sandra. <3 Oh, and I just expanded your comment and saw the rest! Ooooh, yes, these are wonderful! :) Always happy to read your poems! :)
Oh, gosh. Yes, the Yahia phrase about "life stuffing." That one has definitely taken up residence in my memory!!! :)
These are such beautiful lines, Sandra. From Stafford. And Crooker. Nye. Young. (LL thanks you, too ;-) And I still remember that FUN cheese poem... for our "Cheese" theme, no doubt. :)
I’m loving this walk back in time!!!!
Thank you! We thought it could be fun to look back at this moment when we're looking forward. If you have ideas for other kinds of "looking back" articles you'd like to see, please do share! :)
Top 10 most published poets?
List of themes?
What about collecting some of the poems into an Every Day Poems book? I'd sure buy one.
(I kind of got overwhelmed with printing off favorites and now I've misplaced my notebook in the renovation packing. It's here somewhere. It will turn up.)
Working on a theme-based approach—thank you for the idea! :) (Also, you got me thinking... maybe things that match up with public days and months... which is how the women's poems post was born today. :)
A book is an interesting idea. We'll keep that one in mind, too. :)
I found my notebooks!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
So many illuminating poems over the years via EDP!
Laura Foley's, "The Quiet Listeners," is very close to my heart. The trees remind me of a dear family member of mine. <3
And "Any Morning," by William Stafford still hangs on the refrigerator, making me smile whenever I read it.
Over the years, my mind returns to "Bread and Roses," by James Oppenheim, shared way back on January 16, 2015.
And then there's Tess Gallagher's, "Choices." <3
Oooo. Any favorite lines from these? (It would be fun to do a post with readers' favorite lines!)
We're going to go back and reread these full poems, in any case. Thanks for sharing your faves, Bethany!
I love the heart and being of, The Quiet Listeners. The trees here are so much like my stepdad was with me.
"How they will bend down to you
so softly.
They will bend down to you
and listen."
And almost every line of Stafford's "Any Morning" is my favorite. ;) The scene. The mood. The humor. The peace & delight.
"People who might judge are mostly asleep; they can't
monitor you all the time, and sometimes they forget."
This stanza sums up how I feel about writing words down and crafting something out of them. Like gathering little stones from the beach to save for later.
"Little corners like this, pieces of Heaven
left lying around, can be picked up and saved.
People won't even see that you have them,
they are so light and easy to hide."
Such fabulous lines, Bethany!
This is so sweet, regarding your stepdad:
"How they will bend down to you
so softly.
They will bend down to you
and listen."
One part of his legacy will always be his generosity in listening to those who did not typically have a microphone. Children, widows, the underprivileged, and the brokenhearted. Then he would pray for them while he put on his work gloves and fixed something for them. Or bought them groceries. Or changed the oil in their car. Or . . .
About those favorites...
There was a short one called "Aging" by Yahia Lababidi ....
"like the life stuffing were slowly
being spooned out of me."
***
And "A Blessing for Writers" by L.L. Barkat. Tactile and colorful. On re-reading it, it makes me wan to fill a special box with special stones and strings and ribbons. And these lines:
"Make something. Know that it is yours."
"Somewhere on this side of the world, I will be holding up a morrir for beautiful you, wearing your beautiful string of words."
***
How about Stafford's "You Reading This, Be Ready"?
"What can anyone give you greater than now,
starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?
***
Barbara Crooker's "Instructions for Getting Through to the Other Side"
"Look for one object of beauty every day; it isn't that difficult."
"Be a filament of light in the darkness."
***
Naomi Shihab Nye in "Shoulders"
"We're not going to be able
to live in this world
if we're not willing to do what he's doing
with one another."
***
Glynn Young's "Tell me a poem, a story"
"Tell me a poem, a story
of a favored poet or poem,
one that changed your life"
***
And then way back in 2014, I got a request to print one of my wee poems. It still makes me happy. So I'll share it. Sorry. Not sorry.
Round of cheese
hung high at daybreak
demanded an omelet
before it cracked
the western horizon.
Love that poem by L.L.! And also Barbara's poem. So glad you shared this, Sandra. <3 Oh, and I just expanded your comment and saw the rest! Ooooh, yes, these are wonderful! :) Always happy to read your poems! :)
Oh, gosh. Yes, the Yahia phrase about "life stuffing." That one has definitely taken up residence in my memory!!! :)
These are such beautiful lines, Sandra. From Stafford. And Crooker. Nye. Young. (LL thanks you, too ;-) And I still remember that FUN cheese poem... for our "Cheese" theme, no doubt. :)
Oh, oh... one more cuz I was reminded of it in an FB memory this morning.
"Problems with Hurricanes" by Victor Hernandez Cruz
"If you are going out
beware of mangoes
And all such beautiful
sweet things."
Yes! I remember that line. Love it. :)