I am
cranky, my dear poets and storytellers. Constant throbbing pain has that
effect on me. Sometimes, my crankiness tries to get the better of me, nudges me
to glare and bare my teeth at random people. Then I remind myself of the good
things: My insurance pays for all these surgeries, my body and mind can
withstand the physical trauma and mental stress, my spouse adores me, spring
will be here soon (and
I’ll get to garden!), I
have excellent friends, I’m not alone…
Those thoughts
brewed today’s optional prompt: please, share poetry or prose which
includes the following phrase: “the world is burning, but…”
“Phoenix Pine Cones Rise from the Ashes of Forest Fire” via
Add
the direct link to your response to Mister Linky. One post per participant. 369
words maximum. Share old or new pieces. Write to the prompt or to a
topic of your choosing. Visit other writers. Comment on the wonders they ink into the world.
next week,
we’ll invite you to find inspiration in the phrase, “looking
back”.
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…”
