Friday, March 2, 2018

Poetry Together

             Renée LaTulippe at No Water River hosts Poetry Friday today with a wonderful sharing about Michelle Heidenrich Barnes, her "brain children", Today's Little Ditty anthologies and two lovely poems. Thanks, Renée!


          I hope it's time for this picture! Spring is only a few weeks away!

           It's been a joy to travel the moods of February with all the poets writing, writing and writing each day for Laura Shovan's 6th Annual Daily Poem Project, this year it was an ekphrasis challenge. Each poet who signed to join the group also chose one day on which to share a personal piece of art.  From postcards to Pantone color names, from sounds to found objects, every year, the challenge is a new way to find/discover/write poems. The sometimes intimidating factors of, yet most often the wonder of Laura's project is to read and love and learn from all the other poets. If you want to know more, go here to Laura's post about how it works. Thanks to Laura and Kip Rechea, her friend, who help manage everything.
          We did seven days of warm-up. I missed one. Then, while we were still "meeting" others, and greeting those we'd written with before, February began. Altogether, I've written thirty-four poems. And, there is an 'afterword' for those who wish to continue writing together. I wrote fast some days, eked out words I might forget on other days. But sometimes a piece of art connected, and sometimes that piece of art surprised me that it connected. But also, whether anyone else liked what I wrote, I did. The lesson has been learned before, and now again, words by Cyril Connolly: "Better to write for yourself and have no public than write for the public and have no self." 

            Here are three favorites, both in the writing and how they turned out. Sometimes that's a surprise, too! One I added the poem to the picture, but the others don't work so well, too many words to fit! 


The Yearning - from fabric art by Jessica Bigi

Shadowed and alone in the forest,
a unicorn watched, 
saw the shepherdess’ fuss over her flock
and decided she wanted it, too.
She stepped out to join the story.

Linda Baie




Christie Wyman
 - gorilla with a baby on her back

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 
Gorilla Carving, unknown artist

Grief - a lai

Men arrive this day,
a cry sounds - “get away”,
fright.

No longer will they stay,
their home in disarray,
blight

Baby called from play,
on Mama’s back she’ll stay,
flight.

Linda Baie



Unfinished self-portrait by Jay Shovan - shared by Laura Shovan


Now Finished

First, my parents applied the colors.
Each year, they varied while the nanny
took her turn, then my preschool teacher,
a sister, the next-door neighbor, kids
on the block. Sometimes the paints merged;
smeared on by friends, a few enemies in
my elementary and middle schools.
One light and tender blush appeared after
my first love; in and out relationships
cast tints both bright and dim. Teachers, coaches,
counselors, my boss, parents again blended hues
until face and neck were covered, except for my ears.
I closed my eyes, ignored the mask,
listened to words I knew to be me.

Linda Baie
             Later, Laura shared that Jay had completed this work of art. Here is that picture, days after we had all written.

33 comments:

  1. LOVE! It's been such a great experience writing with you and receiving encouragement from you. The moods of February....now what are you going to do with that gem of a line?

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    1. Thanks, Linda. February was filled with those moods--in poems--and wonderful to write with you, too, to see what you would share. Now I'm trying to read PF posts & write to this latest pic, swirling words!

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    2. It's lovely to read your wrap up of this month's poems, Linda. That little gorilla was quite a gem.

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    3. Yes, he was wonderful to write about. Thanks again for your creative birthday celebration, Laura.

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  2. I'll miss the prompt. I hope Laura will do monthly ones, like last year. I love this: "listened to words I knew to be me."

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    1. I think we might since she is asking for opinions, Brenda. Thanks! What a joy it was to write this month with everyone!

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  3. I like all of these, but I LOVE the last one.

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    1. Thanks, Wendy,that picture was really an inspiration!

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  4. I love the way that poetry can be all about surprises - sometimes you sit down with a plan in mind, and it turns into something completely different!! That's the wonder of the creative process, isn't it? :-)

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    1. Yes it is, and so often interesting to see if one can find the 'why' of surprises. Thanks, Jane.

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  5. "She stepped out to join the story." What a great line! And what a wonderful time you've had stepping out in February, Linda. All those stories tucked into new poems! I especially love "Now Finished."

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. Considering all the outside worries, it's been rather a sanctuary to be able to write this way every day.

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  6. This is a very interesting project and I'm glad you shared that with us. I didn't know anything about it.

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    1. It was lots of fun and challenges, Mandy. Perhaps you'll remember to look for it next year?

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  7. I think I read all your poems, but then I did get sick and couldn't concentrate too well on reading anything. But still it was such a blast doing all this writing and having all the close connections!

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    1. Yes, I think we kept up with each other! You know how I love your poems, Donna! Much fun this February!

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  8. Thanks for sharing these poems, Linda, and glad you found the month interesting, inspiring and productive. Love the quote,too about writing for yourself.

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    1. Thanks, Jama. It was a great month of writing.

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  9. I like your lai the best. I haven't had luck yet with that form!

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    1. Thanks, Mary Lee. I haven't tried it very many times, but this time, it worked!

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  10. I love what you said about writing for yourself. <3 34 poems is a lot -- your poetry muscles are strong, Linda! I especially like "in and out relationships/cast tints both bright and dim."

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    1. It was a fun month, a bit of stressful, and the poetry writing helped I know, Tabatha. Thank you!

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  11. Linda, it has been such a whirlwind of writing that I almost forget the myriad of life tasks that wait me each day. I love writing alongside you and now I get to have a 2nd look at some of your poems and a first look at the warm-up one I missed. At the end of the month, I feel happy that I completed the challenge (as you do also). Receiving comments helps me think deeply about my writing. A few times there were sighs of relief when you and others made me feel that a few of the poems I questioned had some merits. I am going to add your quote to my notebook. Thanks! "Better to write for yourself and have no public than write for the public and have no self."

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    1. I know you are busy, gathering and writing poems, now participating in the slice of life challenge. It was quite a whirl of a month and now more to come. Thanks for your taking time to read what I wrote, too, Carol. Enjoy your Sunday!

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  12. Fun to reread these poems again here Linda, sitting by themselves but together as a group. I loved this line from "The Yearning," "She stepped out to join the story," unexpected and deepens the poem. Can we do anything but, 'write for ourself," If the heart isn't in the poem, the poem has no heart. Thanks for sharing your poems!

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    1. Thank you, Michelle. It feels to me that the most important of all our gifts is from the heart, in every aspect of our lives. I'm glad to read your words!

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  13. It's been a great month of writing. I enjoyed your poems each day and am glad I get to read these three again.

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    1. Thanks, Kay. It's been a wonderful journey, agreed!

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  14. I've enjoyed reading as many poems as I could on Laura's FB page, and am glad these were 3 I'd seen! Jessica's art in particular seemed to elicit so many different responses - from fun to sad to serious to playful. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Yes! It continued to amaze me how varied the ideas were coming from the same piece. Thanks, Matt!

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  15. Kudos to you, Linda - and to all who wrote so many wonderful poems during this month! Your "Now Finished" is especially tender and powerful. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome, Robyn, it was quite a collection of awesome poetry!

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  16. I just love how the entire Poetry Friday community simply push each other to greater heights, fresher understanding, and discipline when it comes to writing verse. So privileged to witness all these and thank you for sharing!

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