Brenda Harsham at Friendly Fairy Tales hosts Poetry Friday today with a sweet gathering haiku to lift our spirits.
I missed Michelle Barnes' post last week with Today's Little Ditty's latest challenge, this time from Calef Brown. Briefly, he asked poets to "Write a poem or a story about two anthropomorphized objects. They can be an odd couple, close friends, mortal enemies, or meet each other for the first time. The poem or story can be about an adventure they have together, a conflict, a game they play, anything."
I have been intrigued by this, enjoying the poems on the padlet so far, and wrote one and posted it. But I have had a question in the back of my mind for months that I read somewhere: "Can afraid and brave learn to get along?" I've written more than one poem this year about perspective, something that appears so challenging this politically-charged year. Thus I began a second approach to this challenge. Can I find an answer by writing? What do you think? Did I?
Sometimes It Takes Two
Afraid sees shadows lurking here,
lolling there, most everywhere!
Afraid wants others to recall
they too heard scratching in the wall.
It often queries, “Whence that smell?
What’s the strange sound of a bell?”
When it goes to sleep at night,
Afraid does not turn out the light.
Brave loves shadows as they seem
like artist’s drawings in a dream.
When its ears hear something crunch,
Brave imagines tasty lunch.
It loves all sounds - the wind in trees,
the bells that ring, a person’s sneeze.
And when it’s night, and time for bed,
Brave’s lamp turned off, it rests instead.
Perhaps Afraid can grasp Brave’s hand
to help them both to understand
another way to fill a need,
a simple act that plants a seed.
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
Oh, Linda...this is a wonderful poem! I'm immediately reminded of Liz Gilbert's chapter in Big Magic about Martyr and Trickster. The difference is perspective and you've nailed it. I love how in the end, hands are grabbed in a way to help. This poem needs a wider audience. Please submit it to.....?
ReplyDeletePS: Missed you last week. I hope your birthday was very special.
Aw, thanks for all this, Linda, the "Big Magic" mention, the liking of the poem & the birthday wishes. I do believe we all need to hold hands during this divisive time, and share a bit of bravery while admitting our fears.
DeleteI must confess I've been feeling too afraid recently - everything seems to be bad news all the time, and there have been some changes in my life that have taken things out of my hands. I need my inner brave to come and take my hand, and help me find the positive in my fear.
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote above, Jane, I think so, too. It is such a hard time to see the news every day. I won't quit fighting for what's right, but need to hold a few hands along the way, too. Thanks!
DeleteLinda, I have been out of the picture lately and missed your birthday. Afraid connects with anxiety for me (90 year-old uncle fell and broke his hand and a bone in his neck when the family traveled to Central NY to celebrate his birthday last weekend). Thanks for the different perspectives. i am going to grab brave's hand to get through this traumatic family emergency. This is a wow poem that is so well done.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry about your uncle's fall, Carol. An older volunteer at the store just fell last week, and luckily only broke her wrist, but still, it's hard for her to navigate her daily life. I'm glad you can grab Brave's hand for a bit of comfort! Thanks.
DeleteThanks for commenting, Linda. I have been thinking about your poem and the beauty of the different perspectives. Brave is a supporter.
DeleteOooh. I love this poem. I think Brave and Afraid can be very good friend s - meeting in the middle and perhaps becoming considered risk takers :)
ReplyDeleteTerrific point, Sally. Learning to help each other will help the risk-taking. Thanks!
DeleteYes, I think you did! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth!
DeleteLinda, this is really wonderful! I like thinking about these two, and the comparisons you make... how we can each embody both, and honestly NEED both... Thank you! xo
ReplyDeleteBrave and Afraid really do walk hand-in-hand. (You're only Brave if you do something in spite of being Afraid, right?) Great idea, Linda, taking the TLD challenge with those two.
ReplyDeleteBrava!! One of your best, Linda! So inspirational -- words we need to hear more than ever. Life is about balance and reconciling differences.
ReplyDeleteI can tell that this question has been lurking in your mind for some time, Linda. It's given you the perspective to write clearly and beautifully about a subject that might otherwise come across as muddy. When does fear end and bravery begin? You're absolutely right—Afraid and Brave do need each other.
ReplyDeleteThank you Irene, Tabatha, Jama & Michelle. This was something I've pondered for a long time and was a special one to write.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect combination! I love that one worries about scratching in the wall & one thinks of lunch & the contrast between lights on & off at bedtime. Yes, another hand to hold makes us scaredy cats braver. Thank you for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteWow, Linda, so beautifully done and such a powerful idea.
ReplyDeleteYes! Sometimes you can't have one without the other. Nice job, Linda, especially the lines, "When its ears hear something crunch,
ReplyDeleteBrave imagines tasty lunch." It always comes back to food for me. ;)
Thanks, JoAnn, Liz & Bridget. Wishing we could all hold someone's hand to help, or many someone's! As I tried to show, each of us has different experiences, and would love to be heard.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Linda, I love these two characters so palpable–and so much in need of one another. And your ending leads us to hope, I hope these seeds are planted, thanks.
ReplyDeleteI love the parallelism in your poem, the two perspectives are so connected. And the hands at the end joining together to spread a seed. Like Linda Mitchell, I think you should submit this somewhere. It speaks to so many. We all own these two different perspectives every day.
ReplyDeleteThis is simply wonderful, Linda. It reminds me that we need to look at both sides of things to get a full sense of reality and of possibility. Love the optimism of that final stanza!
ReplyDeleteLooking at the "other side" no matter which one we are on feels important to me, the inspiration for this. Thanks, Jane, Michelle, Margaret & Molly.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I imagine a picturebook from this poem of yours. I can just imagine how exquisite this will be when paired with a talented illustrator. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Myra. That feels good! I'm most glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteLOVE it! You totally succeeded!! Great resolution in the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Lee.
DeleteOh yes, you did! This is just wonderful. I think fear plays such a big role in these divisive times we are in. I hope that many more of us can find our inner Brave and reach out to take another's hand--especially that of someone we don't see eye-to-eye with.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kay. I have that same hope.
Delete