Welcome to Day 4 of the September Open Write. If you have written with us before, welcome back. If you are joining us for the first time, you are in the kind, capable hands of today’s host, so just read the prompt below and then, when you are ready, write in the comment section below. We do ask that if you write, in the spirit of reciprocity, you respond to three or more writers. To learn more about the Open Write, click here.
Susan Ahlbrand and her husband Jason are a month into being empty nesters. Both teachers in the small southern Indiana town of Jasper, they often spend their weekends road tripping to visit one of their four kids in Kentucky, Tennessee, or Mississippi. Their two daughters are in the working world, and their two sons are in college. Susan has taught 8th grade English language arts for 35 years; she reads and writes with her students daily, and she eagerly anticipates the five Open Write days each month and the entire month of April.
Inspiration
I often define things with our children or with my students not only in terms of what they ARE, but in terms of what they ARE NOT. I used that concept to fuel this inspiration. I found this mentor poem (I am hesitant to share poems from open forums by who knows whom, but it serves the purpose of what I am wanting):
LOVE IS
Always good mannered, bears up under stress
Looks for ways to be kindly, is quick to confess.
LOVE IS NOT
Ever possessive, nor needs to impress.
Not touchy, nor jealous if it seems to get less.
LOVE IS
Looking to share, and hopes for good things.
Knows no limits to taking what life sometimes brings
LOVE IS NOT
Proud or boastful, it does not feel revoked
By injuries suffered, nor is it provoked.
LOVE IS
Decent, believing, looking for good.
Contented, yet happy when misunderstood.
It’s trusting, and hoping, as love always should.
Thus love begets love. It personifies God.
Lets hold up the feelings we deem to call Love.
Comparing them close in the light of above.
Fay Slimm
Process
Select an abstract noun. The following images list quite a few.
Brainstorm traits the noun has, situations when and where the noun is central. Then, brainstorm traits the noun lacks, situations when and where the noun is absent.
Craft a poem about the topic, alternating stanzas of lines that tell all of the things the noun is and all of the things it is NOT.
Susan’s Poem
Guilt is
a sludgy swampland
impossible to traverse freely,
preventing forward movement.
Guilt is NOT
hanging your head
in shame
yet continuing to do the wrongful act.
Guilt is
a mountain-climbing harness
protecting from a deadly fall
yet restricting free movement.
Guilt is NOT
saying “Sorry” on repeat
but continuing to do
the inconsiderate deed.
Guilt is
a heavy, unwieldy backpack
weighing you down
full of things that need to be discarded.
Guilt is NOT
going to confession and sharing your sins,
doing your penance, saying the Act of Contrition,
yet still withholding forgiving yourself.
Guilt is
a compass
showing us the way,
navigating through tough terrain and unknown territories.
Guilt is NOT
pretending you are blameless
and did nothing wrong
hiding your faults from even yourself.
Guilt pulls us down
and beats us up
But it can keep us on the right path
avoiding punishment
and remaining focused on the prize.
It can be a preventative,
shaping us and helping us to
avoid hurting others
as long as we don’t let it
eat us alive
~Susan Ahlbrand
7 September 2022
Your Turn
Now, scroll to the comment section below to write your own poem. (This is a public space, so you may choose to use only your first name or initials depending on your privacy preferences.) Not ready? That’s okay. Read the poems already posted for more inspiration. Ponder your own throughout the day. Return later. And, if the prompt does not work for you, that is fine. All writing is welcome. Just write something. Also, please be sure to respond to at least three writers. Oh, and a note about drafting: Since we are writing in short bursts, we all understand (and even welcome) the typos and partial poems that remind us we are human and that writing is always becoming. If you’d like to invite other teachers to write with us, tell them to subscribe.
Love this prompt, Susan! This is going in my regular rotation for journal writing. So many possbilities! It’s been a heckuva week (already), but I am so happy to be here – thank you! I grabbed this word, then wished I hadn’t, then made myself gut it out – oi!
Clarity
Clarity is a place of mind
someone arrives
when they have spent
enough time traveling
Clarity is not the means
of travel
but the destination
and yet
Clarity is not the end
but the throughway
past whatever it was
that kept it at bay
Clarity is never early
nor late
but rather
always arrives
at just the right moment
Oh, Denise . . . I admire your “regular rotation of journal writing.” How do you keep track of those? I need to become better organized and more intentional in my writing.
As for your poem, I am sure glad I circled back to yesterday’s post to see if anyone posted after I went to bed. While many of the poems took a different look at the abstract noun in each stanza (certainly NOT wront by any means), the extended metaphor that you employ to show what clarity IS and IS NOT is purely brilliant. Because I love it in its entirety, I can’t even pick a favorite line, stanza, or image.
I don’t really keep track, per say. There are just some cool prompts and mentor poems I find here that, when I’m feeling stuck for what to write in my journal, or want to avoid the self-reflection I know I need to write to process something, I turn to those for inspiration or avoidance. I jot notes each month on little slips of paper and keep the stack on my desk and shuffle through it. It’s like a card deck of fun prompts. Maybe something we should make for ourselves to use on our own and/or in our own classrooms?! The Ethical ELA Prompt Deck!
Denise, such a great extended metaphor! I admire your skill in this poem!
