"Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes. ~ Carl Sandburg
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| Poetry Friday Poetic things of interest: |
- See Irene Latham's Progressive Poem's schedule on the page above. I'm getting a bit nervous; my line is due Sunday!
- We are most fortunate today because Irene is also our host. Go HERE for her poetry goodness post, the Artspeak poem and the next line in the Progressive poem PLUS the round-up. Thanks Irene!
- If you'd like to see what everyone is doing for Poetry Month, look HERE at Jama Rattigan's post at Jama's Alphabet Soup.
It's April, and I am immersed in poetry. Each day, among all the other posts I'm trying to connect with, I'm writing a poem. My goal for Poetry Month: TINY THINGS. My choices may surprise you, and I'm excited to write, share, and read how everyone writes to meet their special goals for celebrating poetry month. Thus far I've written about a tiny Thanksgiving, a baby elephant, a tiny book, a peach pit, a musical note and a "must do" list. Today, the light in a window.
Tiny Lights
If you listen to the evening dusk
you’ll catch a breath of a lullaby.
Robins settling for the night,
now wiggling into place, they sigh.
Bye bye.
And if you watch in the evening dusk,
as dark comes near, the children run.
They follow the glow of window lights,
their play completed with the sun,
all done.
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
Oh, Linda, this is lovely. Especially your first stanza, it's breathtaking! I'm enjoying your "tiny" poems. Looking forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's been a pleasure finding new "tiny" things, Linda.
DeleteThis brings to mind wonderful childhood memories of long summer days spent playing outside with friends, running back home with the sun setting, hoping to get home just before it gets dark like our mums told us to! :-)
ReplyDeleteI remember, too, Jane. It was a special time, and the children in my neighborhood are still doing this, bringing back my memories. Thanks!
DeleteBeautiful, Linda. The robins settling in for the night reminded me of Jane Kenyon's poem, "Let Evening Come."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura, will look for the poem.
DeleteLovely, Linda. Love the line "breath of a lullaby."
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dori.
DeleteGorgeous! We had to be home by the time the streetlights came on. I have a favorite line in each stanza: "you'll catch the breath of a lullaby," and "They follow the glow of window lights,". I love the picture of evening light you included. Like you, I'm starting to fret about our poem. My day is Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ramona. Yes, don't know what the poem's lines will bring next! Yikes!
DeleteLovely poem. Great images, Linda, and you've caught the slowing down mood of dusk so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama, spring time brings this feeling well to me.
DeleteI was captivated from the first line, Linda! I love the idea of listening to the dusk and the image of robins settling in. Your poem reminds me of playing outside with my sisters until night fell.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's a fond memory, I think, too, JoAnn. Thank you!
DeleteWhat a lovely poem, filled with peaceful images. I love watching darkness fall and this poem captures that magical time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kay. I hear these sounds now that we have longer evenings and the lights begin to appear, children still shouting on their way home.
DeleteI remember following "the glow of window lights" at dusk when I was a kid, Linda. Thanks for capturing my memories in your poem. =)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Bridget, my memory too.
DeleteJust beautiful. So soothing, it also made me think of the tiny lights I would catch in the evening dusk!
ReplyDeleteAnd that is another poem, isn't it, Kiesha. I do know those fireflies, but not in Colorado. Sadly, we don't have them. Thanks for the memory!
DeleteLovely! I love dusk in the summer! Your words stir memories: "If you listen to the evening dusk... you’ll catch a breath of a lullaby" I love the thought of listening to the evening dusk! We usually connect the auditory sense to things in the dusk, not to the dusk itself. It makes me feel as if the dusk were orchestrating the lullabies.
ReplyDeleteIt may be. That's a mystery of nature, right? Thanks, Alice.
DeleteLove the contrast in the two stanzas of listening to watching. As others have said, it brings back lovely memories. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carmela.
DeleteSuch a sweet way of ending the day. Wiggling robins, glowing window lights. Mmmmmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda. It is a wonderful part of the day in any season.
DeleteOh, I love the running children following the glow of window lights. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kat. I imagine that each of us have some memories about this.
DeleteThat's how I wish we all could live every day, immersed in poetry! Your poem is a lullaby, for sure, Linda. I also love the Sandburg quote you chose for the top of the post.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. I didn't think of it as a lullaby, but that does fit, doesn't it?
DeleteThis little thing is so lovely and comforting, it becomes big! Thanks for this glimpse into your world!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Violet, I'm glad you enjoyed this 'tiny' moment.
DeleteCool form! I like your poem a lot. Here's a lullaby call for submissions:
ReplyDeleteFlock
http://flocklit.com
Flock literary journal is teaming up with EAT Audio Magazine to release a digital album of lullabies. We are looking for new lullabies, experimental lullabies, spoken word, percussion, etc – any audio project with a lullaby spirit. Traditional lullabies and revisions to traditional lullabies are also welcome, so long as the submitter shows that the original is in the public domain.
Artists should submit no more than 1 lullaby. Please include a document or cover letter containing any lyrics. For non-English language lyrics, please include words in the original language as well as translated into English. We will consider audio up to 7 minutes in length, though expect most accepted pieces will fall in the 3-4 minute range. Audio should be submitted in Mp3 format, and artists should have a WAV file on hand in case the submission is accepted.
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Thanks, Tabatha, and wow, that's an interesting idea for gathering.
DeleteI like the simplicity in this - in rhythm, word, and tone. Very nice, Linda!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Matt. It was a pleasure to write.
DeleteI'm thankful for this lovely poem. It is so peaceful and sweet. Just the right note to sooth my frantic brain. I wish I were writing poetry this month, as I find it soothing and centering. Instead, I am delving deeply into my YA novel. My brain is in overload, overwhelm, overstimulation land. Love it. Hate it. Embracing the duality of it. :-) If only I can FINISH it! :-)
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful for you, Brenda! I'm sure it's intense to work and work at it. Thanks for taking time to come by! I'm glad you found a bit of peace here.
DeleteLove it -- the long lines and then the final short line like punctuation. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Lee.
DeleteTiny Lights is delightful, Linda. It is one to read to children to make them drift off to sleep or use as a model to write by. This one should be in the future spring gallery. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Carol, and one I shared today may be for the spring gathering, too. Thank you.
DeleteYour poem is lovely and calming, just what I needed tonight! Last night I was up very late preparing artwork to deliver to a gallery I exhibit in. It was quite late when I went to bed, and much to my surprise there were a few birds in the wee hours of the dark morning that were out there calling to each other. A call I wasn't familiar with, I must have eventually fallen off to sleep from their lullaby.
DeleteIf I need to rise very early, there are a few birds making quiet noises. I think it's robins, but am not sure, cannot see them. I hope you got all the tasks done, and could relax later! Thanks, Michelle.
DeleteI love those first lines, Linda, and the reminder that we should all be listening carefully for the poetry hiding in our days.
ReplyDelete