Greetings, poetry people. Here's today's poem. I'm not holding myself to a new poem every single day--my one great wisdom as a writer over time has been understanding that, as an all-or-nothing type of person, demanding of myself that I do anything Every Single Day would lead eventually and directly to doing it not at all (including brushing my teeth; do not judge; I still have them all).
Back to the poems, which I have been writing almost every day and posting--nay, tossing out like confetti onto the internet, usually on Instagram, sometimes on Facebook and sometimes on Bluesky (I left TwittX some time ago). There's a certain madness in this--if I want to publish any of these in a journal, they are now "used goods" and not usually eligible for submission, but I've decided I don't care. I'm sharing my wealth and celebrating with (biodegradable) confetti, like at a wedding, the marriage of my creative impulse and this day, neither of which are special or spectacular but which are what I have, what I am and what I can. And since Nov. 6 in particular, I have trying to live according to this mashed-up advice from a reknowned UU minister and the tennis great Arthur Ashe:
~ love what you have, be who you are, do what you can ~
So here you go: have today's poem, in response to the Day 27 prompt from the MoSt New Year's Poetry Challenge which has been going on since mid-December. Coincidentally it is entitled "Purpose".
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Thanks to Kat Apel (well, hey there, friend!) for rounding us up today, and here's one last note of deep gratitude to the great Jimmy Carter, who with dignity and foresight chose the perfect moment to depart this mortal coil, reminding us all what public service in politics can look like.
I love the sentiment in this prose poem, Heidi. I especially love the line "Lie back on a cloud of rest & wait." Snow does have a job to do - remind us to appreciate the beauty of nature.
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ReplyDeleteHeidi, you made me laugh with your comment about toothbrushing! It is one of my least favorite tasks, and I insist upon walking around the house doing as many other things as I can during those infinite two minutes. Thank you for putting your lovely poetry out into the world at letting it fall over us like a beautiful dusting of snow!
The sentiment in your poem is lovely... even the shovelers deserve a snow day from time to time! (I say this knowing there are legit reasons to shovel during the storm and that I will always think we should shovel during the storm... but the *concept* of just resting and enjoying the bliss of snow accumulating a lovely thought. Like a cup of cocoa in a poem.) Thank you!
ReplyDeleteTry to be more like the sun! Yesss to that. And to your UU/Arthur Ashe line of advice!
ReplyDeleteA favorite thing of mine is to watch snow falling "out" the window, so your advice to stay in made me say "Yes!" to that, Heidi. Everyone is different & I wish that everyone also realized it, too, thus that line of advice at the beginning makes me smile! Thanks for "wait. And the end advice, try to be like the sun!" It's a lovely poem to begin our year!
ReplyDeleteOh, I do love your snow poem! That's me and flooding rain. (Because for us floods cut roads and pool in paddocks, but don't threaten houses.) The fence repairs can't be done until the the floodwaters recede - so we we're either out splashing in puddles, or inside and revelling in the rain. (G'day my friend!)
ReplyDeleteOh, this is lovely, Heidi, in both sentiment and composition. I love all those -ing words: "wintering, watering, blanketing, blessing" and "slipping, slanting, drooping, drifting". Like others, I find that "cloud of rest" especially appealing. Ahhhhhhh.....enjoy the snow!
ReplyDeleteHeidi, your poem as well as a few others this week used the word blanket in reference to snow. It reminds me of when I had garden club students and told them that snow has a purpose as it blankets the ground - insulating the flower bulbs and perennials beneath. It is a pearl of wisdom you share in your poem to let the snow accumulate before you shovel it away - after all nature knows, better than us, what she's doing. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe work of snow...the kiss of sun. Stunning. Confetti of blessings to know you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGosh! I love this! It encapsulates this week perfectly. "Let it all pile up while you pause." Yes!
ReplyDeleteMmm...first prints. I like that we really could relinquish this to sun.
ReplyDeleteI love that you're givin' it all away, Heidi --no holding back. We win (whereby I mean the collective we who freely admit to word-envy, yours in particular. Glad you're not secreting it all away for those journals --that are missing out, by the way).
I love this one and support the sentiment to the point that I think we should all hibernate for the winter. :) Love the Ashe quote too — so many things I say/think these days are preceded by, "And since Nov. 6 in particular..." :(
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