Loss
By: Emily Yamasaki
Loss is
powerful, it can stop
the world from turning
loud, interrupting your normal routine
Lonely
Loss is not
consistent, grief comes and goes as it pleases
sensible, cannot be understood with logic
Linear
I am struck by the repetition of the L words here. I am drawn back to them alone – Loss Lonely Loss Linear. I just like how you framed those stanzas with them. A technique I would like to try. Oh, my tummy sank after the first stanza, for sure. This along with Allison’s poem remind me of our human condition – love, loss – and how many others of these experiences we cannot avoid so long as we are human and alive. This line sank deepest, “interrupting your normal routine.” For any of us who have “been informed” of someone’s passing during our “normal routine,” we know this jolt. The lines before it, though, I’m still mulling over, “it can stop / the world from turning / loud” and then the “Lonely.” Again, it reminds me of the feeling of being notified and how the world just closes in around your mind, silencing so much else. Or just any kind of loss, how it pulls our focus in to the loss and shuts out all else. Yes. It is powerful, isn’t it? Lovely, Emily. Thoughtful.
Do I ever love your L usage here . . . Loss being both lonely and linear (with loud and logic being thrown in).
I 100% agree that loss is lonely and NOT linear. I am glad you put it into words that I might not have ever used.
Kudos, Emily!
Thank you Susan for hosting today. I’m glad to be writing again, I just wish I had more time to actually reflect and think. I struggled with this one as well. Maybe it was because I spent probably about an hour at the dealer trying to get a loaner. Or maybe it was the fact that my daughter showed her privilege and turned her nose up at the Kid’s menu. Or maybe, I’m not applying myself like I know I should. Anyway, I tried. I see guilt in a new light now that you have written about it Susan. Guilt is “a sludgy (like your use of this word) swampland…preventing forward movement.” I feel guilty as I type this knowing I only skimmed this because I have experienced more of the what guilt is not. Thank you for sharing this. I will definitely come back to revisit this and perhaps take another attempt at this prompt. Here’s mine:
Confidence
Confidence is being sure about oneself,
basking in glory and majesty and
strength to be brave even if you are wrong.
You do it well and no one knows.
Confidence is not blatantly criticizing
someone’s faults or turning your nose
up at others’ misfortune.
Like your nerve!
Confidence is wearing white after Labor Day,
putting that lace top with the corduroy bottom.
Wearing sandals in winter
and hoodies in the summer.
Confidence is not thinking you’re right all the time,
Sharing every useless fact you
Know at the wrong time,
Being LOUD and WRONG!
Confidence is being successful,
bold, and beautiful.
Considerate when necessary,
And to stop talking when not.
Jessica,
Hear hear!! There is so much beautiful sensory imagery in this–I love it. Confidence indeed!
Thank you for the boost of confidence Cara!
Wooftie, Jessica – ! I can identify with the feeling in your intro. Is it just us, or do the walls we hit seem to be coming sooner and more often?! Great word choice – I love the “attitude” I hear expressed in here, a sort of “setting right” some of these truly wrong ideas of what confidence is (NOT). I love the sound of this line especially, “Like your nerve!” Then sliding into the more humorous of wearing white and sandals. Heckya! That IS confidence! The end line is lovely – that “not” making the reader reflect back on what that refers to – very cool move there. Well – I hope for better days ahead for all of us. : )
Thank you Denise. This was sort of thrown together, so I’m gosh I was able to make it meaningful to someone. And thank you!
Jessica,
I am so glad that I circled back to yesterday’s prompt to see if anyone posted after I last looked. I love this poem about confidence! I love so much about what you’ve written, but I am particularly drawn to the stanza about wardrobe choices:
Tgdd see nevermind you Susan. Someone actually scoffed about wearing white after Labor Day, but it’s fashionable now. Any that hoodie in summer…I was inspired by kids the classroom, lol. Thank you!
Long day, but I’m grateful for a poetic form I may borrow for my creative writing classes. Thank you,
Strength is not
what you should
use to endure
the unendurable
or intolerable.
Strength is
the will to choose
our battles
and walk away
when we should.
Such wisdom in these lines, Cara! Walking away indeed takes great strength!
Thank you for making the time to add your great lines to this strand.
I have to remember that definition of strength more often—such powerful insight. Strength, sometimes, is giving yourself the space you need.
What a powerful little poem to read after a very long day. Thank you for sharing!
Oh Cara,
I needed to read this today.
Thanks for sharing
NAPS
Naps are
quick, refreshing retreats
welcome in the middle of a busy day.
Naps are not
easy to come by
when you have to work all day.
Naps are
restorative but underrated,
full of healthy benefits.
Naps are not
frequent after early childhood
or considered productive.
Naps are
elusive.
©Jennifer Kowaczek September 2022
Susan, thank you for today’s prompt. It’s taken me all day to finally find time to type this — no time for naps on this day.
Thank you for sharing your take on guilt. I need to be reminded that putting myself first from time to time is nothing to feel guilty about.
Jennifer–
Oh, how I love me a good a nap. Thanks of focusing on them. I love this stanza:
Jennifer,
This is awesome. I sincerely wanted a nap before my last class today. No dice, though I’m pretty sure they would have agreed to a group nap.
I love the humor and truth in your poem.
I laughed out loud (okay, snorted) at that closing line. I just imagined all of us out hunting for the “elusive nap,” hoping to capture it! But it’s so true! I can’t tell you how many times I say, “I’m exhausted,” and hub says, “Take a nap.” And I know THAT can’t happen when my exhaustion is because I have SO MUCH TO DO! You captured that. Also laughed at a meme that said, “I’ll come back to work at the office only if we get nap time.” We have lost our ability to enjoy what truly is good for us. Sad. But I guess it’s what we look forward to in retirement!
I kept it short and sweet tonight—it’s been a long day. Thank you for this prompt, and I know I will think about it for days to come!
Optimism is
not naïveté about
the struggles in life.
Optimism is
the antidote against
life’s greatest struggles.
Rachelle,
This is a pair of wise aphorisms! Nicely done. I like the short and sweet, you and I were on the same wavelength. 🙂
Rachelle
It is like you and Cara were writing for me today
Thanks for sharing
Sing, it! I love your full and optimistic heart.
