I didn’t have any ideas about what I would write today. As I read other Poetry Friday posts, I became more inspired. Matt Forrest Esenwine celebrates the acceptance of a poem for an anthology honoring poet Donald Hall. Matt’s post included an image of a snowy road. The image led me down a path to a new poem.
Too many things concern me today.
My attention is crowded
with walls blocking out human sighs.
On my screen I click on an image
of a path
along a snowy road
a mountain in the distance
and find a poem.
I kick those hard stones.
Look up to the blue mountain.
My thoughts are
insignificant,
unspoken as a meadow.–Margaret Simon, 2019
Someone on Poetry Friday suggested the book Getting the Knack by Stephen Dunning and William Stafford. I’m trying some of the poetry exercises with my students. This week we tried out the recipe poem.
Recipe for a Poem
One blank page–open, lined, waiting…
A colorful pen. Try a different color each day.
Tip-tap your fingers over the lines making multiple dots.
Dots become letters become words.
Top off with a tasty metaphor–
Marshmallow clouds on a snowy day.
Read out loud.
–Margaret Simon, 2019
Loving your recipe for a poem. And isn’t the pressure of a deadline/expectation a scary thing… Such a relief when it also brings success!
I left Getting The Knack with a colleague when I retired, a great book, Margaret. I love both your poems, but especially your wandering and finding the beauty outside, love ‘unspoken as a meadow’. I wrote about finding words, too, today.
Unspoken as a meadow came from metaphor dice. Have you seen them?
Yes, but don’t have them!
I’m so glad my post inspired you to write this, Margaret – I love the idea of thoughts ‘unspoken as a meadow.’ I hope you like my poem, when it’s published…and you can visualize those stones being kicked down the road.
I kick those hard stones….such simple words but they are the work of seeing the mountain. I really like that line.
Agree with Linda, and also
“My attention is crowded
with walls blocking out human sighs”–
a perfect description of the battering our psyches take from just trying to keep up with the news. Your post is so full of places to go and things to take up! I think I’ll pick just one. : )
Isn’t it amazing how we can feel so scattered, so unfocused until just one image brings us the clarity we need to follow the path to thoughts that are “unspoken as a meadow.” Lovely!
Metaphors are tasty treats, aren’t they? Very cool that Matt’s post inspired your poem and another post inspired you to try out poetry exercises with your students!
I got GETTING THE KNACK on PF recommendation, too! Unlike you, I haven’t dipped into it yet! Love all the connections in that post.
Lovely, Margaret – and the inspirations behind your post! :0)
Your last digital gave me such a feeling of zen that I am ready to begin a yoga session at home with my breath. Your poetic pathway led me to mine.
Grace sounds like a sound place to launch from. I like where your first poem moves to, from the “snowy road” to the “blue mountain” and finally to the “meadow.”
“unspoken as a meadow” – loved both your poems, but especially that line, Margaret.