Writing Inspiration
Well, today’s Daily Create asked us to explain what our favorite flower is. Now, who can pick a favorite flower when each one seen is a unique and intricate beauty to admire and thank for being in the world?
So—- a poem about picking a favorite, because I hear myself saying, “Oh I love crocus’s— they are my and my mom’s favorite flower.”
And then, as the daffodils pop up, I hear my self saying, “Oh, I love daffodils — they just cheer us up after winter.”
Next, I hear myself as the hawthorn and pear bloom, “Oh I love the trees that bloom and let us know that, yes— spring is here.”
Or when I say, “You have sweet peas? Oh, they are my favorite flowers— my mom always planted them so they paint the wire fence with color.”
Or as we walk through the meadow, “Oh look! My favorite flowers— bachelor buttons. My mom always planted them with her sweet peas.” And then I realize that each one is my favorite flower. So I sifted through my Google Photos and found a few—- hundred—- with art and poetry for an album to share: Floral Delights
Writing Process
I spent hours enjoying my poems, art, and poetry archived in my Google Drive— searching for that one flower that could be my favorite. But— as you read above, there is no such thing as favorite. And if you walk with me one day, plan on a photo-walk because I will pause at every little floral that catches my eye— and that will be often.
But— I did begin to name them and that started my poem of recognizing I did not have a favorite flower, but those forget-me-nots are just the flower I have drawn since I could draw flowers— five petals of blue with white centers. Every time I stumble upon them, I exclaim— “Look at these tiny and lovely blue flowers.” Then, I look down and see on my front porch, the lovely little wood sorrel— so delicate, like the sunshine in my garden with heart-shaped leaves— both opening as the sun’s light calls and closing as the moon says goodnight. I love them. “They are my favorite flower.”
As I started to write and feel the rhythm of the syllables I also felt the rhyme. So my process was to chose next lines with a similar cadence and end rhyme. The most difficult line was “To these, I thank and give laurels.” I rewrote that line about ten times. I almost rewrote the line “I see wood sorrels” so it did not end with sorrels — but I kept trying until satisfied that it fits, not perfectly, but for today, its OK.
Sometimes when I write, the end I think will happen, does not. That’s the case here— I couldn’t just end with laurels— especially since the decision was difficult. So, the poem needed to continue. The Daily Create asked us why the favorite— so that came next. And then, tomorrow [or the next minute] will come and another flower will catch my curiosity, like my favorite flower, the columbine. You see— I just can’t choose. And so “with each, enjoy.”
And so my poem and my Daily Create:
ds106 @ds106dc #tdc3760 Flower Laurels
Sorrel Laurels, But Tomorrow…
Crocus, Lilac, Lavender,
Sheri Edwards
Patience, Pansy, Cornflower
Cosmos, Cranesbill, many more
Each one a gift that we adore
Pick just one? Oh, I think not-
Maybe today — forget-me-not—
But wait, I see the wood sorrels
To these, I thank and give laurels
For morning yellows like the sun
And closing up when day is done;
Perhaps tomorrow, the columbine—
For gifts of memories and colors fine?
Oh, so many blooms of joy
I sigh and with each, enjoy.
042922 120.365.22
Poetry/Photography
Your Turn
Choose a favorite:
- flower
- color
- car
- shoe
- sport
- movie
- song
- season
- month
- gemstone
- tree
- subject
- letter
- book
- mineral
- star
- constellation
Why is it your favorite?
Free write for a few minutes— perhaps you’ll take a journey as I did through photos and memories. Perhaps you know exactly what and why. So write about favorite.
Highlight some phrases with potential— and start with those to write again.
Read your thoughts and pull out a few phrases to create your poem. Check for word meaning, phrasing, cadence, and sounds. Rhyme is not required.
Share with a friend and help him or her do the same.