Thank you, Susan, for this great prompt! I decided to rebut the mentor text with my own LOVE IS. <3
LOVE IS
Rude, face it.
It butts reason out of its way
elbows past temperance.
Love is sweaty.
Love is heavy, like an anchor
or a shackle.
LOVE IS NOT
found in greeting cards
or on the Love Boat.
It is not convenient.
Love is not, in fact, patient.
It is demanding: Look
at me!
LOVE IS
Irrational, I think.
It unclenches the fist,
loosens the purse strings,
frees the common sense
from both the common
and the sense.
LOVE IS NOT
to be buried
beneath word-heavy laws
or erased by thin parchment scriptures.
It cannot be
denied,
debated,
refused.
LOVE IS.
Oh, Allison, thank you for this fresh look at love. I love how you alternatingly counter the stereotypes and then land on the things that love really is. This could be put on a poster and hung as a testament to what LOVE IS.
I especially love these lines . . .
Allison, I love reading your writing and I’ve missed it! Your last stanza is particularly powerful as you connect love to laws, scriptures. Thank you for this gift ❤️ I’ve been thinking of you
Uh, yeah! For sure! I feel the weight of this burden – love. I’m sitting here a bit stunned because love really is all of these kinds of negative things – and why do we think it shouldn’t be? It truly is a kind of obligation – of being human, first, and then of choosing to include it in our lives. Can we opt out? As you say, I don’t think so. So if someone does, what is that result? Can someone truly not love? It’s like knowing the burden of living means dying someday. Perhaps the burden of love is that you can’t not love. Gee, Allison, thanks tons for this because now it’s going to be swirling through my mind alllll day! : ) It might even inspire my next poem (or spite it!).
Susan, your poem speaks volumes succinctly. I couldn’t decide on the most powerful stanza, so I chose the closing one that sums things up nicely. Thanks for the prompt and the poem.
It can be a preventative,
shaping us and helping us to
avoid hurting others
as long as we don’t let it
Confusion
By Mo Daley 9/20/22
Confusion is a walk through weed-hazy Woodstock
It is mentally converting Canadian currency at a boutique counter
Confusion is not affect versus effect
It is not Coke or Pepsi
Confusion is sussing out Stonehenge’s concentric circular spirit
It is attempting to understand Hawking’s String Theory
Confusion is not wondering if the laundry will get done
It is not contemplating skyrocketing gas costs
Confusion is comfort
It is life
Oh, Mo! The way you balance very specific heavy thoughts against rather trivial ideas is pure genius.
This line needs to be read aloud:
What a gorgeous-sounding line of verse!
Mo, you just waltzed in and made this look easy, starting with the Weed-hazy Woodstock that made me laugh. And the knowing attempts to convert currency – – (I can’t!). You make me laugh and think all at once.
Mo, you certainly made me wish I had come up with this! I love how the end adds comforting closure to confusion. It is life!
Susan, these lines,
“Confusion is comfort
It is life”
This is true, it reminds me of the saying ‘nobody said life would be perfect’.
EFIL
A plan:
is a string of ambition that molds our choices,
a rope that pulls up our motivation,
a line that is cast to catch our wildest dreams,
surrounded by a vision encompassing our path.
A plan:
Cannot be a knot.
-Boxer
Boxer . . .
Thought-provoking!! I had to read it a couple of times, but then that epiphany hit and I was left with a subtle smile of WOW.
That line is such an Aha!
Great job!
Yes, that title! It took a second and then I figured it out. Living intentionally – – a plan of string, rope, line…..not knot.
Faith is…
Trusting even though there is nothing to show for it- yet
Believing you are heard every time you pray
Faith is not
Speaking as if you’ve been defeated
Worrying after saying our prayers
Faith is…
Waiting for positive answers, knowing they are on the way
Knowing someone is working on your behalf
Faith is not
Giving up before results are received
Being negative about what you know you are due
Having strong faith erases anxiety but empowers!
That is a fabulous final line – a slogan, really, to repeat (and empower oneself). So true that faith is not worrying…and sometimes hard to gather the faith.
Juliet, thanks so much for the positive reminders of what faith is and is not. Your poems evokes “guilt” that was decried in an earlier poem. Sometimes I don’t wait long enough
Faith is not
Giving up before results are received
Being negative about what you know you are due
and then feel guilty because I should know better.
So, your poem encourages me to “KEEP THE FAITH!” in my friends, family, and in my Creator!
Juliette,
I feel like this is a rally cry to remind people to have faith! The tone is so motivating. I have a special appreciation of this line:
with the word YET being set off for effect.
We will know for sure at some point, won’t we?
I love this poem about faith! Thank you ?
Juliette, thank you for your use of the word “yet”. I believe so many people have given up because we don’t keep at what we’re wanting to do. Faith is hard and I struggle with it daily. But your stanza:
“Faith is not
Speaking as if you’ve been defeated
Worrying after saying our prayers”
sent sparks to my heart because as much as I know this to be true, I still do exactly what you said. I’ve got to do better. Thank you for this reminder!
Thank you, Susan!
assertiveness
assertiveness is
to find your voice
name what you need
state what you expect
draw your boundaries
assertiveness is
neither passive nor aggressive
it is not unfettered and raging
it is never out-of-line
it is never unladylike
assertiveness is
appropriate
for each and every one of us
assertiveness
can feel very uncomfortable
unfamiliar
somewhat frightening
when you are conditioned to be silent
assertiveness is
pivotal
to confront imbalance of power
assertiveness is possible
even if you turn away for a moment
when your eyes are smarting
when your breath catches
when you need to pause
even then,
assertiveness is
courageous
essential
right
Maureen,
Preach! And do so loudly for all those in the back of the church. I’m cheering, especially for the line “assertiveness is never unladylike.” Love this poem!
