Dry and arid landscape,
Cracks in the ground bring water.
Seed to stem. Renew.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Doran Erickson on Unsplash
- Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash
- Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
Haiku #8
Tag Archives: .poetry
Imagine
You tower above us all,
Just looking up, I feel as
If I might fall.
Now back to the presents call,
Grounded in the known, and,
Yes, sometimes, unknown.
They are, of course,
Different sides of the same
Coin, joined together like all
Pairs of opposites, which, at times,
We imagine as disparate.
A common misnomer, like
Standing in your shadow,
Gazing up at the steel reinforcements,
Which make up your very tall tableau.
I move back to get a better glimpse,
Imagining times past, and all
The people who stood
Right on this spot
Completing
The very
Same
Maneuver. It’s all quite a wondrous
Achievement, and I bet there’s
Been some bereavement,
As you miss the people
At your feet, gazing
Up, and feeling
Transfixed
By your beauty.
Continue to imagine,
As there will be
A day soon,
Though when is not
yet known,
When people will be back
Bustling up and down
You’re steel trellis;
And standing
Where i am
Now,
Gazing up in wonderment
At your towering
Presence, as they
Continue to imagine.
In response to the WDYS #69 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
Forgiven
A tender embrace,
Is a special place
For you and me.
I remember the
First time,
Like it was the last time,
Even when I couldn’t see.
Yet, feeling disjointed,
And all the while
Mispointed,
Falling into your arms,
Was something else completely.
A touch so soft, and
At the same time bold,
It never occurred to me
How together, we’d grow old.
I was once told
A tale of togetherness,
Which foretold of all kinds
Of pleasantness,
The likes of which remind
Me of the times amiss,
When hugs were
Given, as both
Of our hearts
Were
Forgiven.
In response to the Saturday Rag Tag Daily Prompt, Hugs, by Punam.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Igor Érico on Unsplash
- Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash
- Photo by Josue Escoto on Unsplash
- Photo by Josue Ladoo Pelegrin on Unsplash
- Photo by loly galina on Unsplash
A Blogger’s Diary 2/14/21: 2 Writing Reflections and A Weekend in Yachats
As some of you may know, over the December holidays, I had a trip scheduled to the Oregon coast, and, at that time, the trip just didn’t feel right, so I cancelled. Well, as I was writing one night after work, I think it was Wednesday, it occurred to me that a trip to the coast this weekend felt right, so I booked a small cottage about 100 yards from the Ocean, and set out late Friday afternoon.
Before I write more about my time in Yachats, let’s take a look at two of the posts from this past week.
2 Writing Reflections
The Reflection Series: Thinking About Time Differently
I always love what I write, even when the writing is difficult, or it doesn’t turn out exactly like I anticipated; and, the latter happens, well, not quite often, yet as a burgeoning writer it happens. It’s part of the process.
The reflection on time and energy was such a fun post to write, as considering how my (our) energy is spent daily is an important consideration. One that I think more about today, than in times past.
As I wrote about in the post, the idea came from a conversation with a colleague of mine, and since that time, I’ve written this post, made a very short video for LinkedIn, and mapped most of my work (and some of the departments). Here is the latter.
As you can see, what is helpful is knowing how much energy each project takes, and the timeframe the work will take place. On the vertical axis, you can see time labeled as work of the year, work of the quarter, work of the month, and work of the week; and, energy is on the horizontal axis.
I am currently reflecting on this graph, and will use the information contained within to construct my next year of work. Super helpful.
Guide
The poem guide was created as I sat and reflected upon my childhood and how I was taught well, very well, in fact, how to use, and develop, my intelligence, perseverance, and determination to “get things done.” The issue?
Well, I wasn’t taught, and it is totally okay that this was so, how to develop my intuition. Yet, it was always there, waiting, and, in fact, guiding me, even though I was unaware for a very long time.
I really enjoyed writing this poem as I believe it is a reflection of many young people’s lives, especially in the United States.
Yachats
Oh, how I love, love, love the coast. Or, maybe it is called the beach, shore, ocean, or sea, where you live. Either way, I adore being at the coast, and the trip this past weekend was no exception.
I spent my almost two days there, walking along the coast trail, taking photos, meditating, and writing. Oh, yes, I did get some nice sleep too.
Here are some pictures from my time in Yachats.
Lovely, yes?
Yes, it was great fun. I’ll be sharing some of the new poetry I created this weekend in the coming weeks. One is already scheduled for tomorrow night. I hope you enjoy it, as much as I enjoyed getting to take in all of the scenery and beauty that inspired it.
Alright, that’s all for this week.
Have a splendid week.
Tanka #4
A meadow landscape,
Flower, just like a skyscraper.
Bee alights, then night.
Snap a picture with my mind,
Hold it for the rest of life.
Elfje #3
Yellow
The sun
Bright as fire
Filling me with resolve
Warmth
Haiku #7
Sun like a deluge,
Cloud steals, but for a moment.
