Common Threads

10:  L 2, L4, L6 restated

Listening to Our Experts

“We are one with the Earth,” cried Chief,
in deep grief
“One word: UNLESS…..” cried the Lorax,
stating facts
Aldo Leopold, County Sand:
“Love the land!”
“Will gardens grow?” From where I stand,
Oliver: “I Worried,” you know
We still have a long way to go
in deep grief, stating facts, love the land

I drew from four beloved books, in this order:

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Susan Jeffers
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold
Devotions by Mary Oliver, poem “I Worried”

 Challenge from Allison Berryhill:  Write an Onomatopoeic poem

Almost Asleep

pitch black dungeon dark except for
his screen beam of scrolling
against the haint-proof-blue headboard
eyelids fluttering lazily to the sounds
of drift-on-a-dinghy verge of the
edge of a deep sleep forest
where the gnashing of the
terrible teeth of the wild things
on the fringes of the wild rumpus begins
with the whirring blur of a white noise fan
feverish scritch-scritch circling of Schnauzer Fitz,
feet-sheet-scratching to Shanghai
rumble of thunder as we slumber under the
refrain of pelting rain
grumbling growl of Schnoodle Boo
the king of all wild things
who’s snoozing too

 Challenge from Susan Ahlbrand:  write your own poem inspired by “Both Sides Now,” sung by Joni Mitchell



And now Abideth These Three……

Faith
once a vocabulary word
a question
a word heard in church
now the substance of things hoped for
prayers of grounded belief
assurance of ultimate destination

Hope
once a too-high expectation that
skewed all the outcomes
a setup for a letdown
now the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
the promise that tomorrow will arrive
on full-feathered wings

Love
once a phony “marriage” of betrayal
a joke vault of secrets
a wasteland of landmines
now four spirited grandchildren
three resilent children
two rescue dog sons
and a second-chance sacrificing soulmate I cherish

…..and the Greatest of These is Love
(inspirations from the Bible, Emily Dickinson, Emanuel Carnevali)

Inspiration

Frank O’Hara was known for writing poems on his lunch break and became famous for his “Lunch Poems.” His “Lines for the Fortune Cookies” contains inspiring prophesies, thought-provoking questions, and humorous scenarios.

Process

Write your own “Lines for the Fortune Cookies” poem today.  Your audience can be anyone – the general population, a tourist, a family member, or even (dun-dun-dun) an ex!  Spice it up!

Kim’s Poem

As host on Day 16 of National Poetry Month on http://www.ethicalela.com, I issued this challenge:

Inspiration

                                           

Frank O’Hara was known for writing poems on his lunch break and became famous for his “Lunch Poems.” His “Having a Coke With You” inspired famous artwork as well as the modern Coca-Cola bottles that say “Share a Coke with (your name).” “Having a Coke With You” was a love poem to his boyfriend, Vincent Warren.

Process

Write a poem in which the title of the poem is “Having a Coke with You,” and the first line begins “is even more _____ than….” Your next lines can be as random as items in a thrift store. You may wish to conclude with, “which is why I’m telling you about it.”  Have fun with this one today – and feel free to change the drink of choice or its effect (fun, refreshing, depressing, etc)

Kim’s Poem

Having a Coke with You
is even more refreshing than
an aperitific Aperol Spritz at the Ritz
showers of blessing, when mercy-drops ‘round us are falling or
a shocking-cold spray of spring water as we kayak glassy streams or
a cleansing bottle of Miralax as a procedural prep or
a drizzling of sizzling kisses or
a sprig of nasturtium leaves to cure fungal infections or
a splattering of the colorful splendors of spring or
a midday misting of hydrating Evian mineral water or
a smattering of what’s mattering to me right now,
which is why I’m telling you about it.

Challenge from Padma Venkatraman:  write a mirror poem with juxtaposition divided onto two sides of the same page.