Maureen, this is great! So much truth here! I love that you establish that “assertiveness is / neither passive nor aggressive” but, indeed, “appropriate” and even “pivotal” for all of us. And the reassurance that “assertiveness is possible / even if you turn away for a moment” is something all of us need to hear. Thank you for this!
Maureen,
For someone who lacks assertiveness, I want to hang your poem next to my desk at school. Why does it often have such a negative rap?
While so much of your poem inspires me, I’m especially take by these lines:
because I am the queen of responding “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter.” I just can’t name and state my wants and needs.
Maureen, assertiveness is something I am getting much better at. Thank you for your words.
You nailed it Maureen! I think this describes my daughter! This stanza is a reminder for me about my daughter:
“it is not unfettered and raging
it is never out-of-line
it is never unladylike”
I need to be more assertive like her. She doesn’t hold back! Thank you for sharing.
Susan, what a great way to look at abstract nouns! These lines resonated with me as a reminder why I don’t want to put myself in a situation that may cause guilt. It’s TOO HEAVY:
I chose impermanence because it was the focus of my morning meditation and I sometimes struggle with it.
Impermanence
Impermanence
is inevitable change
nothing stagnant
Impermanence
is today’s news
tomorrow’s trash
Impermanence
is ebb and flow
nothing set in stone
Impermanence
shows us the present
gone in the blink of an eye
© Stacey L. Joy, September 20, 2022
Stacey— so very true. Gone in the blink of an eye… if only we could pay more attention in the moment…
I wrestle with the idea of impermanence, too, not fully grasping it at times. I adore the stanza
and I am reminded of a parenting expert (name? yikes, no, I don’t have that anymore) who said – “always ask yourself, what will it matter in one hundred years?” …certainly, for much of children’s behavior, probably very little…maybe this is true of everything? “gone in the blink of an eye” Lovely, Stacey!
Stacey,
For one who struggles with change, your poem was reaffirming about how much I don’t like it. Impermanance is a word I’m not sure I’ve ever even used, but it certainly works here, and you capture so much about it in so few words. I really appreciate this stanza:
Peace is
A personal place within ourselves
A place where nothing can touch or disrupt
Peace is not
Filled with fear or worry
It is not something that we do not desire
Peace is
Something that we are all capable of finding
An everlasting journey that gives us purpose
Ella, I like how subtle and calm your poem is. I was able to read it and feel very content. Truly inspiring and I really enjoyed reading it and it describes the importance of finding peace even when we feel like we cannot.
Yes, PEACE is most definitely a place within ourselves. A good choice of words.
“Peace is…
An everlasting journey that gives us purpose.” Yes Ella this is the best place to be. I wrote about faith and believe they (faith and peace) bestow similar sentiments on us.
I like the strong affirmation at the open, “Peace is/A personal place within…” Nothing can take that away.
Ella,
I am one who seeks to always protect my peace. I adore this, your poem is a heartsong!
?
Ella,
My how I love this idea:
Peace is
A personal place within ourselves
While we so often think of peace as something much bigger, more worldly and not as personal and individual, but your poem highlights how important our peace is.
Thank you for this poem.
Life is
Not always what you think it may be
You can plan for sunshine but get rain
Life is not
Determined by others around you
A notion of who you are supposed to be and when
Life is
What you decide to do each moment
With each moment adding up to days, months, years…
Life is not
Perfect or without pain
Some days will tear you apart and you are forced to restart
Life is
A collection of moments we cherish and hold onto
Gripping onto each memory so we don’t forget
Life is not
Over
We have so much left to accomplish, to see, to taste, to share with others.
Anna, I liked how you picked the topic of life to write about. It is complicated sometimes but full of so many things and experiences. You perfectly depicted what life is and what it is not. Great work!
I grew up hearing, ‘Life is what you make it!”Growing up don’t think that is tha case as there are many variables. So, this line, “You can plan for sunshine but get rain” is one I agree with. Thank you Anna.
Anna,
I really really really like how you focus solely on what life IS until that very last stanza where you wow us with what life is NOT. It’s not “Over.” How simple yet profound.
Curosity
Curiosity isn’t what kills the cat
as some people would believe
but rather asks “what is a cat?”
and its problems unweave.
Curiosity is connection,
a desire to learn something new.
It doesn’t stop with questions
and needs answers that are true.
Curiosity is not dull
and is better than being smart.
Curiosity is not caging one’s mind
but brings knowledge to heart.
Curiosity is not a wall
not oppressive nor unpleasant.
it’s action opens the books
of discovery like a present.
Susan, what a great word to write about today! I like the form you took. Nice rhyming! And it is so very true, your conclusion:
Curiosity’s “ action opens the books / of discovery like a present.” Thank you!
I love this, Susie. I never did understand “curiosity killed the cat!” My favorite line: “Curiosity is not caging one’s mind
but brings knowledge to heart.” ?
Susan,
This is fabulous!! I have told our children when they headed off to college to stay curious and follow that curiosity where it takes you. I may just have to send them this poem as a reminder.
You rhyme really helps drive your ideas effectively.
This stanza is especially powerful to me:
Pain
Pain is…
Eating away at you
Breaking at your heart
Pain is not…
your excuse to fail
the factor of your suffering
Pain is…
insufferable at times
motivating
Pain is not…
easy
your way out
Thank you for this prompt, it’s really forced me to take a step back and look at how you can change the perspective of a word by adjusting its meaning and breaking down the why.
A good one, Katie. I have pain (as do many of us) in my knee that is insufferable. Thanks for reminding me that it is not my excuse to fail (to not walk or to not climb.)
Katie, it is not difficult to look at pain from two perspectives. I really like what you said about what pain is not. I’m glad you joined us again with your college mates and professor!
