Thursday, April 8, 2010

Shhhh It: a poem

I signed on for readwritepoem's challenge celebrating National Poetry Month, in which talented and industrious poets are composing a poem a day based on daily prompts given at the website (see link). I joined on April 2, already one day too late, fully realizing that I would not be a one-a-dayer. For me this is just to see what might come from a source I'm no longer in touch with.

I noticed that the website actually addresses people like me in the challenge instructions:  Not doing NaPoWriMo? Again, no worries. You can swing by Thursdays as usual and still take part by leaving a link on the Thursday NaPoWriMo prompt post each week during the month of April. Select from any of the prompts shared thus far as part of the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge as your inspiration — or write whatever strikes your fancy.

Here is the prompt I selected:
Make your poetry personal. I mean, it already is, right? It’s thoughts, observations, deep, dark, personal feelings and stories dressed up in pretty words and oblique descriptions. You get it, and some others get it.
Still others see it as something else entirely, which is great, honestly. We have our own set of filters our lives go through, and this influences how we interpret things. It is part of what makes reading poetry fun and interesting for me.

Today, let’s make poetry really personal. Give poetry, as you write it, a name. Possibly a gender. And a personality. . .

So it’s your turn. Give poetry — how you view poetry, what poetry means to you, your poetry — a name. Now write a poem suits your view or vision.......

The Dance by Chris Marshall
The Dance by Chris Marshall



Shhh it

Shhhh
It sleeps the sleep
Of no-dream, no-scene
Where the truth is there is
Only one truth:
What once was is no longer,
May never again be.
Maybe never was.

Shhhh
It speaks no language
But the one turned inside
Without voice or inflection,
The one hurling questions,
No answers.
The one making excuses,
No poems.

Shhhh
It is a quiet fighter
Dead-eyed and mute,
Mute and wild-eyed,
Wild-eyed and whispering,
Whispering and dancing,
Dancing and spinning,
Spinning a new name,
Spinning anew.

~by MLM Lydia ©


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20 comments:

bookmanie said...

Could I say? You yould write it in all country of earth.

Dan said...

Nice work! I especially enjoyed the descriptions in the last stanza.

valerie walsh said...

spinning and dancing, this is how i think of myself ;) i am a dancer, i was injured and i now dance to an audience of none, no one sees only mees :D love this lydia, i could feel every word and i am spinning and dancing from the words even more ;)

Melinda said...

Loved the poem and especially the accompanying picture Lydia. Just marvelous.

Melinda

j said...

I am often at a loss to respond to poetry, not because I don't like it, but because I have to absorb it, and am often afraid of getting it "wrong" (even that might be impossible).

But I read this one aloud a few times and I like this idea of becoming, of spinning a new name.

And my apologies for being away so long. I've been in a bit of a funk, but think (think) I'm pulling out of it.

Lydia said...

bookmanie~ I am glad you hear a language in this, and I am always happy to have a comment from you!

Dan~ I appreciate your reading and commenting. Having spent some time last night at readwritepoem's website I think your poetry and comments are well-known and loved there. :) I will be over to read your latest.

ValGalArt~ You were injured?...whenandhow? I'm so sorry, but I am so happy that you still dance. (The musical notes in your painting on my wall seem to be dancing, too!) xo

Melinda~ Aren't you proud of me for trying? :)
I love this painting too. The artist noted that she would never sell it as it was a turning point in her painting, and I think it shows all that and more.

Jennifer~ I am the one to apologize, because I read your posts...just didn't comment...but thought a lot about the one in which you said that maybe you are suited to poetry, and I think you really are. You would knock it out of the ballpark, girl!
I do hope that today is a better day, and tomorrow even better, and on and on.
I think what you have written in your blog about the way Kevin was with poetry has possibly given you that fear of getting it "wrong." Can we really get it wrong?...I don't know. In any case, you sure can't offend me; after all I'm the one who named my poetry shhhh it!

Looking to the Stars said...

you are beauty for the soul, love your work :)

j said...

Lydia -- You are right about Kevin -- and thank you for your confidence. My mother just emailed me today about whether I would like writing poetry, so it must be in the air since I haven't discussed it with her.

But I also am stopping back to say -- in my careful reading of your poem, I totally did not notice how those title words fit together. Duh! Not Shhh it.

YogaforCynics said...

Best title for a poem I've seen in a long time (and the poem itself's good, too...)

Lydia said...

Looking to the Stars~ You are so kind...and soulful.

Jennifer~ How interesting about your mother's email. Kinda cosmic, I think!
Duh...so funny :)

YogaforCynics~ I so love that you gave the title your nod of approval. It is an appropriate title. :)

Rhiannon said...

I quite like your poem Lydia. It's very introspective and also towards the end reminds me of a "Dervish" dance...spinning into "the heart". I'd like to see your write some more poems..

Well done!

Love,

Rhi

Lydia said...

Rhi~ Ah, thank you so much for your support. I'm going to try to write more poems, mainly because it is so hard for me to do.
We're on a wavelength again...the first photo I selected to post with the poem was a rich close-up shot of two whirling dervishes. It was gorgeous. I thought this painting better suited the poem, however, because I didn't want to confuse my message with a spiritual context I wasn't addressing here!
Good weekend to you. xo

markoolio said...

Hi Lydia-
Thanks for dropping by my blog. I enjoyed reading "Shhh." Incidentally, I was listening to the CD Miles Davis "In a Silent Way" and the song "Shhh" was playing. How is that for synchronicity. "In a silent Way is such a mesmerizing album that can really draw out creativity. Check it out if you haven't. I also really enjoyed your poem. Very evocative in what silence can bring in conveying thoughts and emotions. Nicely written!

~Mark

Who Am Us Anyway? said...

Maybe never was ... i've had that feeling many a time, never saw it expressed by anyone else before :-)

Lydia said...

markoolio~ I appreciate your being here and your kind comments. Synchronicity, I guess! No, I have not ever listened to that album...in fact I don't own any Miles Davis works, and I do believe I will follow your advice and order "In a Silent Way." Thanks much for the tip/information.

Who Am Us Anyway?~ Really? That makes me feel understood! (now I have a certain song by Eric Burton and the Animals running in my brain... :)

bfk said...

MLM Lydia: You definitely need to write poetry more often. Excellent.

Roxana said...

i love this very much, Lydia, especially the first stanza is amazing...
(especially that 'maybe never was' tears through me)

and again i am connecting you with Manuela, this is her take on this prompt, and we had a very interesting discussion about its difficulties in the comments:

http://ontheroadtonow.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-5.html

Lydia said...

bfk~ You are so kind to me...always have been. Thanks for miles of smiles.

Roxana~ So exciting to have this comment from you and to know that a part of it struck your heart. Thanks much and also thank you for the link to Manuela's poem, which is where I am going right now........

Manuela said...

aha, i see genie Roxana was at work again :) - thank you for the connection! and Lydia for the visit! :)

the dervish dance came to my mind, too, as i was reading your poem, especially at the end. i loved the last stanza, the playfulness of and yet engagement with the dance

spinning a new name
spinning anew

- loved that!

Lydia said...

Manuela~ First, I love your name. It sounds like a poem itself...
I thank you so much for your attention to my effort and I'm really thankful to Roxana for the connection. She is really good at doing that!

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