No startling sensations.No toxic release.
Just gentle, soft possibilities.
In my garden is the pulsing web of life.Ask an angel. Truth chants from the
Blue-winged butterfly, the yellow-winged bird,
And the hum of the potatoes.
At the jazz piano barI held a rose between my teeth.
He played the ever-turning rhythms--
Passions of jealousy.
Blue wings sedate.The dragon fighters surrender.
Anger lodged in the spinning of the wind.
Butterfly photos by Rick Sammon.
Anger lodged in the spinning of the wind.Butterfly photos by Rick Sammon.
New York Times Book Review cover illustration by Olaf Hajek.
Very nice poem. Did you write it? I love the sentence, "Truth chants from the
ReplyDeleteBlue-winged butterfly, the yellow-winged bird,
And the hum of the potatoes." It's so true, just pause, quiet the mind, and listen.
Margaret, the photos and your amazing words just took my breath away. I love this! I'm glad to see you back posting. I've missed your photos and your beautiful writing--- Blessings!
ReplyDeletemargaret, the pictures and the words - are they your own words? - are breathtaking - sincerely!!! i love the two words "soft possibilities" above all else. so great to visit a place like this!!! thanks steven
ReplyDeletehello Margaret...
ReplyDeleteça fait plaisir de te revoir sur la bloggosphere...
tes photos de papillons sont délicieuses...
ont dirait de jolis bijoux....le dernier est superbe...quel étrange graphisme sur ses ailes...je n'en ai jamais vu de pareil...
j'espère que tu as passé un bon mois d'aout...
bises from France Margaret
That butterfly could represent anger with it's red spot and turmoil ridden swirls. Thanks for your kind comments on my photo picks.
ReplyDeleteVery nice indeed. I enjoyed it fully thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteHello Margaret
ReplyDeleteI love the words too, especially the humming potatoes...they took me straight into my Dad's vege gardens where the potato shines dark green
and fills the air with pulsing life...
Happy days
Hallo Margaret
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures and the words; first time I've come across 'generativity'. Your own invention?
Thanks to all for your kind and warm comments.
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a general note re my poetry~
I found a book during vacation that gave me several creative ideas about expressing oneself through poetry. The book is called poemcrazy, freeing your life with words, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. As she lives in Chico, California, and writes her poetry mostly in Bidwell Park, I was immediately engaged (I went to college there [not in the Park, but in the State Universty!] and Steven, that's where the famous live oak was; I believe it's gone now). She also leads poetry workshops throughout the country. Step 1. Create a word pool: this is done by finding words randomly in dictionaries, biology books, magazines, telephone books, etc. I typed, cut, and taped them to playing cards with Avery labels, then cut them into individual labels. Step 2. Find an image, photo, painting, etc. Step 3. Pick through your word pool for a few words to match what you're feeling from the picture. Step 4. From there write your poem (using the words and images to kindle ideas, thoughts, and feelings). Example: Seeing the potatoes growing under the soil, you can just hear their humming. These were my words. And Friko, I don't remember the source for generativity, but I don't think it's an actual word, just a noun for generate!
I would appreciate hearing if this is an acceptable way to create poetry.
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Hi Dan! Yes, I believe that every single creature--living and inanimate--is connected to each other, the earth, the one. I really felt that in this image from the New York Times. I also felt that these entities were chanting their truth, whereas humans can be polluted and thus have their truth distorted. My favorite example of this is studying the life of Ishi and how his thoughts and actions were always true.
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Hi Marion! please read my explanation of my poems and let me know what you think! As for me, I can't get over Kowit and his Levi's!
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Hi Steven! I got "soft" from the softness of this Cabbage White butterfly and then contrasted it with the polarity of "toxic" and "startling."
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Merci, Clo de cette gentille perle de commentaire! Ces photos viennent d'un livre Flying Flower (fleurs qui volent) de Rick Sammon. Le dernier papillon s'appelle Diaethria clymena et se trouve en Amerique du Sud. Mon titre est "la folie logee au filage du vent." A tout de suite chez toi! Bises (^-^)
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Hi Sharon! That's how I saw it, too! It's always a pleasure to visit your blog.
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Hi Blues! I always enjoy having you as a blogger comrade!
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Hi Delwyn! Wasn't that an absolutely striking drawing? My mother has potatoes in her winter garden, too. It's exciting hitting that first one with the spade and then to keep digging to find more and more--like an Easter egg hunt! (More separately).
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Hi Friko! I explained the word above. Someone had a great invention! It makes perfect sense. Clever you to wonder about that!
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Great butterfly photos! In the park next door to us there is a tree which each year at about this time (possibly later) it vibrates with literally hundreds of Monarchs! I must dig out a video of it, might be nicer than the spider one eh?!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what it is those potatoes are humming? Do The Mashed Potato comes to mind...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you furnished the modus operandi for writing this poem because at first I was very startled by it and wasn't sure what to make of it. I do love the unexpected combination of ideas and images. Shakes things up and helps us see with fresh eyes!
Hi Sajit! That tree sounds amazing! And I would love to see a video of it. But I must admit the spider story made my day. You found something invisible to the world and made it a universe. And whoever heard of a barking spider?! ;) And yes, there was the Russian swimmer having trouble putting a "sweatshirt" on; I laughed so hard!
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Hi Lynne! Thanks for the vote of support! Yes, I think it's a wonderful way to write poetry for the very reason you stated: it shakes things up. And we'll all be doing the Mashed Potato! ;)