Katie, I really like the way you wrote your poem and was able to draft it. I also liked how deep of words you used. It was very thought provoking nice work!
Thank you for sharing this, Katie! I enjoyed your analysis of pain and how it is not an excuse to fail or an easy way out. This is a good reminder as we face various struggles in our lives.
Katie . . . your words are certainly motivating. By showing us what pain IS and what it IS NOT, I know I am more conscious of not letting pain stop me. It’s too easy to resist situations that aggravate the pain, but we need to make sure not to take the path of least resistance.
Thank you for taking the time to write to this prompt.
Thanks Susan. Great thought provoking prompt and examples! So much wisdom in these poems I’m reading today! Here’s one on faith— something I’ve been contemplating lately.
Faith
Faith means believing in something unseen.
It doesn’t always have answers;
In fact, faith is full of mystery
And doesn’t pretend to know it all.
Faith is based on evidence and deep conviction,
That you know that you know what you know.
It’s not explainable, sometimes nonsensical.
Faith brings hope and goes well with love and kindness.
Sometimes people use faith as a weapon,
Defeating its whole purpose.
Faith should bring light and life and freedom.
Anything other than that is an imposter.
Nancy, this is beautiful. I like your subtle balance of what faith is and isn’t.
This is a great line…
I like the ending too. Faith bringing “light and life and freedom” Lovely!
Yes, Nancy! My one little word for 2022 is faith! You’ve written a moving and honest poem that I need to save!
✝️
Nancy, I couldn’t agree more that faith is often times used as a weapon which defeats the purpose. I also enjoy your description of what is and what isn’t faith. Well done!
Nancy,
What a great topic! I can understand why you’ve been contemplating faith for a while. It’s such a deep and complex idea . . . as you say “full of mystery.”
The line that captivates me is
Susan, thank you for this prompt. It’s a great one. So many possibilities. Your Guilt poem hit the mark with that first stanza–
Such truth! And this:
But I like how you pointed out the positives of guilt, to make us repent and be better. Bravo. Thanks again for hosting today.
Hope
(After some literary friends)
Hope is a thing with feathers
But not a broken-winged bird that cannot fly
Hope is not a feathered frenzy
Dropped in a pot of boiling water
Hope is a tree of life
Taller and fuller, yes taller than we ever dreamed possible
Not a stunted, stingy, small-minded shrub
Hope is a smile from the depths of cold December
Not filled with regrets—
Not a sea of stories, excuses to drown in
Hope is good and honest and worth waiting for
Hope is not a white-washed façade called good
Hope is a shelter of rest and safety
Not a storm without a Captain
Hope is dark night with a sky full of stars
Hope is not bright daylight (when the same stars
were there but unknowable)
Hope is improbable beautiful,
Afraid of nothing
Like a bird that sings and never stops at all
They called to Hope, “This could
have been about anything,
but it’s about hope”
Now there’s a glimmer
A hint of hope
____________________________________________________
In order of appearance…
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.”
― Emily Dickinson
Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly.
–Langston Hughes
(…of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
e.e.cummings
Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’
–Alfred Lord Tennyson
All human wisdom is contained in these words, ‘Wait and Hope.’
–Alexandre Dumas
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.
–Job 11:18
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”
–Martin Luther King
I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings.”
–Mary Oliver
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.”
― Emily Dickinson
Denise, I love this! We were on the same wavelength today; I was also thinking about the topic — love — through the eyes of various poets until I shifted a bit to the rose (love is like “a red, red rose,” after all). I’m glad to see the fruition of this idea in your wonderful poem! (And thank you for the snip-its from the originals.)
Beautifully put together!
Denise,
I try not to allow myself to feel envy, but this poem challenges that. You so beautifully weave in great writers’ words among your own insightful ideas.
It’s so hard to choose a favorite part, but I am drawn to
I appreciate that you took the time to write this and to tap into your memories or do a little research to include so many beautiful snippets of poems.
Wow, Denise! You gave such honors to the classics, blending them all together so creatively with just a perfect style! Your nod to others, weaving them like a braid of gold is inspiring and would be fun for students to do with conceptual nouns all their own. I like this woven masterpiece!
Thank you for this prompt Susan, your line about forgiving yourself is resonating with me on many levels. Thank you for hosting us today.
Confidence is
diving in, vulnerable
failing forward
Confidence is NOT
static, needed approval
loudest in the room
Confidence is
novelty, moving
posting a poem on a public forum
Confidence is NOT
mandated control over another
deep & meaningfuls via text
Confidence is
owning your style
loving your shape-shifting body
Confidence is NOT
honors on paper
superlatives in any field
catalysts of Confidence
often hidden with purpose
ready, press start, go
Stefani, I like all the interesting aspects of confidence you touched on here. Specific and thought-provoking.
Great point that confidence is NOT
This…
Not…
Powerful stuff!
Stefani, I love the choices you made for what confidence is and isn’t. The lines that spoke to me the most:
“Confidence is
diving in, vulnerable
failing forward”
I’ve never considered myself to be confident. But, I’m learning that I am! I’m 66 and close to getting my black belt in karate. It’s helping me tremendously to recognize the confidence within.
Your words about what confidence is not also resonate with me. It’s not about the accolades, the “honors on paper”. It’s so much more intrinsic.
Oh, and your last line—“ready, press start, go” is exactly how it feels before I break a board. Thanks for putting into words what I’ve been experiencing.
Stefani,
Everyone–EVERYONE–needs to read this poem. Confidence is so misunderstood and you give us food for thought about what it is and what it isn’t.
The start is so strong . . .
The idea of “failing forward” is such a brilliant concept. We move forward by failing often . . . I think that’s what you’re saying.
I also love the reference to the “loudest person in the room.” How often do we think of that person as being confident?
