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It's so nice to meet you all in the first days of the western new year.
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| The Waterford crystal ball in Times Square. Peter Foley/EPA, via Shutterstock via The New York Times Morning Briefing 12/30 |
At a recent meeting of The Sunday Night Swaggers:
Catherine
Heidi
Margaret
Molly
I suggested we share our One-Little-Word for 2020 as our theme this first Friday of the month. The conversation quickly turned to five unique opinions on One-Little-Word. Huh!
We turned to Heidi whose task was to determine this week's theme and she pointed out that her quip, "To word or not to word," in the midst of our talk was a theme revealed. Ta da!
I am of a mind to choose a word to work toward... a word that I hope will be a presence in my writing life over the next twelve months. Last year, my word was TRUE. And, as I look over the fifty blog posts of 2019 I see that TRUE did show up. I am pleased.
What do I want? What do I want to grow into? What do I want to bless my writing life in 2020?
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| https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/at%20ease?s=t |
This phrase, spoken by an authority figure to subordinates allows them to relax, be real, say what they really mean and think. I like that idea so much that I looked for more words to define, at-ease. As it turns out I like ALL the synonyms. I claim them all under the umbrella of at ease.
I'm starting my at-ease journey with a Bop poem.
At Ease
By Linda Mitchell
A friend once told me,
Put your heart down.
Her instruction brimmed with love,
care and a smile in her voice.
care and a smile in her voice.
Had I been holding my heart
up too high and too away?
A bridge over troubled waters.
My friend, from China,
gave me a word
picture
that made sense in her language.
I puzzled to understand it in mine.
Deadlines, instructions, train
schedules
mountains still had to be
climbed.
A bridge over troubled waters.
Put your heart down
in the cradle of your chest
where lungs breathe in and out--
lifeblood is restored and refreshed.
Be at ease in the details.
let them bubble and laugh and splash.
A bridge over troubled waters.
Head on over to Carol's Corner for New Year Poetry celebration with an amazing Maya Angelou poem.
Linda, I am starting with your PF blog post and then moving over to your piece for Spiritual Journey Thursday. Your questions for the one word challenge are really so good that I may have to spend time with them before writing responses. "What do I want to grow into? What do I want to bless my writing life in 2020?" At ease is a "be present-I am" type of word set that will take you far. I see that balanced is one of the synonyms. That is my word for this year's journey so I may write a poem using a synonym as I ponder further. I like the repetitive quality of put your heart down for the heart is such a powerful point in the body. In yoga we call it the heart center. The following words from your poem sound like an action statement that will provide you with many avenues to explore.
ReplyDelete"Be at ease in the details.
let them bubble and laugh and splash.
Thanks so much for the wonderful talking time last weekend.
Just when you think there's no new way to describe mindfulness, along comes a stanza about heartfulness:
ReplyDeletePut your heart down
in the cradle of your chest
where lungs breathe in and out--
lifeblood is restored and refreshed.
Be at ease in the details.
Linda, I love your poem, and your two-word choice. May it ease you through your year!
I had to look up the "Bop poem" & enjoyed the way your made your argument, Linda, fits 'at ease' just right, and as Heidi wrote, mindfulness in a new set of words, "let them bubble and laugh and splash." Best wishes all year with your choice.
ReplyDelete'Put your heart down' - what a wonderful phrase, and I love the way you explore its meaning. 'At ease' is an excellent two-word one little word.
ReplyDeleteLinda- I love this. I love the idea of "putting your heart down." And words "bubbling and laughing and splashing." I want to live like this in 2020! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSuch a creative way to introduce your one word - er, phrase! I admire the branching out to a focus that captures who and what you desire to be (for that is the purpose, and every writer knows rules must often be broken). A vibrant poem & post.
ReplyDeleteI read this post early this morning but alas, did not leave a comment. This poem is so great and I immediately went to sign up for Glenda's posts. (May be why I forgot to comment.) . I want to write a Bop poem. Challenge? New form for me. That repeated line is powerful "Put your heart down."
ReplyDelete"At Ease" is a wonderful phrase for the year. "Put your heart down" -- in one of my favorite movies, there is a line: A heart is a heavy burden. But would we feel without them?
ReplyDeleteOh, Linda, this is fabulous! I want to say what everyone else said already! I love how you've claimed "at ease" for your own and then crafted a beautiful poem to showcase it. I just love this ending:
ReplyDelete"Be at ease in the details.
let them bubble and laugh and splash.
A bridge over troubled waters."
What a wonderful way to head into the year!
I did the exact same thing with my word this year! When I looked up its meaning, I found that it has 45 synonyms...so I chose them all (plus others I'm finding that could fit under the umbrella as well)! Not quite Heidi's ALL THE WORDS, but a nice related handful!!
ReplyDeleteLove your poem! I, too, will try a Bop!
I'm still up in the air about my OLW, but I love the way you chose yours, and then let it lead you into a poem.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I like the stanza on "put your heart down". It made me question how that applies to me and what I've been doing. You all doing the OLW theme has made me want to revisit my own OLW (Hunt).
ReplyDeleteWell done, Linda! Not only did you write a breathtaking poem, you did it in a challenging form! As others have mentioned, your final stanza is stunning. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!
ReplyDeleteLinda, this is just beautiful! That second "Put your heart down" stanza especially spoke to me. Thank you, and Happy 2020!
ReplyDeleteLinda: I am working on "at ease" also, so your poem really spoke to me. I feel like I've been working on "at ease" for years. It is not the word/phrase I chose this year, but it is in my mind and heart. Thank you for expressing it to beautifully, and for bringing it to the front of my mind. Best to you for a year of growth and ease.
ReplyDeleteLove how you've claimed all the words under the umbrella of at ease. It's joyful to read each OLW post. Here's my favorite phrase from your poem:
ReplyDelete" Be at ease in the details.
Let them bubble and laugh and splash."
Oooh, wouldn't bubble be a fun word for the year?
I'm just seeing this now, when it's already February, and I love it. What a wonderful choice. I need to put my heart down, too!
ReplyDelete