Daffodil
Outside my window
children rush by in play; my
daffodil the prize.
School’s out– well, it is online, and the kids in the neighborhood have much more time to learn on their own out in the world, playing games and rushing, running, biking around the block and through the yards. Laughter of children is a sound that never grows old and sings through my window a song of hope.
On my walk, on the side of the house on sidewalk I found this bloom from my yard, no doubt plucked on the run in a game of hide and seek or tag– a prize for getting away.
Prompt:
As you can read in my poem and narrative, the sounds and sights of outside my window provide me with brief snippets of life, perfect for poetry.
The daffodil I found days ago, and the sounds of laughter happen daily. Scott and I talk about how we love the sounds of our neighbor, nature and human. So the events stick in my mind, and I visualize what’s going on, remembering my own days. I can describe in detail and in summary the actions and emotions, and this sift through my mind until a poem pops out.
A journal helps– just stop at different times of the day and listen. Try the same spot for a week [in the kitchen, under a tree, on the steps]– see what sounds, sights, emotions you can list and draw. And then, one day, read through and highlight lines that jump out at you. Rewrite them and revise them and turn them around until a moment in time, a snippet of a time is described.
Try it, and let us know what you wrote.
Note: The poem above is a haiku: learn how to write one here [Kenn Nesbitt ] and here [The Writing Cooperative ].
About this post:
Be safe out there. Find ways to help yourself, your family, and others keep going! We can do this together!
April is time for NaPoWriMo — National Poetry Writing Month, try a bit of poetry and art to encourage others to be safe with each other. Something short. Something inclusive. Something of spring and hope. #NaPoWriMo/#GloPoWriMo
The Academy of Poets encourages us to write #shelterinpoems. Get some ideas there and share your own.
Tons of information can be found at Poets.org: National Poetry Month and here: Virtual Programs.
National Council of Teachers of English also offers suggestions here.
Tune in to Glokel Yokel DS106radio for inspiration.