Stefani, I love the reference to body image here – – yes, shape-shifting is a thing, and the reminder that we are shape-shifters is needed and a creative way to embrace change!
Susan and Jason, you made me “preach to myself” today as I considered what I’ve accomplished this year … published under my name, but, in the least, solo projects. So, thanks to all here who have encouraged my writing.
When is Pride OKAY?
Pride is acknowledging we’ve done something well.
Pride, however, should not make our heads swell.
Pride is recognizing the members of our team
Knowing they helped should make us beam.
Pride is not conceit, not me, me, me.
Pride is not arrogance. That’s not how we should be.
Pride is acknowledging we received the knowledge.
Maybe we got it while going to college.
Pride is saying I’ve been used by God.
He’s the one helping while I travel this sod.
Pride is not smugness; it’s a personality debit.
Try it alone; no, we can’t take all the credit.
Pride is not egotism, not I, I. I.
Pride is not arrogance and a slap on the thigh.
We need one another to succeed in this life.
Others will help us through good times and strife.
Pride is acknowledging we’ve done something well
Pride, however, should not make our heads swell.
Let’s be proud of the team and though it may seem
We did it alone, let’s others esteem.
Anna, sweet poem about what pride is and isn’t. A good word to see the bright side of.
I like the repetition of:
(I somehow did the same thing yesterday! What’s happening?)
Thanks for your poem today. The ending is perfect, succinct advice.
Anna, you truly do practice what you preach! I love that you encourage others to come alongside (like you did with me!) and that you so willingly share the credit and give all glory to our Creator. You’ve shown here how pride can be a good thing! How wonderful and healthy to feel blessed by what you create! And you’re quick to show us the flip side of pride, which I suppose is smugness or conceit! Well done, friend! Love the rhyming, too! ??
Anna,
Thank you so much for taking the time to join in today! Your poem had to take time to craft, and I appreciate the effort.
Your ability to rhyme always amazes me. And, it never sound forced in contrived . . . it flows beautifully.
Most of all, your message through this poem is wonderful. “More we and less me.”
The lines that, to me, are the most creatively built and thought-provoking are
Love is beauty, acceptance, and desire
Love is wanting the good of another
Love is not cruel and arrogant
Love is not shame and annoyance
Love is simply being someone’s biggest supporter
Lindsay, I enjoyed how you made the word love so wanting, and passionate. Love is truly being a supporter, and it can show in so many different ways! Great work.
Thank you for the food for thought, Lindsay. I’m taking that last line with me today, as I work with my husband on our home projects!
Lindsay, I particularly enjoyed your last line of love being someone’s biggest supporter. In my eyes, being someone’s biggest supporter encapsulates all your other lines before. Great work!
Lindsay,
Thank you for adding your unique insights into today’s writing prompt.
I think the best word in your poem is SIMPLY. It really is a simple concept, isn’t it?? Why do we struggle with it so much?
It sure would be nice if those who love us didn’t display cruelty or arrogance or annoyance.
“a rose
is a rose
is a rose
is a rose”
until
it’s not
apologies
to Stein
of course
but a rose
is a roza
is a roos
is a roo-shah
or trandafir
and none of
these names
of course
are the petals
the stem
the aroma
these words
fall away when
we realize that
“The Thing Itself”
has nothing
really
to do
with what
we call it
so the lesson
here is
ultimately
“Be Kind
To Others”
(I mean,
that’s always
the lesson,
right?)
________________________________
Susan, thank you for your prompt and mentor poem today! I totally agree: guilt is such a complicated force in our lives, a “sludgy swampland” and also a “compass” for sure.
I can’t help but see the stem of words for your rose/roza/roos as the take-aways blossom while I read. And yes. Kindness. Always. (I notice it’s at the root of your poem).
Scott, as usual, so much to think about and contemplate in your interesting and delightful poem.
Scott,
I can ALWAYS count on you to make me smile or nod in acknowledgement of your cleverness. I love how the verticality of your poem mimics the slender stem of rose . . . purposeful, I’m sure.
I appreciate your creative twist on the prompt and I am so glad you took the time to write to it today. “Be Kind to Others” should always be the lesson for sure.
And, again, you win. The ultimate lesson…. I love the way you play with words.
Gossip is not
laundry hung in backyard breezes
Gossip is
laundry left out in the rain
It sure is, Renee. What a beautiful and powerful image stated so simply yet carrying so much weight.
Thank you
Renee, wow, so short and powerful. Thank you for this today.
Thank you for your kind comment
Renee, I like that fresh metaphor. Well-done. Yes, indeed. “backyard breezes” has such a lovely connotation. Gossip is not that, but “laundry left…” Wow!
Denise, thank you so much for your kind feedback
Renee! BOOM! So much punch in 4 lines!
❤️? ❤️? ❤️?
Renee,
Kudos to you for stating something so deep in such simple terms. I struggle so mightily with economy when it comes to language, and you really nailed it here. I appreciate your wisdom and your taking the time to participate in today’s prompt.
Susan, I loved this prompt and have enjoyed all the wonderful poems posted. So many strong images. Thank uou
Renee, thank you for sharing. I love how much power and truth your piece holds!
Thank you!
Renee, I love the brevity of your metaphor! Gossip is, indeed, a sodden, soggy mess! Thank you for crafting (and sharing) this!
Thank you! I spent quite a bit of time working on it even if it is brief.
Susan–talk about food for thought!! Your poem is a model of what I have tried to teach my students and my children–
“Guilt is NOT
hanging your head
in shame
yet continuing to do the wrongful act.”
Thank you for making me really, really think this morning…
Contentment
Contentment
evolves.
It enters
quietly.
It is elusive–
hard to see,
hard to find,
hard to know.
