Last year in April, National Poetry Month in the US, I took the 30 poems in 30 days challenge. I posted them on facebook-- which felt both bold and terrifying, but I knew that if I didn't post them I wouldn't write them. Some days the poems stuck in my throat and twisted out of me, and other days they flowed.
After it was over I felt restored. I hadn't written poetry regularly in over ten years. I'd gotten my poetry mojo back.
But after the month of forced poetry I disappointed myself. I didn't keep it up the way I'd wanted to. I punished myself for needing that outside influence, the uncritical cheering voices of friends. Real writers don't need that.
Of course I know that's nonsense. Any artistic or creative enterprise requires a dialogue with an inner five-year-old, and that five-year-old needs a big cheering committee sometimes, especially when she's been living inside of a small box for too long.
Now the poetry is taking over again anyway, because who can stop from writing poetry surrounded by all these blossoms?
So I'll start the 30-in-30 challenge today, just before the new moon, and continue every day through the next new moon. Along the way I'll find ways to cheer for the five-year-old, and (with luck) keep it up this time after the 30 days are over. Will report back on the progress.
It isn't too late to join me. Never too late, actually.
Here is today's poem:
violet flower
stalk water-green,
translucent cells
rising in tiny spring spirals
deep purple petals
unfolding like a fan
in the hand of a flamenco dancer
inward wrist circling outward
down circling up
meeting the sun
for a half-life
of pure delight
In the comments I'd love it if you'd leave your own poem of course, and/or an answer to this question:
What or who encourages your inner five-year-old to be creative?
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9 comments:
What a great idea.....I'm going to try my hand at haiku, which is what this five year old likes.....and yes, creative people do need encouragement, true spirited and often....Karleen
My five year old likes haiku too. I hope you'll post some of it Karleen, on your blog or here.
I've found the rabbit hole of twitter to be a great place to play with haiku. I've met some great poets there, and find it a supportive place to share very short poems.
sharing creativity with friends where there is no judgement or expectation and a whole lot of freedom to be or express as one wishes inspires me. in person is best, of course, but I have also been really inspired by poetry I have read online and...your blog!
in nature
one with the divine
creating
love
Hey,
I volunteer to join your big cheering committee!
Yay for poems and cherry blossoms!
A dear friend of mine who used to live in Japan told me that there they have a holiday devoted to writing poems under blooming cherry trees - it's a moveable feast set for whatever date the cherry blossoms are deemed to be at their most sublime.
I am celebrating it in the park this year - and hoping to start a trend
Oh Ruth... that is an amazing trend. Yes. And thank you. Who could ask for a better cheering committee?
Ruth, that sounds like a most amazing holiday -
My 5 year old likes blue hair and red velvet cake. I'm on the 3rd try to make mine hair turn blue, works best on bleached hair which I won't do since I want to donate my hair to Locks for Love... this weekend trying the next option and hopefully I'll have pictures to post of success. So far all I've gotten is a faint hint of color that looks more like a washed out Kermit. =) Too faint to even show up in a picture.
On the red velvet front I've been experimenting with a natural color instead of food coloring in red velvet. Monday I made a side-by-side to compare my experiment to the original recipe and the natural got gobbled up! Pretty happy about it.
hmmm... I want to research that natural blue dye for you... please report back if you find something that works Sandi.
Blue hair. Red velvet cake. Those words together make my 5-year-old happy too. And a bit hungry.
I just came around to see what you were discovering in this spring season. Wow. Poetry after a long silence. I haven't written a poem in several (it would frighten me to calculate exactly how many...) years. I feel that grief, rather than lack of encouragement/attention silenced me but my rational brain believes that doesn't make sense. I was going to write more but then just as I started another sentence I suddenly GOT the specific nature of the grief that shifted my abilities and preferences for highly personal forms of communication. A real aha/well duh moment combined. Can't imagine why I didn't see this for what it was/is a whole lot sooner. But need to thank you for making a post that led me to a form of understanding that's eluded me for quite some time.
Maybe I should stop everything else and go write a poem about it?
ACey-- there is nothing that would make me happier than if you stopped everything else and went and wrote a poem about it. Really. Nothing. So much has been going on with me this week in the plant world that I haven't gotten to this post.... Moonday on Tuesday this week, I suppose it will have to be!
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