Thursday, January 21, 2021

Words of Dr. King

Good Friday, Poets

What a good day to share poetry with each other. Thanks to Laura Shovan, who hosts our round-up today, we can. Thank you, Laura!

There have been many works of art shared by my compatriots this week. From the Marine Band playing traditional Sousa marches to Lady Gaga's rendition of our Star-Spangled Banner, Amanda Gorman's jaw-dropping poetry performance to the patriotic party and fireworks show over Washington, DC, beauty reclaimed a place in this time.

I participated in the monthly writing challenges offered by Dr. Sarah Donovan at her blog, Ethical ELA.

The final prompt for the week was to select a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., think on it, and let it take you into writing. I selected this quote:

Only in darkness can you see the stars*

                                                                               ~MLK Jr.

The previous evening I had watched with great emotion the memorial to Americans lost to Covid-19 at the Reflecting Pool of our National Mall. The twilight candles, rendition of Amazing Grace, the tolling of our National Cathedral bells, and pledges made to remember our dear ones will stay with me a long time. 

Sharpe, Scott. “Powerful Photos from the Memorial to COVID-19 Victims.” Raleigh News & Observer, Raleigh News & Observer, 19 Jan. 2021, 09:21 am, www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article248618740.html.


Twilight
January 20, 2021


At the reflecting pool, only

last night, four hundred lanterns lit in

honor of thousands more. Darkness,

we cast you out. Can

it be winter if you

remember lavender in spring? See

that we don’t forget. We call upon the

heavens to make our tears stars


(c) Linda Mitchell 1/20/21


PS Hamish the Ox poem has a friend :)
https://padlet.com/mitchellhubeimom/Ox

*From April 3 1968’s “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” in Memphis, Tennessee. 

20 comments:

  1. Oh Linda: 'we call upon the heavens to make our tears stars'. So beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So much in the past two days to remember and love, Linda, & you have made beautiful poetry from it and Dr. King's words. I love "Can/it be winter if you/remember lavender in spring?" Those words reflect so many things in our lives this year. Love the sentiment!

    ReplyDelete
  3. As you know, your poem stopped me in my tracks. Can it be winter if you remember lavender is a wonderful hopeful image and the end turning my tears to stars gives me more reason to cry. This has been a truly uplifting week.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great minds and our Golden Shovels, dear Linda! Your poem is exquisite and makes me feel more blessed by MLK's words and that my tears of relief, joy, hope are actually stars. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Linda, such a lovely poem using the words of MLK. "can it be winter if you/ can remember lavender in spring?" It reminds me of how gratitude does away with anger.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So beautiful, Linda. That last line is stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Now that is a wonderfully inspired found poem, Linda. "Darkness we cast you out. Can it be winter if you remember lavender in spring?" I am also interested in your padlet collection. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't have a chance to watch the memorial on Tuesday night, but I am so thankful that our leaders took time to pause and to remember and to acknowledge the losses we've faced this year. King's words and your poem are a beautiful call to remember and look forward.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your poem is stunning, Linda. I'm hoping to get down to DC before the memorial display is gone, just to take it in. Thank you for joining today's link-up!

    ReplyDelete
  10. There has surely been much calling on the Heavens in these last 12 months. An exquisite merging of one of my favorite MLK Jr. quotes with such a beautiful and momentous ceremony. Your poem twinkles.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh, Linda - "can it be winter if you remember lavender..?" The calming influence is not lost on me. Beautiful golden shovel made of King's words and your own heart. Deeply grateful.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for featuring this moving and necessary tribute to our lost countrymen. I like the action of casting out the dark and changing tears to stars. Well said!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Linda, "Can

    it be winter if you

    remember lavender in spring?"

    Wow! And that last line, too. A sparkling poem.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is gorgeous, Linda, and so moving. Like many other commenters, I am especially wowed by your lines about remembering lavender and turning tears to stars. What a beautiful golden shovel!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow. "Can it be winter?..." Inspired!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Gosh, Linda. Love every single line, but "We call upon the

    heavens to make our tears stars" absolutely gives me goosebumps. Beautiful! -- Christie @https://wonderingandwondering.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is so beautiful. I love the memory of lavender in spring. Perfect use of the quote!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Such a gorgeous, moving, and sensitive poem Linda, especially these closing lines.
    "Can

    it be winter if you

    remember lavender in spring? See

    that we don’t forget. We call upon the

    heavens to make our tears stars"

    Thanks for it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Linda I love the creative transformations you have enacted here. Providing words with new life and meaning. All credit to you for such imagining. A poet's life source.

    ReplyDelete

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