Contentment does not
appear on command.
You cannot summon it.
You cannot buy it.
It is without value
and it is beyond value.
Contentment is shy.
If you call loudly for it,
it hides behind the curtain of your day
In fact, you may not even recognize it,
and then one moment,
it is
just
There–
right in front of you.
You are content–
with who you are,
with your life as it is.
Only then,
do you realize
what you lacked,
the hole in your center,
and why you never want to live
without it again.
Gayle Sands
9-20-22
Gayle, your words “does not appear on demand” is so fitting to our cultural obsession with immediacy. Thank you for sharing today.
Dang it, Gayle . . . this is just perfect. Contentment is something that so, so many people struggle to find in today’s climate. Your poem makes us realize that we can’t force it into coming into our lives, even when we are desperate for it.
There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this poem, but I really love these lines:
And, I for sure know I NEVER want to live without again and I pity the people who don’t know the feeling.
Gayle, what a great word you have chosen, and one that really comes from your heart. Perfect. I love that last stanza. Contentment is a wonderful, and often over-looked gift.
Gayle, there’s so much truth in your poem. Yes, contentment seems to tiptoe into a life and bring the gift of satisfaction w/ life. I wish I knew when this happens and how to get there sooner. Fantastic poem,
Susan, litotes is one of my favorite rhetorical devices, so this prompt really appeals to me. I like the way your poem alternates and think guilt is a perfect subject for exploring the duality. Certainly, guilt has functioned in my life much the way you describe.
Justice
“The opposite of poverty is not wealth;
the opposite of poverty is justice.”
Bryan Stevenson
Justice is not a
courtroom drama
confined to sixty
minutes with commercial
breaks. Justice does
not Netflix & chill.
Justice is blind
lady liberty
dispensing equity
regardless of race
color creed gender or
national origin
Justice does not entrap
& coerce poor immigrants
seeking opportunity &
freedom onto a plane
under dubious pretenses
to own the libs.
Justice indicts &
condemns powerful &
wealthy with the same
impunity gaveled against
those represented in
court by the public defender.
Justice does not
define our constitution by
stringent originalist ideals
privileging white cis men.
Justice legislates
laws unburdened by
systemic bias &
shrinking rights
Justice knows
this country is
just
us.
Glenda Funk
September 20, 2022
Glenda,
Your alternating looks of what justice IS and IS NOT truly captivates. The quote by the author of Just Mercy is the perfect way to start this poem. In our beautiful, yet very flawed country, there are so many versions of right and wrong depending on perspective. You bring in multiple perspectives so that we can see that ALL deserve it, not just certain groups. I love how you mention historical things as well as extremely current events. My favorite stanza (it was quite hard to choose) is this one:
But the best part of your poem is that last play on words . . . just us.
Brilliant!
Glenda,
Adding the Stevenson quote at the beginning was great to get your reader’s mindset ready to move through your words. My favorite word pairing is your use of “stringent originalist”–thank you for sharing.
Oh, Glenda, I’ve missed you the past three days! Preach it, sister. Thank you for shouting justice.
Glenda— I nodded and nodded and nodded to each nugget. And the the very last stanza stopped me short. Just. Us. Wow!!
Glenda, the Bryan Stevenson quote is perfect for starting this poem. Just Mercy is a favorite book – one that really hits home! We use this in our Humanities program at our high school, and the students are always impacted by this book. I like how you have defined justice is/is not – – and your ending is so stirring.
Susan, todays post was quite inspiring. Your guilt poem hit several chords with me but one in particular paints a wonderful picture of guilt for me.
My draft poem is below.
Marriage is not
a 50/50 proposition
Marriage is giving
your whole 100%
Marriage is not
saying you’re sorry
Marriage is
being able
to ask for
and receive forgiveness
Marriage is not simply
two people in love
Marriage is
a reflection
of God’s love
with his light guiding
every action
Marriage does not
end at death
Marriage does
continue on
until reunited
in heavenly bliss
Oh, Christine! This poem needs to be posted by the sink in every married couple’s bathroom. You remind us all what marriage truly is. While I love being reminded that if both give 100% then things will be so much richer than trying to split things 50/50, I think I love these lines the most:
I think you know from my poem on guilt that asking for and receiving forgiveness is a huge challenge for me, so those lines struck a chord.
Christine, your words are so heavy. You’re right, there’s so much more to marriage than the enlightened gestures in movies, it’s not easy but it all comes back to the man upstairs. Thank you for sharing.
Christine – every line is so beautiful and so true – marriage is a transcendent thing. I am lingering on your lines “marriage does not end at death” – thinking how the vows speak of parting, but not the promise or the love itself ending. This is just so powerful. Your love for your husband – and his for you, yes – shines though.
Marriage is a reflection of God’s love…..oh, and how deep it is! Such a lovely thought for us, one that kind of reminds me of the line in “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Mis: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
Timing is not
everything
as in a tornado drill alarm sounding
just as Thomas musters Courage
to read aloud his dragon story.
Timing is not
an artform
as in a colleague’s clever quipping
that cast Cathy as a silent quitter
when she declines bus duty.
Timing is
a myth
for there is never a perfect for all and yet
it is all we have
together.
Our timing.
Sarah, this poem cuts through myriad bad timing moments. Did Thomas ever read his dragon story? Reminds me of fire alarms mid-speech necessitating the student start over. And good for Cathy for setting boundaries. The play on words at the end inspired my thoughts today. I love the notion of thinking of timing together rather than time together. The progressive form appeals to me.
Sarah, what a clear visual on what timing does and how it affects others. I feel for Thomas and for Cathy and for all those in the right space at the wrong timing.
Sarah,
I so appreciate your making the time to write in response to this prompt today. I found out this round of Open Write that sometimes life really gets in the way, and it makes me sad because this space–and exchange of ideas–is so sacred to me.
