Jone MacCullough hosts Poetry Friday today at Check It Out. And she is celebrating with a Cybils Party. Congratulations to the Cybils winners announced here yesterday! And hope each of you enjoyed a sweet Valentine's Day, too. I enjoyed being a second round judge for poetry, but what a hard task to choose among the seven marvelous finalists. You can find all the finalists' lists here! If ever you need a new book to read, as Joan's blog title aptly tells, "Check It Out"!
It has been a busy week. I worked at the bookstore today, a lovely day to be there because of Valentine's Day. There were lots of customers and along with helping them find books to love, we gave out chocolate and bookmarks for the children (or maybe adults) to color.
But I am so distracted by the current political state, I was not sure what to share today. I found a poem I wrote two years ago and considering it, I suppose I felt similarly, though I did not know then how challenging these past months would be. The fall elections helped. I am still hopeful.
Hope
I feel the need for a narrative tale,
hard porcelain words, but a sweeter scale -
no more need to rewrite the tweets
with pseudo illusory echoing beats.
We will continue a skeptic’s cry,
that will not fade in the bye and bye.
The only tears for a twisted mind
will slip down cheeks of a human kind
to rue artifacts of yesterday
that acquired a tarnish we’ll clean away.
But do not plug all past mid-deeds,
or rearrange tales with a goal to please.
Cylinders will spiral; it’s called evolution -
the intent to flourish, in our Constitution.
Linda Baie (c) All Rights Reserved
Linda, I am glad that you are sharing a poem on hope. It is sorely needed in this time of unrest and discontent. The opening to your poem is strong, the reference to tweets is factual, and yes, the skeptics will continue to shout out. It is hard to believe that you wrote this 2 years ago and the saga continues. Hope is what we need.
ReplyDeleteYes, clearly I agree Carol. Thank you!
DeleteHello dear Linda - I am drawn to the specific imagery in this poem of "Hope," such as "hard porcelain words." How wonderful for the bookstore crowd that they have you helping them select the right ones to cart home. And many appreciations for your being a 2nd round reader for the Cybils in poetry. For me, always willing to catch-up in titles new-to-me, all the nominations & finalists + the winners add to my list. So much good poem making & poem reading to bring on, Hope. A thought to carry me though the week - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan, I will not give up 'hope', though this journey seems overlong. And I have enjoyed my poetry work for the Cybils very much, especially the conversations among the committees. The bookstore, always delightful!
DeleteYour usual warmth and thoughtfulness both here today, Linda - echoing appreciations to you and all who help the Cybils happen, and I'm sure your Valentine TLC at the bookshop caused more than a few smiles. It is sobering that your poem is still so on point. I am grateful there are voices for sanity, new and more ones, I think - I hope they can make a meaningful shift.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for those voices, too, feels like a boost to the spirit of our country. Thanks, Robyn.
DeleteHooray for hope in these troubled times! Did you ever think we'd be continuing "a skeptic's cry" for so long? Hooray for hope, & hooray for the skeptics who keep speaking up for truth! The most hopeful thing I see is that more and more people are raising their voices like you are!
ReplyDeleteNo, as written above, this political & conflictual road seems very long, JoAnn, but we are still here fighting! Thank you for being part of that, too.
DeleteJust what we needed -- thanks for sharing your Hope poem this week! Made me remember how devastated I was right after the 2016 election. I knew it was going to be bad, but now, a couple of years later, I can't believe "how" bad things have gotten. And yet -- there is always hope (yay for the midterms!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your work as poetry judge. It's probably the hardest category of all, having to compare apples and oranges. But I guess we should be happy there's a poetry category at all.
You're welcome for all, Jama. It is a mixture of ups & downs today, but I guess that's where I am, too! And, still hopeful!
DeleteI'll sail on your mast of hope Linda, thanks for this poem! There is no room for any Indifference. I'm glad you had some love filtering through your bookstore in the midsts of all this mess–we all need happiness and hope to continue to work for change.
ReplyDeleteI think the bookstore is a help in my life, along with family, Michelle. But now, I certainly am not indifferent. Thanks!
DeleteThis is perfect. Thanks for sharing a poem on hope. It’s much needed.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Jone. Thanks again for hosting!
DeleteLinda, I hope you can feel my hug from here. I was soooooo beat yesterday after a week of school and then to listen to the news. I'm disheartened. I need hope. Thank you for giving me what I need. Today, I'm up and immersing myself in PF -- finding my joy and energy in the words, "hard porcelain words, but a sweeter scale -"
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, reading everyone's poetry is a gift for us on Fridays!
DeleteWhat fun to work at the bookstore on Valentines Day... and to hand out chocolate!
ReplyDeleteIt was 'delicious' fun, Alice!
DeleteBeautiful, poignant poem, Linda. We definitely need to hang on to hope.
ReplyDeleteYes we do! Thanks, Kimberly!
DeleteI love your poem of hope, Linda. There is always hope, especially when we need it most. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I'm so glad you like it, Kiesha.
DeleteWe need hope to get us through the days. Love, hope and friendship are like chocolate, cinnamon and chili. They go together.
ReplyDeleteYes! Thanks for sharing what's so true, Brenda!
Delete"We will continue a skeptic’s cry" -- AMEN!! Let's HOPE the Constitution can withstand this newest attack...
ReplyDeleteI have hope that it will, but it is a challenging time for sure. Thanks, Mary Lee!
DeleteThanks for sharing your poem-hope and beauty, we need both, especially now (and your poem has both!)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan.
Delete