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Alphabet Soup Anyone?
Maybe. This post is serving double duty for Spiritual Journey Thursday (SJT) and Poetry Friday (PF). I'll be away from writing --at the Virginia Association of School Librarians (VAASL) when you read this.
School librarians are good people. Like busy professionals in many areas, they're juggling a lot more than the basics these days. My annual state conference is a place of renewal. I slow down to listen to my colleagues and discuss what's going on in my professional life. I gain energy for the work by attending.
I try to give back as well. I've chaired the signage committee for a few years. This year, I'm in charge of bringing the snacks for Thursday's 'Snack Break with Vendors.' Raising four kids prepared me to buy snacks for hundreds. lol.
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| Just waiting on the Ritz Bitz! (Please ignore hubby's side of the garage in the background) |
Can you believe it's November already! This month is my turn to challenge the Inklings with a poem prompt.
Write a prose piece–find a poem in it.
- Or, write a poem, and expand it into a prose piece
- Or, find a prose piece, transform it into a poem
- Or, find a poem and transpose it into a prose piece
- Any interpretation of this prompt is perfect
- Going rogue is acceptable too
- If you end up writing longer than a page of prose, share just a snippet
I didn't intend to write a poem that also had to do with Spiritual Journey Thursday. Frankly, I'm pressed for time (see above) and was looking for a quick and easy poem to post. Mary Lee recently shared a super cool prompt she got from Padrig O'Touma's blog. I thought I'd give it a try. By the time I was finished, I realized that this routine renews me each day. I need time to write, time to poem to feel whole and healthy.
Ordinary Meditation
Waking before the alarm
my cat walks me to the kitchen
Every morning it’s the same
before the sun has risen
My cat walks me to the kitchen
our table is Peace Island
Before the sun has risen
I’ve been waiting in my sleep for this
Our table is Peace Island
purring cat and tapping keys
I’ve been waiting in my sleep for this
each cell in every nerve at ease
Purring cat and tapping keys
Every morning it’s the same
each cell in every nerve at ease
waking before the alarm
Linda Mitchell, November 2023
The prose inspiration for this poem came from journal writing:
Read more Inkling takes on this prompt at: Reflections on the Teche Reading to the Core My Juicy Little Universe Nix the Comfort Zone A(noth)er Year of Reading
I love the repetition in this! Such a neat form, and a beautiful snapshot of a moment. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely poem from your prose piece. Such a different feeling reading the poem as compared to the prose. More musical, which makes sense. Great post! Have a fun weekend!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great time at the conference, Linda. What a chuckle when I see the snacks! I love the idea of your poem, the cat waiting and especially "I've been waiting in my sleep for this." I get up before the sun, too, will remember you're there too, across the way!
ReplyDeleteI love this prompt and immediately wrote it in my journal. You capture that early morning ritual so well. Thanks for sharing and enjoy the conference!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I love your morning routine. It sounds peaceful and meditative, yet productive. Your poem captures it so well.
ReplyDeleteI love taking the ordinary days out for a walk into a poem. My cat sits near me (on top of my notebook is her favorite spot) and I sip on my coffee to warm me on this chilly morning. I know you are having a great day "hobnobbing with your fellow wizards." I'm a bit jealous, but my time will come in a few weeks at NCTE. Thanks for the prompt. It was a good one!
ReplyDeletePeace Island! Love. And I'm not surprised you are a Snack Queen too. What a gift you are to the world, Linda! xo
ReplyDeleteI have also loved Padraig O'Touma's pantoum exercise, Linda. And now, you and your Inklings have inspired yet another poetry exploration process with journal reflections-turned-poem. Just what I need! Thank you, Linda. -- PS -- love that you and your husband have your own sides of the garage! -lol
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this meditation--and what would we do without pets to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary? Hope your conference brings you the space and inspiration to recharge.
ReplyDeleteLinda, enjoy your conference. I am impressed that your morning ritual is precise and fruitful. I try to do that alsos but I am not totally committed to a structured routine. I try but life gets in the way many times. Your pantoum is lovely, especially the title and this line: "each cell in every nerve at ease." I like the practice of moving a prose piece to a poem. It provides incentive to embellish thoughts or reduce the volume. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteLinda, enjoy your state librarian's conference. Hooray! I loved reading the prose first, and then seeing what you did with it in your pantoum. You share so much of the heart and soul of the prose in so few words, like "Our table is Peace Island" Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour morning routine sounds as peaceful as your poem made me feel. Librarians add so much goodness to the world, and YOU are a wonderful example of that! Enjoy your conference!
ReplyDeleteSomehow my comment posted as Anonymous aka Linda KT. : )
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you have a morning routine that allows you to bring your energy into the world--as a writer, a librarian, and a snack-wagoner! (Glad you liked my suggestion.)
ReplyDelete"I have been waiting in my sleep for this first cup of coffee." LOL! I love knowing that we share beloved quiet morning routines with writing, whether they be coffee- or tea-energized! Thanks for a great challenge!
ReplyDeleteYour morning routine that puts "every cell in every nerve at ease" sounds like pure bliss. No wonder you come up with so many brilliant ideas and beautiful poems! Thank you for sharing your peace and for always inspiring me!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun to get a sneak peek at your morning routine, and I really love knowing that we're poem-ing about the same time each morning. (Cats feature in my routine as well!)The addition of rhyme to your poem works so well. "Every cell in every nerve at ease" is surely a lovely way to start the day!
ReplyDeleteYour whole post resonates with me, Linda. (except maybe the snack tower...wow!)
ReplyDelete"I need time to write, time to poem to feel whole and healthy." You articulated how I've been feeling lately.
"each cell in every nerve at ease" I long for this. Thanks for reading my heart.
How poeming brings centering- marvelous, and my hats 🎩 off to your diligent writing in the morning, I often sneak in morning writing and am almost late… The pantoum fits perfectly, love all and the dream of coffee and Peace Island, thanks Linda!
ReplyDelete