Hello Poets, Writers, Thinkers, and Sojourners,
Today is the first day of November. I have always found the day after all the energy of Halloween to be warm and welcoming. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I enjoy the peace of coming into a quieter space and place.
This post serves not one, not two, but three purposes.
- Spiritual Journey Thursday
- Poetry Friday
- One Little Word Reflection
Thank you in advance for your patience with all the purposes.
Spiritual Journey is a once monthly reflection. Spiritual is defined by each writer and reflected in their post. This month, I am hosting Spiritual Journey Thursday. Participating authors and poets will leave their links below. I will edit this post to include links to their work with this fabulous fall leaf show.
- Carol at Beyond Literacy Link shares thoughts of the season poetically
- Denise reflects on living with joy and her OLW, Cherish
- Margaret describes her mother's eyes and also riffs on Harjo at Reflections on the Teche
- Bob reflects on the place he chooses to live in our world here
- Fran at Little Bits and Pieces celebrates a very special three!
- Patricia offers a reflection we can relate to and a poem prayer
- Karen reflects on the state of the world and her OLW, song
- Jone reflects on Harjo and plants bulbs after voting I find beauty in her gardening
- Ruth at There is no such thing as a god-forsaken town reflects on the many worlds that exist for us today.
Poetry Friday is a weekly poetry check-in. Learn more of the details here, This week is hosted by the poet Patricia Franz.
Many thinkers, poets and authors have taken part in the practice of choosing one-little-word for a year. They reflect on that word in all kinds of ways. According to Google's AI search results, "The One Little Word, OLW, project is a yearly tradition where participants choose a word to focus and reflect on throughout the year. The word can be a thought, feeling, action, or, emotion and can be real or imagined. The goal is to incorporate it into your life and use it to help you remember your goals for the year."
My One Little Word for 2024 is WORLD. What a year to reflect on, pray for, live in and focus on our world. There is overwhelming heartbreak. There are glimmers of joy. I continually converse with my Creator about all of it. Poetry enhances our conversations. How about you?
Clouds
Laid out like sky vertebrae
A backbone for our world
of water and white – vapor and ice.
Delicate and susceptible to a changeable season.
Linda Mitchell--draft
I'm part of a wonderful critique group, The Inklings. They strengthen and sharpen my writing. November is my month to offer our group a writing prompt.
As we enter Native American Heritage Month I ask that you respond to Joy Harjo's Fall Song in any way that makes your heart happy.
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Fall Song by Joy Harjo. |
Riffing on Joy Harjo's Fall Song
by Linda Mitchell
Sun has sunk into November
casting long shadows
against my world, falling asleep.
I hear the wind
gathering skirts with gloved fingers.
Are there words for a goodbye kiss?
I need a refrain in turquoise and violet
of summer evenings.
When I hum an old tune, it’s flat.
If I make it up, it’s too sharp.
Your world plays right here, right now
between gray drones flying and refugees walking.
Moments of hope–
Devastating news.
Black and white photographs tossed into a box.
Our faith in seasons remains.
Harvest has passed.
We hang colored lights
in World's windows
summoning peace.
draft 11/1/24
For more responses to the November prompt check out the work of:
Mary Lee Hahn @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Catherine Flynn @ Reading to the Core
Molly Hogan @ Nix the Comfort Zone
Margaret Simon @ Reflections on the Teche
Heidi Mordhorst @ my juicy little universe
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| One of my top Happy Places! |
Linda, I enjoyed reading your SJT post and thank you for providing such a timely topic for us to ponder. What you stated is true. This year has been stressful. Our prayers are multiplied on top of each other depending on the severity of the news and what happens in our own world. "Overwhelming heartbreak follows week after week but I am glad that you note, "there are glimmers of joy". The Creator listens to our thoughts and needs.Your poem is beautifully delivered. The ending makes me reread your words again and again. "Our faith in seasons remains...We hang colored lights in World's windows summoning peace." I send you thanks for your topic and your outpour of emotion.
ReplyDeleteMy post for SJT can be found at https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2024/10/my-world-your-world-our-world.html.
