Greetings, all, and hoping you are blessed by continued energies for this end of National Poetry Month! April is a glory, and also, for those of us who are Poeting and Earthing to the utmost, kind of a long haul. Luckily, we have poetry to get us through Poetry Month. ; )
My NPM project continues over at WHISPERshout Magazine, where "we" are publishing 4-5 poems each Wednesday, from a deep stock of children's work that lurks in my photos, files and blog posts from the last 25 years. I'm announcing on social media the opportunity for poetry appreciators of all ages to comment on the work, and for young poets to submit their poems and accompanying artwork. As far as I know it's the only online outlet for kids ages 4-12 to publish, so I do hope you'll share with families, classrooms and programs (homeschool? library? festival?) where young poets may lurk. Thanks!
I'm joining in the Poetry Sisters' challenge this month again because they are writing in the style of one of my favorite favorite poets--Pablo Neruda. I love him because he manages always to draw out of solidly concrete and even childlike images the most soul-shaking revelations. In his odes he speaks directly to dictionaries, bees and artichokes, to sadness, numbers and bicycles. He is extravagant in his choice of vocabulary but spare in line length, giving us the most delicious and demanding bite-sized mouthfuls. He is playful, and wore hats with aplomb. You can learn more about this grand and humble human by reading THE DREAMER by Pam Munoz Ryan. I hope my ode in the style of Pablo serves as an ode to the poet himself.
In other news, Jone Rush MacCulloch has been busy posting poem videos created by her students; this week mine went up and I appreciate how the images selected to go along with my definito "/kon'-sept/" really do illustrate THINKING. Thanks to Jenni Speer for this work!
Heidi, that video about your definito is beautiful. I love the book The Dreamer. And finally, and most importantly, your "Ode to Resistance" is perfect. The image in your poem of those "clusters of grapes full of the juice of refusal" fermented and poured out is so powerful.
Oh, the concepts are so layered and varied and a little random, just like the best Neruda poem. I am here for the "vitamin wind" of resistance, the "mineral melody" gathering into an orchestra of resistance. Play it, cousin! I love that there is so much here that I can return repeatedly and just have a good wallow in the words and dig into them. You really caught the Neruda spirit in such a lovely, meaning-rich way.
Wow! Heidi. I love 'Ode to Resistance.' I want to walk into a page of cloud back beat and tiny silences. There is so much movement in your poem and then breaks of rest. I read it like an orchestra score. Wonderful!
I love Neruda too & forgot about this challenge, too much going on. There is a part of me that wants to sing this, Heidi. It doesn't work liltingly, but if taken slow & thoughtfully, it is powerful. I like every part but somehow "Just so must a singer raise the dust," & on took me to the music. Thanks for your passion. ('ants on their way to the honey' made me smile at the reference, at least the one I thought it was!)
Oh, Honey, you Neruda-ed GORGEOUSLY. I love how you firstly, secondly, thirdly built power and momentum into your poem until "flood," "shatter," and "spill." And that ending. That final beat. That "common ground." Yes.
I honestly think yours might be the most Neruda-ish amongst us! This is gorgeous, and what a sensory rush -- the ants and the juice and the rain and the bodies and the fences and the wine. I love it!
Heidi, that video about your definito is beautiful. I love the book The Dreamer. And finally, and most importantly, your "Ode to Resistance" is perfect. The image in your poem of those "clusters of grapes full of the juice of refusal" fermented and poured out is so powerful.
ReplyDeleteOh, the concepts are so layered and varied and a little random, just like the best Neruda poem. I am here for the "vitamin wind" of resistance, the "mineral melody" gathering into an orchestra of resistance. Play it, cousin! I love that there is so much here that I can return repeatedly and just have a good wallow in the words and dig into them. You really caught the Neruda spirit in such a lovely, meaning-rich way.
ReplyDeleteWow! Heidi. I love 'Ode to Resistance.' I want to walk into a page of cloud back beat and tiny silences. There is so much movement in your poem and then breaks of rest. I read it like an orchestra score. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love Neruda too & forgot about this challenge, too much going on. There is a part of me that wants to sing this, Heidi. It doesn't work liltingly, but if taken slow & thoughtfully, it is powerful. I like every part but somehow "Just so must a singer raise the dust," & on took me to the music. Thanks for your passion. ('ants on their way to the honey' made me smile at the reference, at least the one I thought it was!)
ReplyDeleteThis poem rolls like snowmelt whooshing downhill, gathering speed. Beautiful, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteOh, Honey, you Neruda-ed GORGEOUSLY. I love how you firstly, secondly, thirdly built power and momentum into your poem until "flood," "shatter," and "spill." And that ending. That final beat. That "common ground." Yes.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think yours might be the most Neruda-ish amongst us! This is gorgeous, and what a sensory rush -- the ants and the juice and the rain and the bodies and the fences and the wine. I love it!
ReplyDelete