WHO IS LISTENING?

At the top
of the spires
of the ocotillo
where red flames grow
perches a phainopepla
emptying his throat.
His sweet song
drifts over the sage
brush for all to hear.
But if no one 
pauses to listen, 
is there a sound?

     I live a very quiet life at the end of a road on three acres.Sometimes when I go into town, to the mall to go shopping, it seems really noisy to me.  There are all sorts of buzzing, rings, voices, and sounds I don't normally hear.  I think about those birds and I wonder what voices the city folks hear.  What birds have you seen or heard today?  For your poetry challenge for today, can you try writing a poem about some sound you hear?  Have fun writing.

     Today I'll stop and listen to the sounds around me.

ALWAYS TALKING

Jibber-Jabber
Yack, yack, yack.
You talk, talk, talk
and then sass back.

You'll never learn
when your mouth's on flow.
If you'd stop to listen
then you'd know.

 Can you find some time to sit in silence today?  What can you learn in your moments?  Can you write a poem about what you heard?  What you learned?

Poetry is music written for the human voice.  Maya Angelou

IT'S NOISY OUT THERE, FRED

Today I think
there's music 
in the air.
I sit to listen
and the sounds
are there.

The refrigerator hums.
The ceiling fan clicks.
The light makes a buzz,
and the old clock ticks.

So much music
bringing me cheer,
I just need it quiet
so I can hear.

     Close your eyes and listen for a moment.  What do you hear?  How are the sounds inside different from those outside? Does your school sound different from your home?  Is the school library filled with different music than the art room, the music room, the office?  Take you note pad and sit quietly  listening for five minutes.  Write down everything you hear.  Can you shape our notes into a poem.  You can do this exercise with friends to see who has the longest list in five minutes.  Can you turn each sound into a simile?  Have fun writing today.

Desert Ocotillo

Ocotillos bloom
in spires of red, hot pokers
your birthday candles
everywhere the flames burning
too quickly they are blown out


      This poem is a tanka.  I haven't written many tankas so I did have to go back to one of my form books to check that I had done the syllables correctly.  Tankas were made popular by Chinese courtesans who published books of tanka written to their sponsor.  Those books are some of the first poetry books published of poetry by women.  The tanka has 31 syllables, five lines long in a 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 pattern.  It is like a haiku 5-7-5, with two extra 7 syllable lines.  Also, these poems encouraged the use of reference to the lover or sponsor.

    Your challenge for today is to try writing your own tanka.  Have fun.

     And here is a thought, if you get stumped in writing.

"The poet doesn't invent.  He listens."    Jean Cocteau

Winter Night

Quiet night
stars shine intensely,
crystal air
snowflakes fall
as silence drops around us
filling all our lives.


  Today's poem is a shadorma, a Spanish six line poem.  This is a syllabic form with 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables in the lines.  You can check to see if I've done this correctly by counting the syllables in each line.

Line 1 = 3 syllables
Line 2 = 5 syllables
Line 3 = 3 syllables
Line 4 = 3 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables
Line 6 = 5 syllables

    If you are one of those people who hates rhyme, or just can't do it, try some of the syllabic forms to get yourself started.  Your challenge for today is to try writing your own syllabic poem.

    I saw a sweatshirt this weekend that said, "Have you noticed LISTEN and SILENT are made from the same letters?"

    Have a fun day writing poetry.  Stay warm.

PRACTICING

Quietly I sit.
Watch lips move
on him and her.

I'm practicing,
you see-- to be
a good listener.

      I was reading Hilton Als' column CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK in an old issue of THE NEW YORKER, magazine that I hadn't read yet.  He ended his column with, "Waters has redefined yet another genre, and reengaged our interest in the power of listening."  This got me to thinking about the power of listening.  What qualities are involved in being a good listener?  How might that give you power?  If you had to choose, would you rather be known as a good listener or a good speaker.  I have a friend who is active in Toastmasters because she wants to do presentations and be a good speaker.  But I don't know any clubs to help people be better listeners.  Your challenge for today is to write your own poem about the qualities of a good listener.

Rain makes the road shine black.
I listen to the pitt-a-pat.
Dripping from the tree leaves,
falling off the edge of eaves.

On this day, I could feel gray
but the shine on the road
takes the blues away.


     Do you know the adage about, "Look for the Silver Lining?"  there was a movie in the 50's with that title.  It means to look for good things  even in bad situations.  Your challenge for today is to write a poem about something good that came out of something bad or difficult.  I Hope you have a great day.
  

haiku

a hawk, hear its cry

as a car whizzes by

a snake on the road

     Do you ever have days when you get stuck and can't think of anything to write about?  Look out your window.  What is the first thing you see?  Now look for something to move or listen for a noise.  So now you have two things to try writing a haiku about.  Try this and let me know what happens for you.  You are welcome to leave your poem in the comments below.  I'd like to read your poem.  Have a great day listening and observing.