DeleteLinda, wow, what a treasure chest full of poetry in your post. Thank you for hosting and making it all so compact right here. I've not written much lately, but I was challenged with your post. Your reflection inspired my own. Your riffs on JOy Harjo's poem was rich. I loved the "gathering skirts with gloved fingers" and "turquoise and violet of summer evenings." And those last three lines--I am holding on to them today. Thank you.
ReplyDeletehttps://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2024/10/31/cherish-it-all/
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DeleteSo many beautiful lines in your response to Joy Harjo, but this is my favorite:
ReplyDelete" the wind
gathering skirts with gloved fingers."
That is EXACTLY what yesterday was like, and now most all of the leaves adorn the ground instead of the branches, and November's sun welcomes the morning and the mourning.
I love your first line, "Sun has sunk into November". It's literally true here; we are having rain after weeks of none. Thanks for hosting SJT as well. Here is my dual post: https://reflectionsontheteche.com/2024/11/01/spiritual-journey-and-poetry-friday-world-and-joy/
ReplyDeleteBeautiful ending, Linda:
ReplyDeleteWe hang colored lights
in World's windows
summoning peace.
I also like "A backbone for our world" ("World" has been a very fruitful word for you, hasn't it? I wonder what you will choose next.) xo
Sighing at the beauty and luminosity of your and Harjo's poems. Thanks for this moment of reflection and peace in a harrowing time.
ReplyDeleteLinda, thank you for hosting SJT this month. This is the perfect time to contemplate our world and the direction our country may take. I think of the long shadows that will come with the changing of our clocks here tomorrow night. Despite devastating news, it is those moments of hope to which we must cling.
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to my post: https://arjeha.wordpress.com/2024/11/01/my-world/
Bob
Linda, you’ve got me thinking about a OLW for next year. I haven’t chosen one in the past, but 2025 might be the year! I love how you brought your word “World” into both of your poems, and especially your lines: We hand colored light in World’s windows summoning peace. Maybe we can will it to be so!
ReplyDeleteOh so much to love in your words, Linda. I'm especially drawn to:
ReplyDelete"I need a refrain in turquoise and violet
of summer evenings."
I hear a winsome voice, as your sun sinks into November, falling asleep. And seeing that gorgeous image of your happy place, I can understand why. Such beauty fall leaves us with as the world prepares to slumber. Let us hope that our spirits are revived come 11/6.
I will visit you for a SJT reflection after the weekend!
There is a lilt in your words, Linda, helping to lift us all up in this worrying time. I love both Harjo's and your poem as I take time outside to enjoy our beautiful autumn, raking leaves as they fall, a slow goodbye this year from very warm weather. I love your lines, "I hear the wind/gathering skirts with gloved fingers", so exactly true here, too! Thanks for every bit!
ReplyDeleteSKY VERTEBRAE??? oh my heavens (yes, heavens) to betsy I love this so much, "a backbone for our world in water and white." Look at you, full of uplift, when the rest of us, so many of us are feeling lowdowned by the weight of it all. Your Harjo response is a like a necklace strung with gems of lines, a string of colored lights. Thank you for being you, spirit-lifter!
ReplyDelete"sun has sunk into November" aaahhh! I felt like that for sure when I went out for a walk yesterday.
ReplyDeleteLinda: Thank you so much for this prompt and for hosting. My post is up at https://kceastlund.blogspot.com/2024/11/our-country-our-world.html
ReplyDeleteThank you for your patience.
Linda, thanks for such a rich prompt this month! I love how you've responded to Joy Harjo's poem. Like many others, I was wowed by the line "I hear the wind/gathering skirts with gloved fingers." I also really love your opening lines and the movement of emotion throughout your poem, from the hope to the horrors, and back to summoning peace.
ReplyDeleteLinda, such a wonderful prompt. I think it would have been easier if I had written when you put out the call, but better late than never!
ReplyDeleteOverwhelming hearbreak /glimmers of joy
"Moments of hope–
Devastating news."
I knew this poem, but somehow had forgotten that it was by Joy Harjo. I think I liked the poem before I became acquainted with her work. Love your rif on Joy's poem, especially these final words:
"Our faith in seasons remains.
Harvest has passed.
We hang colored lights
in World's windows
summoning peace."
Thank you for these beautiful words and the invitation to write about your OLW, world..