Friday, January 6, 2017

OLW - No Really

Ferocious women who never bring you coffee
Always leave a wild song; 

*See below for more info*
 
Haiku 6

REACH

Shifting focal points
Recycle golden moments
One heart at a time


I had announced that my OLW was COMMIT, but I had a sudden change of heart.  Actually, I'd complained aloud to my husband that I wasn't enthralled with it.
Then when writing on Wednesday morning, I suddenly was struck with the word "REACH".  COMMIT wasn't active enough still for me.  REACH gives me so many more possibilities in life.

I had watched a movie this past week, "Savannah Sunrise".  The woman in it was so good at reaching out to people and caring, that it inspired me to try to be more like that. I realized that morning that I had a desire to reach out to others more.

On Wednesday morning during our breakfast in the hotel dining area, I heard a gentleman ask a woman if she would like assistance with her luggage.  She had a number of bags she was dragging through the lobby out to her car - in one trip.  She smiled but declined the help.  I finished my breakfast, and then approached him as he sat drinking his tea.  I thanked him for being such a kind gentleman, and we got into a brief exchange about how many more people are predominantly good and kind than we would be led to believe if we just watched tv all day.

Thursday morning I struck up a conversation with the waitress at our hotel.  Just below her name on her badge it said "Ask me about my puppy."  So I did.  We ended up sharing our pictures of our animals, and having a really nice chat.  I reached out more than I usually do, and met a really nice person, with a tatoo of her recently deceased dog's paw on her arm.

Yesterday I also got a text from my niece who expressed that she missed my mom and sharing all the things her great grandchildren were doing and how they were growing.  She passed before seeing any of them.  I mentioned how I also often thought of her.  I often try to think of what she would have done in a particular situation and lean on my understandings of how she would handle things.  She was a person who easily put herself in other people's shoes, read them and reached out to draw them to a place of comfort.  That said, she also didn't baby anyone....somehow she struck a balance of giving comfort and confidence.   Never an extrovert, she nonetheless often quietly reached out.

I think we could safely say Mom would be happy with Buffy Silverman's line from last Friday: "ferocious women who never bring you coffee".

I added to Buffy Silverman's line from last Friday on my post using my refrigerator magnets:
"always leave a wild song"

And now I am wondering - REACHing out - asking for some more lines made with magnetic poetry kits or other found words - titles, cross out...whatever.
Just name your source, and send your line enclosed in quotes in the comments today, and all week.  I will list the lines next Friday.  Then, given those lines, I will "assemble" a poem by Poetry Friday on January 27 - I hope!
What else would these "ferocious women" do, not do, like, say, read, make, create, etc.?

If you have sent a line already,
please resend it today in quotes so I will know for sure that you are submitting those words.  If any lines don't make sense grammatically when I want to assemble the poem I may make slight adjustments for tense or form.

Ferocious women who never bring you coffee
Always leave a wild song;

Have a deliciously ferocious day!  
And reach out to someone this week!

But first... Go visit the other offerings for Poetry Friday at friend, Linda Baie's blog, TeacherDance today or any time this week.

PS  For those wondering or keeping tabs on me: I did write a poem for yesterday, but only one, so I did not post Thursday.  So far, so good.  Might just REACH my goal of a daily happy happening poem this year, though it is so early in the game!

22 comments:

  1. Reach is a great word choice and I love how you have seen it and used it already. i will try to find a line for you and come back with it.

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  2. Had to laugh that you couldn't commit to "commit." "Reach" should be fun for you this year. My experience is that people are very willing to connect.

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    1. I know! It was so ironic that I couldn't commit!
      Yes, almost every time I reach out a bit, I am brought closer to the reason we are here.

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  3. I have been travelling in a foreign country for the past month, and I have been deeply moved by the kindness we have been shown by random strangers as we bumble through their country. There will always be mean people or bad people, but there will always be so many good, caring people, if you let yourself see them!

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    1. Bumbling through their country is such a wonderful way to put it! I've read a few of your posts, but need to get back over there and see what else you are up to. Loved that Frog and Toad book cover!

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  4. Love that "reach" & that you've started using it already. I have a set of poetry blocks that always sat at my school desk, now on a shelf right by my desk. Here's what I came up with, Donna. Thanks for this, sounds wonderful. "dreaming women do art in poetry"! Looking forward to what's next!

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    1. NICE line, Linda! I love that all these words are just hanging about us waiting to be noticed!

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  5. Reach is a great word. I'm fond of "connect" also, and I think you are using reach in a similar way. They are both simple yet powerful. Best of luck with your poetry, too.

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    1. Oh, yes, CONNECT would quite easily be used for REACH. I want to REACH far and wide, REACH high, REACH down... maybe to far reaches... REACH beyond my self-imposed limits! Thanks for the well-wishes!

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  6. I had to laugh that you couldn't commit to commit! Reach is a wonderful word.


    I reached into Kate Dicamillo's Where Are You Going Baby Lincoln to patch together a line:


    where wizards and wolves rush by in a blur of green and gold and gray

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    1. Hi, Buffy! I'm so glad your "ferocious women" line was out there to borrow. It's a beauty! And now this rushing blur! Love it!

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  7. Happy New Year, Donna! The word reach is full of stretch and possibility. I can't wait to check back and see the lines of poetry added!

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  8. I love the word reach and your stories of how you are reaching out. I'm reading a Kurt Bonne gut novel today, Slaughterhouse Five, and am loving the words. My line is from this novel when the Tralfamadorians give Billy Pilgrim some very wise advice to live in peace: "Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the ones."

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    1. "Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones" is a direct quote from Vonnegut's book. Can you maybe look at that page and "create a line" using words from that page just - like a cross out poem?

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  9. Loved reading about your journey to reach - it's the perfect choice!

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  10. Isn't it funny how we audition words? I'm so glad you found a word you *love* and that fits you so well. Here's to reaching in 2017!!

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    1. I know! I really tried to want COMMIT, but it just wasn't fitting somehow. REACH really jumped out at me suddenly. Like a dog pound puppy saying "Take me home!"

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  11. Donna, I think reach will suit you and allow you to move beyond bold to reach out and touch the lives of others to impact yours as you did on your travels. April was using the word fearless that I would like to borrow for one of your lines: Fearless women reach out, connect, and find joy in life's intertwined moments.

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  12. What a powerful and artistic OLW. I am thrilled to have a peek into your process and see how it is already working for you. It's been a pleasure writing with you Donna. I look forward to more haiku and reaching farther than we have in the past. Happy New Year!

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