Friday, December 19, 2014

A Repost for Poetry Friday AND Deja Vu Blogfest

It's finally Deja Vu again.  I thought I'd never see this day again!  So here's my post that needed reposting - one that had not been vu-ed deja so much.
It was a Saturday... November 8, 2014... to be specific.  Not much traffic that day as I cruised the interspace highway.
If you go to DL Hammons or to the links at the bottom of this page, you will find more little known but treasured links.
It is also Poetry Friday, hosted by Buffy Silverman - so head on over to Buffy's Blog for more poetry offerings!
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"An Exercise"

On Friday, for Poetry Friday, Margaret Simon explained how she used her students as "guinea pigs" (so to speak), offering them a writing technique/prompt she had seen done by their state poet laureate, Ava Leavell Haymon, at the Book Festival Wordshop.
Her explanation and results are on her page  Reflections on the Teche here.
I decided to try the exercise, since I had a pen and the back of a large envelope right here handy beside me.



Here's the final, short 6 line poem that I came up with out of some of the words jotted down:

Oh, the luscious feeling
Of sweet love
I hum
So softly enveloped
In the arms of serenity
Blessed I am.

And this - with only a couple of very quick edits, is my "free writing" in 7 minutes.  It was supposed to be free writing - not a poem (complete with rhyming), but this just came out.  It is always a wonder-ing feeling when this happens.  I can never explain why sometimes words are easy and others they are labored over.
Was it the exercise of the writing of the words, the disregarding of the internal negatives thoughts, was it knowing I was going to write something not planned out, that I'd spontaneously would put on paper - and that I didn't have to share it if I didn't care to - like if it was stupid and terrible as the voices had said it would be before I disregarded them?
7 minutes - With the rest of the exercise, it was probably 15 minutes total for prep and both pieces.  I may try it again next week.  It seemed to free up the brain.
Thanks for the exercise, Margaret and Ava!

My Wonder

Days are long in summers lost;
Evening comes at precious cost -
Quick the sun’s last rays are cast,
Now the time is going fast.
As the stars come out to play,
When the moon peeks out a ray,
I alone am left to wonder
At their glory, at God’s thunder.
All around me dark of night
Blankets me and holds me tight
Till my breath it will not come
And my heartbeat slows to dumb;
Then I hear the breath of night
Breathing songs into the white
Of stars and moon, oh, they too sing
And I have heard no grander thing
Than dark and light in chorus lift
Their voices smooth and soft and swift
Drifting to my ears on earth
Offering me a chance for birth
I can only hear them when
My hand is still, and God wields pen.

Donna JT Smith
Nov. 8, 2014
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19 comments:

  1. There is nothing grander this time of year than dark and light lifting in chorus! I especially love the lines: Then I hear the breath of night
    Breathing songs into the white
    Of stars and moon..
    Thanks for sharing this, Donna, and happy holidays to you!

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    1. I love your Menorah Man! And thanks for the spatula fire extinguisher tips. I'll just store that in my emergency gear!

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  2. I really like that :) Did you ever try the technique again? x

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    1. I am actually glad that I reposted this, as it was on my mind to do again, and just let it slip by me...all I need is 15 minutes...who doesn't have that? It's time to try it again!

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  3. I'm always amazed at those times when words tumble onto the page and you have no idea where they came from. It's almost like I'm channeling them from a different source.

    Thank you for re-sharing this with us today! :)

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    1. I absolutely love those times. I am even surprised when I read it when I'm done.

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  4. You have a talent for poetry :) (Which I completely lack, so I doubly respect you!) Sounds like a fun exercise.

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    1. It was a fun exercise, and I really need to try it again before I forget to!

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  5. this is amazing. I can't write poetry to save my life. Love it. :)

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  6. Happy to see another wonder of a poem by you, Donna. Love the exercise, & then "All around me dark of night/Blankets me and holds me tight". I love the night & feel just this way as the sun goes down. Happy Christmas to you and all the family!

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    1. You have a wonderful Christmas also! Seems busy lately. Just got a new pup that kept us awake all night last night. The cat isn't too pleased. I think Noah will have a few words to say on his blog in the next few days!

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  7. Um, dare I admit I really loved the little six line poem? The beautiful simplicity holding so much feeling.

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  8. My sense is that some of the greatest poetry flows freely from the pen (or keyboard) with a spontaneity that comes from the heart, mind, and soul. The exercise is a good one I think.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  9. I loved both poems, but especially these last two lines "I can only hear them when
    My hand is still, and God wields pen." Nice deja vu!

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  10. Great exercise! I'm going to give that a try. Really nice poem. Thanks for reposting this one !
    Happy Deja Vu weekend,
    michele at Angels Bark

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  11. Your short poems are very powerful. Thank you for sharing them.

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  12. As much as we love writing, it's good to let the pen be still and listen now and again.

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  13. Both poems were beautifully written, and I can't believe how quickly you wrote them! The exercise really inspired you!

    Julie

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