Your poem is beautiful. The first two stanzas get the root of two very specific timing situations. The third stanza so aptly speaks to the wider idea of what timing is. Once again, you craft a thought-provoking poem with such concise yet descriptive language.
Sarah, what a meticulously-crafted gem here. I love the two examples of bad timing, and the truth about timing in all its unimportance, but ultimately, “it is all we have / together” So beautiful!
Sarah, your poem gives me peace. Time is something that we all want more of and this piece captivates how this is not something we can control. Timing truly is “a myth”. Thank you for sharing!
What a glimmering gem you leave us with in these last lines, Sarah! And I do feel for Thomas and Cathy…alas. Timing, timing – a gift and a curse!
Sarah, yes, yes! Timing can be a blessing or a disaster – – either way, it is a force that has impact on what happens. Thomas and his dragon story makes my heart sad…..courage squelched, because of timing. Never a perfect for all……such truth here!
“Timing is a myth” – I need to sit with this line for awhile.
Susan, your is/is not poetry is timely and thought-provoking. This may stay with me all day as I contemplate things that are and aren’t. Your line on guilt – not hanging your head and continuing to do the same wrong – will linger. It draws the line in the sand between choice and guilt. Thank you for hosting us today!
Awe is autumn air
wondrous leaves, refreshing breeze
deep-down soul praises
Awe is not, with -some,
a catch-phrase for each moment
anticipated
Oh, the sounds of Ah here, Kim, is a breath of wisdom about awe. “Deep down” vs “catch-phrase” is an apt contrast. ❤️
Kim, your poem reminds me to use the word awe with caution! Yet to remain open to finding awe in the smallest of leaves. I will be considering this today
Kim,
Your words capture autumn awe like a crisp morning breeze that lingers. I love the brevity and your awe-inspiring words.
Kim,
Thank you for making the time to respond to this prompt today. It’s been a crazy week for me and I’ve struggled to stay up on adding my own poems and commenting appropriately. Your first stanza is so incredible . . . not just in its ideas, but in its sound. We don’t feel awe often enough, but I like how you remind us that is should never become a catch phrase.
Kim,
is gorgeous.
Yes, not the same word as awesome., not in the same league, at all. You have hit a grand slam with two short haikus.
Kim, thank you for sharing today. I could not agree more with all that your poem is. You have truly captivated the feeling of autumn.
Awe IS “deep-down soul praises,” Kim! For me, it’s a one-little-word for life – being a word that’s really anything but little. It’s powerful, transformative….your haiku speak to the wonder of all the vastness around us (wondrous leaves – they ARE, and so perfectly designed) and our tendency to cheapen it. Just – bam! I often find myself in awe of your poetry.
Susan, what a fabulous prompt, and what inspiring mentor poems! I once used metaphor dice to write a poem around “guilt is a stingy odyssey” – I remembered it with your lines on continuing to do the inconsiderate deed. Most of all I love your line on forgiving oneself. This is one of the greatest challenges we ever face… so much harder, sometimes, than forgiving another person. How well you capture the multi-faceted nature of guilt, its oppressiveness and its helpful guidance.
Memory is a blanket
of new-falling snow
over barren ground
where nothing would grow
Memory is not static
it is ever-changing
reinventing itself day by day
ever so slightly
around the edges
Memory is the sparks
crackling and popping
from the inner fire
in the grate
Memory is not reliable—
it goes its own way,
its own consummation
and consumption,
ashes stirred to life
rolling in the breeze
Memory is a river
life-giving, sustaining, sacred
flowing free until obstructed
necessary and nourishing
yet potential danger for drowning
—you cannot live there, submerged
Memory is not tomorrow
or yesterday
Memory is now
Memory is not a book,
a record carefully preserved
Memory is written in disappearing ink
So beautiful! What wonderful images of memory. Thank you for sharing! I’m still doodling around in my notebook. The cat on my lap is slowing me down. But, I wanted to pop in and say thank you to Susan for the prompt!
Fran, that last line brings my mother in her final days of Lewy Body Dementia back. Oh, how true is that disappearing ink, whether by disease or by fading of recollection. I think this is why I take so many pictures – to help me remember those tiny details of things I would have long forgotten if not for the camera.
This is the part that hit home:
necessary and nourishing
yet potential danger for drowning
—you cannot live there, submerged
That one word – submerged – is the anchor that pulls us with weights to the bottom of the ocean, when we live in those moments that are hard to overcome.
You’ve done it again – a masterfully worded verse!
Fran,
I am struck by the wisdom here. The deep insight in these contrasts surfaces such nuance. That last link “disappearing ink” will stay with me today.
Fran, your poem is lovely. I especially like your final line,
”Memory is written in disappearing ink”
Thank you for sharing your words.
Fran, I love the thought of memory being a spark. Oh how those sparks can grow into warm embers glowing bright in our hearts. Your poem warms my heart
Fran,
Yes to every idea here. I think often about how memory is not static but ever changing, about how a basic memory can evolve into a good one over time and vice versa. I’m attending two memory-laden events this weekend: my 45th high school reunion and a 60th wedding anniversary. Lots of memories attached to each, and I wonder about the “disappearing ink” of memory. Love that last line.
Fran,
Thank you for adding your beautiful, thought-provoking poem to today’s strand. Just as I thought I had chosen one of your images to share as my favorite, I would go on to choose another. The entire poem captures so many things that memory IS and IS NOT. I think I am landing on the wise idea expressed in these lines:
Wow, Fran, you dug deep with this one. So many beautiful images. I love the metaphor of a river, life-giving and sustaining, yet dangerous if you try to live there in the memories.
“Memory is written in disappearing ink” is fabulous.