Thursday, October 11, 2018

Poetry Friday --Falling in love with the Kyrielle

Poetry Friday....oh, it's so good to see you again.


Today's round up is hosted by Writing the World for Kids. Laura Purdie Salas is a pretty amazing poet-author AND cheerleader for other writers. I recommend visiting her and signing up for updates from her blog.

Have you fallen in love with the Kyrielle? If I'm correct, Robin Hood Black kicked off love of them with her blog post of September 27th in which she introduced us to poems of hers included in The Poetry of Us edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic. September 2018).

Robyn also shared a definition of the form:




I had never heard of a kyrielle before, but I loved the sound of the form, the history....what Amy Van Derwater did with the form in her poem Monarchs and Math: A Kyrielle last week. So, I decided to give it a go. 

One of Molly Hogan's photographs was inspiration for my exercise in Kyrielle writing. I had a hard time with an ABAB pattern. Writer buddy Margaret Simon helped me figure out that the poem was stronger as AABB and I'm pretty happy with my first crack at this form. It's so pretty. I know I'll write more. You?

First, the photograph prompt by Molly


By Molly Hogan


Next, a quote from Ann LaMott to get the juices flowing...


I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.   Anne Lamott

Finally, a kyrielle...

Mystery of Grace

River and I are watching Sun both of us on a daily run
Enter morning without a fuss
A mystery of grace greets us

My sneakers pound and race ahead
River makes-up its unmade bed
We routinely do what we must
A mystery of grace greets us

Shadow and rapids round the bend
We brace ourselves for dark again
A mist-moored boat whispers, trust
A mystery of grace greets us

River and I, long running friends
know that in due course shadow ends
We re-enter sun’s light joyous
A mystery of grace greets us

(c) Linda Mitchell

12 comments:

  1. Having seen the kyrielle in the other posts, I've been wanting to take a crack at the form...now I feel I need to even more! Very nice imagery you have here, Linda, especially the idea that "in due course shadow ends." Very profound!

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  2. Oh wow! This post makes me so happy. :0) I must credit our fearless POETRY OF US leader Pat with the nudge to try this form. Such great images, Linda, and a gorgeous photo from Molly. (And "mystery of grace" certainly fits in with the original ecclesiastical nature of these poems.) Your "mist-moored boat" reminds me a bit of Laura PS's "timbered view" with her poem she featured today from this collection. These two would be lovely to read together. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Love it! Applause! I love how you bravely take on the challenge of a new form. This one has such a feel of the runner with the peace of morning. Molly's photo is stunning!

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  4. This is so lovely! And River as a running friend. There are so many poem ideas to explore here. Thank you, too, for the quote. It is perfect in your poem and will be living in my notebook too... Happy Poetry Friday, kyrielle friend. x

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  5. Enter morning without a fuss
    A mystery of grace greets us

    That's how I'd like to live my life. Without a fuss, greeting whatever mysteries come my way. A beautiful poem, Linda, inspired by a beautiful photograph, Molly!

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  6. You make it look so easy! Well done! And Molly Hogan's photo is stunning.

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  7. I like this conversation you and river are exchanging –lovely circle of voices you have created here Linda, thank you–and beautiful image from Molly. Thanks too for the inspiring quote by Anne Lamott.

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  8. I like that you found two pieces to give you the inspiration for this beauty.

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  9. Linda, like Margaret said, I so admire your bravery as a poet--you always dive into new challenges and emerge triumphant! I'm so glad my photo spoke to you and that you answered so brilliantly. Your kyrielle is gorgeous and that repeating line moves me so, "a mystery of grace greets us." Each time I read it I take more away. Lovely!

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  10. Oh, this is beautiful, Linda! I especially love "long-running friends" and that ending. Gorgeous image from Molly, too--and thanks for the shout out!

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  11. Oh how I love the repetition of "A mystery of grace greets us"!!

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Friendly, positive comments and feedback are always welcome here. Please let me know I'm not just whistling in the dark!