POETRY FRIDAY:

This month has been more hectic than ever!  Selling a house and moving into a tiny apartment in less than 30 days has been an overwhelming experience. We go to settlement for the house we sold on Tuesday, then we'll have a four month break while our house is being built. 

I know I've missed some wonderful blog posts this month, but hopefully I can catch up this summer. The one thing I did manage to do was to log-on each day to follow the progressive poem started by poet extraordinaire Irene Latham. It's been a lot fun watching this poem grow, and trying to imagine the line I'd add when it was my turn.  From the start, the first two lines made me think of the deep emotional hunger I've often filled with poetry...reading it, writing it. Although I kept testing other possible topics,  thoughts of poetry kept weaving its way back to me. Every line relates somehow (at least in my mind) to poetry.  Yesterday, when I read  the line added by Renee at No Water River, it seemed like a natural lead in to the what I think this poem is about.

If you are reading this

you must be hungry

Kick off your silver slippers

Come sit with us a spell

A hanky, here, now dry your tears

And fill your glass with wine

Now, pour. The parchment has secrets

Smells of a Moroccan market spill out.

You have come to the right place, just breathe in.

Honey, mint, cinnamon, sorrow. Now, breathe out

last week’s dreams. Take a wish from the jar.

Inside, deep inside, is the answer…

Unfold it, and let us riddle it together,

…Strains of a waltz. How do frozen fingers play?

How do fennel, ginger, saffron blend in the tagine?

Like broken strangers bound by time, they sisterdance…

their veils of sorrow encircle, embrace.

Feed your heart with waltzes and spices.

Feed your soul with wine and dreams.

Humble dust of coriander scents your feet, coaxing

seascapes, crystal sighs and moonshine from your melody

Beware of dangers along the path of truth

And beware, my friend, of too much bewaring–

strong hands cushion you, sweet scents surround you—now leap

without looking, guided by trust. And when you land

on silver-tipped toes, buoyed by joy– you’ll know

you are amazing, you are love, you are poetry—

 

Stay tuned, who knows where Caroline at Caroline by Line might lead us when she adds her line tomorrow!  

 

Be sure to check out more poetry fun at Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.

 

Poetry Friday

Last Saturday,  I was browsing my local Barnes and Noble and spotted Live Your Dash by Linda Ellis.  The book opens with the poem "The Dash."  I was so touched by the message of the poem that I haven't stopped thinking about it. It's amazing how so few words can say so much!  After doing a little research, I discovered this poem has been around for years. I don't know how I missed it, but I'm sure glad this little poem finally found it's way into my life. 

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

Linda Ellis copyright 1996

You can hear the author read the entire poem here.

For more poetry joy, head on over to Booktalking where Anastasia is hosting Poetry Friday. Don't forget to check out our Progressive Poem. Today's line comes from Tabitha at The Opposite of Indifference.

Poetry Friday

The 2012 Madness Poetry Tournament has come to an end,but you can still read the poems written by the 64 poets who participated.  Many thanks to Ed DeCaria for organizing and sponsoring the Madness! He was an amazing host who tirelessly answered participants' questions and provided constant encouragement. He did a fabulous job of planning this event, and he even designed a trophy for the champion.  It's obvious he put in a lot of time and effort to get something like this going.

What a delight it was to read the poems. The quality is amazing. Remember, poets had only 36 hours from the time they got their assigned word to write their poems.  Deciding on which poem to vote for in each match-up was a challenge! 

Although I only lasted one round, I had a great time being part of the fun. My word was synthetic.  When I first saw my word, I freaked a little. I had no idea where this word would lead me, but after about a dozen false starts, time was running out.  I finally decided to try writing a limerick anyone with a sibling might relate to. I'm always nervous about posting my poems, but I'm trying to push myself to take more risks,  so here goes.
Broken XBox

His words are apologetic
But I know they’re simply synthetic—
With tears in his eyes
My brother spews out his lies
Hoping I’ll be sympathetic!

I don't usually write humor and meter is always a stretch for me.  I was just grateful to come up with something using the word synthetic, and I enjoyed being part of a poetry-writing community! Ed has decided to make the tournament an annual event!  So,  I'm looking forward to many years of Madness! 

Now on to the next event-  the Progressive Poem!  Head on over to  A Year of Reading to read the poem so far. It's going to be fun to watch how it unfolds during the rest of the month!
A big thank you to Robyn at Read, Write, Howl for hosting Poetry Friday today!