Molly Hogan hosts our Poetry Friday today HERE at her blog, Nix The Comfort Zone. Do not miss reading her "Artist's Prayer" of gratitude for her "small cup of life". Thank you, Molly! It is beautiful!
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| My most recent found heart rock! |
I am writing a poem every day in February with the group celebrating Laura Shovan's birthday. This is the ninth year! Each day one of us offers a prompt and everyone responds with a poem. This year, Laura has chosen the theme of the "body". Each day the prompts shared have been amazingly thought-provoking but the poems are written even more so. It's a joy to read others' words full of heartfelt feelings. Today, I'm sharing my response to Marilyn Garcia's prompt, My Skin, a song by Lizzo. You can watch it HERE. There's little better on Valentine's Day than to celebrate one's skin and everyone else's, too! Here is what I wrote:
How To Be In Our World
Go out into the world
some afternoon to find
ways to honor the skin
of others, the dark and light,
the in-between. Go! Mutter
into the wind, “I like my skin,
and yours, and yours and yours!”
Go home to think
how the blessed bounty of humans
needs noticing, then a listening
to all who live around us.
Spread out your feelings
in the grass; one by one
remember ‘who’ and ‘how’
and ‘why’.
Let them stay awhile,
as you feel the stretch
of ‘when’ and ‘where’ they rooted,
‘what’ it means to you now.
Can you celebrate? Not yet,
but a soft tug means you’re no longer
an old fool.
Linda Baie ©
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY WITH A BRIEFER MESSAGE FROM AN ANTIQUE VALENTINE
Linda, I so appreciate you posting this poem here, today. I'm having a tiny bit of a time keeping up with all the amazing poems -- like this one! I so agree that a celebration of the bounty of humans should be celebrated. The line, "as you feel the stretch," is such a great turn in your poem to the final tug on the heart. May we all stretch a little to honor the many colors of skin in our world. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, the poem is a favorite that I've written. I agree that it's taking a long time to try to read all the wonderful poems. I'm sure I've missed some, too.
DeleteThanks for your poem and the strong call out message in these lines:
ReplyDelete“how the blessed bounty of humans
needs noticing, then a listening
to all who live around us.“
Love your Valentine’s poem and heart rock—those are fun little treasures—Happy Valentine’s Day Linda, thanks!
I am hoping that despite the hate going on this week, we can continue to do good & help those in need, Michelle. Thanks for the wishes!
DeleteLove your poem with its timely message -- and what a fabulous heart rock! Happy Valentine's Day and have a good holiday weekend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jama, and loving wishes back to you as well.
DeleteLove this poem and the heart rock! I collect heart rocks too. Think, listen, remember, and stretch...such wise counsel. Thanks for writing and sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Ramona, love that you have such a collection. I'm always searching! Thanks for coming by!
DeleteThanks for sharing this lovely poem with inspired thoughts, Linda. I missed it on Facebook. "feel the stretch of ‘when’ and ‘where’ they rooted..." Your valentine poem is touching. So I want to say, "I'm in love with all you do". Have a wonderful weekend in frigid weather. Maybe a poem will come out from stepping out into the ultra cold temps.
ReplyDeleteThank you, too, Carol. It's 0 degrees this morning, will not be a day to go out! Wishing you a special weekend, too!
DeleteLinda your poem is both timeless and so totally inclusive. I love its messages about love, life acceptance and hope. Heartfelt words in the truest sense.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alan, these times call for lots of good will from us, I do agree!
DeleteLinda, such a passionate embrace of humanity ... these lines struck me most:
ReplyDeletethe blessed bounty of humans
needs noticing, then a listening
to all who live around us.
There is so much to contemplate in that, and so much truth. And I can't believe you found a heart rock!! What metaphors that could spawn! Heart of stone ... transforming to a heart that rocks love for others ... thank you for this energizing Valentine.
I look for heart rocks everywhere, Fran, and sometimes get lucky! Thank you!
DeleteI love this poem, Linda. I'm hoping for a whole world of people muttering, I like your skin and yours and yours and yours.
ReplyDeleteLove the heart-shaped rock. THere is a local artist who recorded a song about heart-shaped rocks that has long been a favorte.
Thanks for telling me about the heart-shaped-rock song, Kay. How wonderful that others are loving them, too.
DeleteSwoon, Linda! I, too, love the thought of the world muttering uplifting messages to themselves and one another. Lizzo is one of my favorites to dance to. Happy Valentine's Day! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks, and yes, wishing many, many people would mutter those messages everywhere! Wishing you a sweet Valentine's Day, Bridget!
DeleteI'm so glad you shared this again here, Linda. I love the inclusion of the line: "and yours, and yours and yours!" and the words about noticing the "blessed bounty of humans." Such a wonderful poem!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Molly, I'm so glad you like it. Laura's February challenge has been so full of inspiration!
DeleteThe blessed bounty of others does need noticing, every chance we can. I love that sentiment in your poem. Nice heart rock! Have a joyful week, Linda.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice, yes, you know I agree! Wishing you a lovely week, too, & keeping warm!
DeleteI love the picture of spreading out your feelings in the grass.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ruth.
DeleteThere is so much joy in the lines: “I like my skin,/ and yours, and yours and yours!”
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura, this poem feels so important to me during this time.
DeleteThis is one of my favorite poems of yours, too, Linda--I'm so glad you shared it. It manages both exuberance and humility about a really important topic.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi
DeleteI love "Go mutter into the wind, I like me skin, and yours and yours and yours." Spreading kindness like the dandelion blown into the wind.
ReplyDelete