Dearest
Word Weavers,
Lately I’ve been looking through my prolific output of blogged poems, to see which ones might be worth collecting in a book. Or maybe they need different books with different themes. So many are about the trivia of my personal life! That doesn’t necessarily make them ‘bad’ poetry, or uninteresting – but I wonder what I have to describe which other people haven’t already experienced and come to terms with. What, I ask myself, do I have to say that is worth hearing?
And is it necessary to say different things in different poems – new things? Hmm, perhaps, if each of those things matters. But maybe some things bear repetition.
I
think of Mary Oliver, so widely beloved (including by me). She basically gave
us the same message over and over again: pay attention to our beautiful earth;
it’s worth it, it matters, it’s supremely important. I think that’s a message
worth repeating; in fact I think we can’t repeat it often enough! And Oliver’s
uniquely beautiful, direct, deceptively simple poetry made it new every time.
She knew how to touch hearts!
What do you think? Perhaps sharing our human experiences is enough? Or is it better to use whatever platform we have to say something more arresting, and/or more vital? If you decided to try and deliver a crucial message to the world, what would it be?
Optional prompt this week: Please (a) write for us your personal message to the rest of humanity, the thing you most need to communicate, on the assumption that all humanity will get to read it and take note, or (b) write about why you are not going to do that.
Guidelines: Poetry or prose, old or new, on prompt or not, 369 words maximum (excluding title and notes), one post per person, link to that post below. Please link to us here at your post, please read what the rest of us submit and leave us some encouraging comments, and you are welcome to make comments or ask questions here too.
Next Week: We will invite you to share writing which includes the following phrase: “the world is burning, but…”
Thank you Rosemary - perhaps our writings will always let us explore things - in a little way or further too! Jae
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jae. Good thought!
DeleteThis is a wonderful prompt! I need to think about it.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the results of your thinking!
Deletethanks for creating another reason for me to write.
ReplyDeleteShall I, or shouldn't I was my thoughts ...
I think probably one MUST write what is there to be written; no 'should' about it. But how to say it, and how public to make it would be the next questions, which we must all decide for ourselves in each individual case. This is a fairly safe and tolerant space, I believe. I'm glad to see you have posted a link, so I look forward to discovering what you have shared.
DeleteMine is a reworking of one I wrote in 2015. I am far more politically correct and reserved now than I was back then. Not sure if this is a good thing:) I like reading my stats because the person or persons who scan twelve years of poetry choose the good ones ...have no idea why anyone would bother.. ...I could never read through 4000 poems.
ReplyDeleteA lot to read through, indeed! I created a collection of mine in 2005, so this time I only had to start from 2006. And I'm doing it in shorter lots, by subject or form. Believe me, most are very quick to receive a X rather than a √ or even a ?
DeleteAh, I was once a fiery political poet with pronounced opinions. And I too am more reserved and politically correct by now, and also not always sure that's a good thing.
I love Mary Oliver and think I have a message worth sending. Thanks Rosemary!
ReplyDeleteOh good! Off to read your message now.
Delete