Way back in February, Laura Shovan formed a private Facebook group to celebrate her birthday month. It's her Annual Poetry Project! She has given a challenge to everyone each year for a few years, but this time we shared poems to a prompt on FB. An article was presented and ten words selected from it became the prompt.
We have continued to write, or at least some have. This month it was my turn to select the article and the ten words. I chose this article from The Guardian, feeling it fit the summer's beginning well.
Here are the ten words if you'd like to write your own poem: internal, frustrated, storytelling, direction, craft, territory, happy, robots, natural, stuff
Here is my poem. Once again you can tell I'm excited about those special moments that mean summer.
 |
| The swing at my former home. No swing now, but an old pew. Still conversations, just no swinging. |
A Welcome Metamorphosis
Frustrated me, internally,
couldn’t move fast enough
to swing on the porch.
“Move that direction,”
I nudged and cajoled.
“I’ve tea, lemon and sugar,
cake slices, too.”
Happy in our summer territory
of storytelling conversations,
we ignored our robot lives
in the classroom. R & R happy,
we returned to the crafting
of our natural selves,
leaving all the hard stuff behind.
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
Ouch! Hopefully students today don't have "robot lives" and can "craft their natural selves" in our classrooms!
ReplyDeleteI thought of "robot lives" not necessarily terrible, but so organized, Mary Lee. I agree, school is also for finding those "natural selves", but summer is, too.
DeleteThe crafting of our natural selves.....this line just hits me right in the heart. I recently went on a girl friend weekend and found myself saying...I'm feeling myself again. I know just what you mean. Wonderful poem. I need some time on that swing.
ReplyDeleteYour weekend sounds marvelous, Linda. I'm glad you found that "self" there.
DeleteWhat a lovely poem. I like the contrast of robot lives and natural selves. We get caught in routine most of the year, then we get that needed break that allows us to stretch and just be our natural selves.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it is a time for new journeys in the summer, I think.
DeleteI have been crafting my natural self for days now and I'm loving it. Long mornings walking, drinking coffee, enjoying the view. I'm getting closer to the me I want to be. This poem captures that feeling.
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to hear of your "lazy days" Margaret. I love the postings on FB, too. Thank you.
DeleteI often find myself living a robot life, trying to manage and organise and schedule every little thing, when in reality, life really only starts when you stop trying to control it! ;-)
ReplyDeleteEven in retirement, I feel that my schedule fills very fast, Jane. I love your thoughts about control! Thanks.
DeleteWhat a lovely invitation to summer and renewal. Those last lines about crafting our natural selves packs a punch.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. Reflection might be a key, and summer time helps!
DeleteLinda, thank you for offering a porch swing to sit and reflect while I continue to wait. These lines are beautifully written with regards to summer:
ReplyDeleteR & R happy,
we returned to the crafting
of our natural selves,
leaving all the hard stuff behind.
Our natural selves are filled with our passions that long to be played out each summer!
Thank you, I certainly agree that summer stretching out before us sounds good. Best wishes in that waiting, Carol.
Delete"summer territory" can be a very welcome land! Like the others, I am struck by "we returned to the crafting/of our natural selves." Nice, Linda! I would love to hang out on your pew or swing :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tabatha, would love to have you! I've just found some wonderful spice/lemon cookies for tea!
DeleteLovely welcome to summer -- my mouth is watering at the lemon tea and cake slices. Summer really is a time to put aside a "robot life" of routine auto-pilot and relax into "crafting our natural selves." Such a nice way of stating that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama. I just got a box of Carr's ginger-lemon cookies & thought of you! Yes, time to put some things aside!
DeleteTea and cake? Yes, please!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth, any time!
DeleteMy summer "territory" is my porch and rocker that awaits me with comfy pillow and semi private location to spy on birds, dragonflies, and neighbors strolling by. I, of course, have a cold glass of lemonade nearby. Wishing you many swing-worthy summer days ahead! -- Christie @ https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteThank you! Your "territory" sounds lovely, Christie!
DeleteThis is wonderful, Linda. So many teachers will appreciate this poem -- especially as school is ending.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laura. It isn't as if school is a terrible place, just that routine that needs summer relief.
DeleteYou have so captured the spirit of summer, the freedom, the slowing down, the treats, the "storytelling conversations." Hope you're enjoying it all!
ReplyDeleteI am, Violet. Thank you. The stories are the best, I think.
DeleteI'm sorry I didn't contribute to your ten word challenge. Your contribution is outstanding. I had a bit of a problem wrapping my head around the words which seem to require more depth than I can explore at this time. :-(
ReplyDeleteJust posted last week, Diane. It's okay. I haven't been able to do them all either. Keep up with your wonderful cat project! Thank you!
DeleteIt is good summer comes along to shake us out of robot-feelings. I like sleeping in. Or not, and being the only one up in the cool early mornings, reading poetry by an open window.
ReplyDeleteWhat's terrific is that we each get to choose what's wonderful for us, Brenda. Enjoy!
DeleteLinda, thinking of you in your pew this summer, perhaps with one of those grandgirls looking at books and chatting and laughing? Thank you for your poem! Summer is to be endured in these parts... right now we are coasting, but soon it will be TOO HOT to breathe. xo
ReplyDeleteI understand since Nathan & family have been in the 90s for weeks! We're now having our first heat wave of the nineties, but it's still nice in early morning & the evenings. Thanks, Irene, hope the AC does what it's supposed to do for you!
DeleteGreat poem, Linda. These lines in particular struck me:
ReplyDelete>>we returned to the crafting
of our natural selves,<<
Thanks for the lovely reminder to this for myself. Have a lovely summer!
You're welcome, Carmela, and wishing you the same!
DeleteI love these three closing lines,
ReplyDelete"we returned to the crafting
of our natural selves,
leaving all the hard stuff behind."
Thanks for shedding the "hard stuff," and offering us a taste of summer Linday!
Joining the applause circle for "crafting/our natural selves" and wishing you summer day after summer day of inspiration, Linda! Thanks for always providing some here.
ReplyDeleteWe all need to "return to the crafting / of our natural selves!" Very nice, Linda.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Michelle, Robyn & Matt. I wrote it and I meant it, too!
ReplyDelete