Time stretches, sublime.
Photo Credit
- Photo by Brian Garcia on Unsplash
- Photo by Zwaddi on Unsplash
- Photo by Kevin Fitzgerald on Unsplash
Wonder
Petals of velvet.
A pond full of lily pads.
Time stops. Breathe. Wonder.
In response to the WDYS #68 prompt from Keep it Alive, by Sadje.
Guide
I breathe in
And out,
Wondering
What it’s all about
I consider all that
Was taught to me
In all that very stormy weather
Stick your chest out,
Head down, be brave,
Don’t let them see you pout,
Or cry as needed,
You’d be depleted, and
Called names, so
Suck it up,
Move forward, and
Don’t worry about the
Healing that’s needed,
Tape it up, and
Go again, keep the motion
That’s kept everything in commotion
Yes, it’s true, you’ve
Run right over one of the
Very best parts of you,
No, not on purpose,
You were so little, you
Knew not what you were doing
That well then quieted
For oh so many years,
While you continued to live
In your head, and, at times, yes,
Even felt quite dead
To the world, and all
Of it’s joy and beauty,
For in those days, your sight
Only encompassed
The harshness and the pity
Yet, a new day has dawned,
And little by little, that inner voice,
Has grown stronger, bolder, and, yes,
Even louder, and your vision
Has returned with a thunderous
Zeal, which often feels just like
When you were so very little,
A connection deep within,
Made concrete so long ago,
Then disappeared for decades
Of pain and suffering,
Only to show itself again,
In later life,
To once again guide you,
And provide you
With all the
Best
That’s already inside you
A Blogger’s Diary 2/7/21: 2 Writing Reflections, Next Week, and Movies
Alright, we’ve now entered February and are approaching the 1-year anniversary of the pandemic outbreak here locally. Phew. Hard to believe, and, yet, not. Why?
Well, in some ways this past year has gone by really quickly, and, in others, not so much. Time is an interesting construct. One I will not go into right now, promise, though if you are interested in more of my thinking on time, please take a look at, The Social Construction Series Part 5: The Social Construction of Time.
I also wrote a poem on time once.
I digress. How about those reflections? Okay, here we go.
2 Writing Reflections
Hope
Alright, the hope elfje poem was a response to Sadje’s weekly WDYS prompt, and I loved writing it. There are times when I write a poem, and all the words just flow out of me and onto the page. There are other times, where it flows out of me, and then I sit with the poem a while, and make minor, and sometimes major adjustments.
The hope poem was of the latter variety. I originally conceived of this poem as a poem about fright. Yet, as I played with the words in my mind, and looked at them on my whiteboard, it occured to me that the poem was really about hope.
That, at times, we all feel like the darkness is enveloping us, and then when we are least expecting it, a ray of light, or hope, shines upon us. Beautifully fun.
Shy
Well, what do I say about the poem shy. Hm. First, I wrote this poem two months ago probably, and just left it. I would occasionally go back to it, read and reread it, and then still leave it for another day.
Well, this past week, I read it again, made a couple minor changes, and thought, let’s post this this week. And, so that’s exactly what happened.
I was shy growing up, and was called shy and sensitive a lot. In the early 1980’s being shy and sensitive as a young boy was, well, difficult. And, I know for many young boys and girls this is still the case today in the US.
In the United States there is a fixation on being unemotional, which is, as we all know, quite toxic and unhealthy. Emotional balance and stability is needed and necessary, yet, when we shut our emotions away, we are ultimately harming ourselves and those around us.
Anyway, the poem shy was about me stepping into the light of my shyness and sensitivity. For me, they go together.
One of my blogger friends asked if the poem was about being shy or being introverted. And, well, I am actually quite extroverted, yet also have a very important introverted part of my life. A paradox? No, not at all.
Shyness, sensitivity, extroversion, and introversion, all live on a continuum, or spectrum. And, they can actually change over time and between contexts.
Writing the poem shy was a blast.
Next Week
Looking ahead, I see more poems, and an article on time and energy, which is almost complete. And, then one, I think, on patience, something that I struggled with for a very long time.
In the coming weeks, I will also be working on the Leadership From Within Series. The posts in this new series will be shorter, and will be about the many things I’ve encountered the past 4 years in my role at the community college. Will be fun.
I will also be trying out some new poem forms, such as the Hexastich. Should be a lot of fun. And, movies? Alright, let’s take a look at a couple I’ve watched over the past two months.
Movies
I’ve always enjoyed movies, and though I don’t watch as many today, I still love to curl up with a blanket and take in a good movie.
Here are a couple I’ve watched recently.
- The Legend of Bagger Vance
- The Dig
- Hillbilly Elegy
- A Man Called Ove
- Lovely Still
- Enola Holmes
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
I give all of these movies at least a 7 out of 10, with the Legend of Bagger Vance being my favorite.
Alright, that’s all for this week.
I wish you well in all that you do, and hope you have a wonderful week.
Develop. Inspire. Transform. 