Friday, February 25, 2011

Poetry Friday & Poem #331 - building



Blocks & Words
Photo by Amy LV


This is poem #7 in my Friday series of poems about reading and words and books.

I am humbled daily by what writers do with the same twenty-six letters I have been given, amazed by what people do with the same twenty-four hours.  This feeling of awe urges me to learn more, to peek into the lives and secrets of mentors and to try to strengthen my writing and my spirit.

Students - allow yourself to fall in love with writers, to stand upon their shoulders and try on their techniques.  By saying, "I will try to write without rhyme today" or "Today I will write a serious poem" we stretch ourselves into new shapes and possibilities, shapes and possibilities we may not have even known were inside of us.

Will you fail?  Yup!  But listen to Irish writer Samuel Beckett's words should you begin to doubt.  "Ever tried?  Ever failed?  No matter.  Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better."

 Sara is hosting this week's Poetry Friday over at Read Write Believe.  

(Please click on POST A COMMENT below to share a thought.)

9 comments:

  1. The same 26 letters, the same 24 hours. The same, and yet so different. Hmm.

    Great poem, as usual! You made me think. How will I use my 26/24 today? So infinite the possibilities from such defined (I almost said "limited" but that would sound ungrateful for the wealth we are given each day) resources...

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  2. Yes, what Mary Lee said! Love how your poem makes me think---and I might have to borrow that 26/24 shorthand to post at my desk to remind me to build well each day. Thank you.

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  3. You made me think of 24 hours and twenty six letters in a whole new way...thank you!

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  4. I especially love your line about the cold kitchen floor. Yes indeed. But still we build!

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  5. Ooh, love that building a world part. Puts me in mind of a song I love by Five for Fighting called World:

    Got a package full of Wishes
    A Time machine, a Magic Wand
    A Globe made out of Gold

    No Instructions or Commandments
    Laws of Gravity or
    Indecisions to uphold

    Printed on the box I see
    A.C.M.E.'s Build-a-World-to-be
    Take a chance - Grab a piece
    Help me to believe it

    What kind of world do you want?
    Think Anything
    Let's start at the start
    Build a masterpiece
    Be careful what you wish for
    History starts now...

    Should there be people or peoples
    Money, Funny pedestals for Fools who never pay
    Raise your Army - Choose your Steeple
    Don't be shy, the satellites can look the other way

    Lose the Earthquakes - Keep the Faults
    Fill the oceans without the salt
    Let every Man own his own Hand

    What kind of world do you want
    Think Anything
    Let's start at the start
    Build a masterpiece
    Be careful what you wish for
    History starts now...

    Sunlight's on the Bridge
    Sunlight's on the Way
    Tomorrow's Calling

    There's more to this than Love

    What Kind of world do you want
    What Kind of world do you want

    What Kind of world do you want
    Think Anything
    Let's start at the start
    Build a masterpiece

    History Starts Now

    Be careful what you wish for
    Start Now

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  6. Very nice, Amy. Good rhythm and visuals, as well as being true!

    Have a great weekend!

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  7. Mary Lee, Sara, and Tara, I once read a quote that said that Mother Teresa and Gandhi and so many others have the same 24 hours as the rest of us. That really rattled me! A.
    ----------------
    Andromeda, Yes, it is cold sometimes. It's so good to have company, isn't it?? A.
    ----------------
    Laura, Hey - I love this and am going to listen to it online. Thank you so much for taking the time to connect and share here. A.
    ----------------
    Tabatha, Thank you! You too. (It was fun to set up that little block tower in my kitchen...) A.

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  8. Late to the party as usual, but always worth the visit! Enjoying the connection between your cold kitchen floor/blank slate and the kitchens of Sara's daughter Rebecca.

    The 26/24 will work for some, but for me, I need to remember to go ahead and fail...better.

    Thanks, Amy.

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  9. Isn't our uniqueness wonderful. Sometimes I think about my four children and marvel at their amazing differences, even though they come from the same parents. We all approach those letters differently in the space of those hours. And the differences are sometimes astounding. THanks for sharing your lovely poem.

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