Friday, August 12, 2022

Friday Writings #39: Crafting

 

Hello, dear poets and storytellers. How do you go about your craft?

Our friend dsnake1 or Cheong Lee San, or Lawrence Cheong, recently shared with us a delicious piece called poetry lesson #12 (cooking a poem).

As I told him, I am not much of a cook myself – but I know enough about it to appreciate his ruminations on the matter.

And it got me thinking.

I have known people who equate poetry with dance. I guess I can see that – when I think of the rhythm and movement which are present in both.

For myself, I have always rather liked to think of poetry as akin to sculpture, something to be shaped. I like the way some sculptors have spoken of the form emerging from the stone as if it has been sleeping there, and the sculptor’s job is to chip away what’s extraneous until the form gradually reveals itself.

I am of the ‘How do I know what I’m going to say until I’ve said it?’ school of poetry – so allowing the form in the stone to gradually reveal itself strikes me as perfectly natural. But I am not a sculptor, so maybe I can think of a better set of instructions for myself, such as crocheting a poem.

And what about stories?

I remember one teacher who thought writing stories was like building, or perhaps bricklaying – laying the blocks down carefully, one on top of another. And there are novelists who liken their efforts to birthing a baby.

Your optional prompt this week:

How about you? How could you make a poem or a story? Gardening, sculpting, building, knitting, raising it like a child?

Please tell us the answer – or tell us something else instead – post to your blog, then link your to your (one) post in Mr Linky, below.  Please keep prose pieces to 369 words max. You may link back to us at your blog, with or without using one of our badges. And do have fun seeing what everyone else is sharing.

Thanks, dsnake1 for being so inspirational!

Next week, Magaly will invite us to write poetry or prose that includes a list—of things we love, of things we hate, of things we want, of things we’ve lost, of people we miss… of anything we wish.

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Post Script

~ Speaking of people we miss ~

There’s craft, and then there’s art. Nothing to do with our prompts – but the goodbyes continue. Let us take a moment to remember Judith Durham, beautiful lead singer of The Seekers, who passed away a week ago.




 
Post post script

As if that wasn't enough, another internationally loved Australian singing star, Olivia Newton-John, has now left us too. Both women deserve to be remembered not only for their talent but also for their courage and kindness. Olivia worked tirelessly for cancer research, Judith for research into motor neurone disease. The words gentleness and grace have been used to describe them both.


13 comments:

  1. A fun little self assessment today, I like it!!
    I hope all are in fun form today. I liked Olivia's and her singing, I didn't know Judith.
    I'll read Cheong's piece, it is time for me to learn. I know what I want to say, choose a form (my usual is a Syllabic form in verse of a variable length) then tell the message I had in mind. My song and music writing strongly suggests that an illustrating picture would help make it interesting reading.
    Thanks for posting, Rosemary.
    Oh yes, we finally had some rain yesterday, we are in a drought area, a no burn zone, and have a mild water rationing. Southeast Texas along the Gulf of Mexico. Southwest of Houston, 3rd or 4th largest city in the U.S.
    Good night past pillow time for me.
    ..

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    1. I thought you might have remembered The Seekers, Jim. In their heyday they pushed The Beatles off number 1 spot in the charts. Do have a listen to the video; she had the purest voice!

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  2. Sorry to hear of the passing of these two lovely women: kind and caring, gifting and leaving a legacy of happiness

    Wishing all a good day today

    much💖love

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  3. A sad time losing both Judith and Olivia. Both wonderful generous and talented Aussies.

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    1. Now that the news has settled a bit, it seems very much 'end of an era'. I feel old!

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    2. And just before that we lost sweet Archie Roach too – not internationally famous, but treasured by Australians.

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  4. Good day, Poets & Storytellers!
    I think writing poetry or stories can be liken to a number of other activities. Sculpture, dance, lego brick building. Or crochet. Or painting. It will be interesting to see the process of each writer. Or the lack of it. :)

    On a side note to Rosemary : Recently I was at a museum looking at an exhibition titled "Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia." I can tell you the paintings and artwork are stunning, and thought provoking. I took some pictures and will be posting them with some short poetry later. This will be a long project for me. :)

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    1. Thanks for writing such inspirational pieces that a couple of us have been moved to use as prompts!

      Yes, the work of our Indigenous artists is indeed stunning – whether traditional, contemporary or a fusion. I'll be fascinated to see your project unfold.

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  5. I don't have a single way I craft/birth a poem or story. Some seem to come to life fully formed, while others require a seed and a lot of tending.

    I was just reading about the passing of Olivia Newton-John... sad business that.

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    1. I guess the variety of ways our creations happen helps keep us interested!

      Yes, her passing is sad, but her living was wonderful.

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  6. I went for a bit of a twist with this prompt - a how not to go about crafting a poem if you will.

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