Greetings,
dear poets and storytellers. If you have been watching the news, then you know
that the world if full of grim things and even grimmer people. But good things
are happening, too: spring arrived yesterday (in
the Norther Hemisphere), and today the whole globe celebrates World Poetry Day.
We
shouldn’t ignore the bad—even if we could—but we can take a few moments to
celebrate the good. With that in mind, I’m sharing my favorite poetic quote…
“I run after certain words… They are so
beautiful that I want to fit them all into my poem… I catch them in midflight,
as they buzz past, I trap them, clean them, peel them, I set myself in front of
the dish, they have a crystalline texture to me, vibrant, ivory, vegetable,
oily, like fruit, like algae, like agates, like olives… And I stir them, I
shake them, I drink them, I gulp them down, I mash them, I garnish them, I let
them go… I leave them in my poem like stalactites, like slivers of polished
wood, like coals, pickings from a shipwreck, gifts from the waves… Everything exists
in the word.”
~ Pablo Neruda
…and my favorite flower (I love its simple, wild beauty and resilience):
photo by Walter Sturn, on Unsplash
And
I invite you to do the same in the comments—share a favorite poetic quote and the
name of your favorite flower. If you are feeling generous, then tell us a bit
about why you love the latter so much.
Now,
let us open our 62nd Writers’ Pantry. Add poetry or prose, new or
old, short or long(ish), seasonal or not; the choice is
yours. If you choose to delight us with your prose, let the word count
be 369 words or fewer. One link per participant.
Please remember to add the direct link to your contribution, not just the link to your blog. Take a moment (or three) to visit other lover of words, and let them know how their words make you feel. As always, Mr. Linky will remain open for a week.
- for our next Weekly Scribblings, Rommy would like us to create new poetry or prose inspired by the word “Dance”.
I wish you a lovely Spring! Here it begins to get colder, and we've just celebrated our Autumn Equinox. Autumn is usually glorious here, but this year it's very wet. Some places are having serious floods. My back yard is full of flourishing weeds, but no use removing them while the rain lasts. I'll just stay indoors and write poetry instead.
ReplyDeleteWorld Poetry Day tomorrow – is it really? What a wonderful Neruda quote! May we all find fabulous words to run after and trap and then let fly, tomorrow and all our days.
Oh sorry, forgot what you requested. My favourite flower is gardenia, for the scent as well as the visual beauty. My favourite poetic quote is the whole poem, 'In My Craft or Sullen Art' by Dylan Thomas, closely followed by:
Deletepoems should be written rarely and reluctantly,
under unbearable duress and only with the hope
that good spirits, not evil ones, choose us for their instrument.
(Czeslaw Milosz, 'Ars Poetica').
Rosemary, World Poetry Day is today (March 21st). I was a bit over-excited, lol! But I fixed the mistake.
DeleteI love the scent of gardenias. And now that I think about it, I haven't smelled one in a very long time. I wonder if the NY Botanical Garden will have any this year. Maybe I should got and check.
That is a wise a beautiful poetic quote.
We are having a lovely sunny spring morning. The cats are keepign me close company and everything is quiet.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite poetic quote is from Carol Ann Duffy's poem ‘Ann Hathaway’:
“…My lover’s words
were shooting stars which fell to earth as kisses
on these lips; my body now a softer rhyme
to his, now echo, assonance; his touch
a verb dancing in the centre of a noun.”
My favourite flower is the tulip.
That sounds wonderful, Kim, the sunning and the awesome quote. So many delicious images...
DeleteTulips are lovely. I think I'm growing one. I say I think because I found the bulb and aren't completely sure. But the wee shoot looks like a tulip. Fingers crossed!
Happy Spring to Spring climates. Here in Trinidad and Tobago🇹🇹 we have only 2 Seasons Dry Season (happening now) and Rainy Season (starting around June)
ReplyDeleteSome of our Poui Trees will blossom around our Liturgical Season of Easter ☺
Muchđź’ślove
Things are similar in the Dominican Republic. The seasons aren't easily definable. It's hottest between May and October, a bit cooler the rest of the year.
DeleteHow lovely, Gillena. It's like having your own Cherry Blossom season!
Happy Spring to all!
ReplyDeleteSame to you, Graham.
DeleteI have a vintage book entitled “Beautiful Gems of Thought and Sentiment” published in 1897. In it, there is a poem by Josiah Gilbert Holland that is a revelation. While we’re feeling things are in a sorry state and it seems there’s no hope for the future, it appears we’re not the first to have such feelings!! (Written probably in decade before Civil War.)
ReplyDeleteGIVE US MEN
God, give us men, a time like this demands,
great hearts, strong minds, true faith and ready hands.
Men whom the lust of office cannot kill
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy
Men who possess opinions and will
Men who have honor; men who will not lie
Men who can stand before a demagogue
and brace his treacherous flatteries without winking
Tall men, sunburnt, who live above the fog
in public duty and in private thinking
For, while the rubble, with its thumb-worn creeds,
its large professions and its little deeds
mingle in selfish strife,
Lo! freedom weeps, wrong rules the land
and waiting justice sleeps.
****************
...and my favorite flower is the lowly petunia, which blooms its heart out from Spring to Fall!
That last stanza is intense, and so very timely.
DeleteI really petunias, too--so many varieties!
Thanks so much for sharing, Bev.
Happy Sunday, and happy Spring! My favorite flower is pink carnations. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Sunday to you! I haven't seen a pink carnation in a while. They look extra delicate.
DeleteGood day, poets!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Magaly, for reminding us that good things are happening too.
Best day to you, dear Lee San. And thank you for adding to the good.
Delete