A Farewell by Harriet Monroe
GOOD-BY: nay, do not grieve that it is over— The perfect hour; That the winged joy, sweet honey-loving rover, Flits from the flower. Grieve not,—it is the law. Love will be flying— 5 Yea, love and all. Glad was the living; blessed be the dying! Let the leaves fall.
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| Butterfly on Tiger Lily Enjoying the Food by audreyjm529 , via Wikimedia Commons |
Two prompts in a row!
What fun!
And yet, this is my last for a while as I take time off to work on another important project. I'll be finishing the April challenge and then I'll be here on Mondays, so this isn't goodbye. Yet my last prompt as a Toad and for Day 24 of our April Challenge is:
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Write a Hello and/or Goodbye poem.
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A Few (of many) Possibilities:
- an entire saga from hello to goodbye of a person, event, toy, place, time of life, or etc
- a goodbye to one that is a hello to another
- a goodbye that is not a goodbye at all
- a charm to get rid of or to gain something
- anything you want that includes an idea of hello or of goodbye or both
Whatever your focus, get emotional, and make us readers feel that emotion by showing instead of telling.
Here are two examples for you, but remember to consider Haiku and Lune, Limerick and other forms as well.
(1) John Updike makes me feel loss in one of my favorite goodbye poems. Here he also celebrates the importance of hello:
(2) Lisa Russ Spaar explores the possibility of saying goodbye to the self in this wonderful poem:
Turning to watch you leave,I see we must always walk towardother loves, river of heavenbetween two office buildings.Orphaned cloud, fish soup poppling,book spined in the open palm. Unstoppable light.I think it is all right.Or do tonight, garden toada speaking stone,young sound in an old heart.Annul the self? I float it,a day lily in my wine. Oblivion?I love our lives,keeping me from it.
Source: Poetry (February 2013). Used by permission of Lisa Russ Spaar.
I love this! All the sounds and silences she describes! And Joy.
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| The Flying Carpet, a depiction of the hero of Russian folklore, Ivan Tsarevich, by Viktor Vasnetsov (1880). Oil, canvas. |
SO!
~Write a new poem addressing Hello and/or Goodbye.
~Put it in Mr. Linky and leave a comment.
~Come back to read other poems and write comments for the poets.
~I'll be coming around to visit each of you in the next few days.
Hey folks! This little piece flew by for you:
ReplyDeleteFlying Carpets
This world is small for goodbyes ~
We brush up against each other
in its small rooms as performers,
listeners and writers ~ We meet
each other searching the wilds,
our expressive breaths puffing
ahead of us lifting flying carpets
of laughter, sorrow, anger, magic
and merriment until we cry out:
Enough! I must write this down!
and visit the Imaginary Garden
where reading is fast and true.
What a wonderful flying carpet...thanks for the prompts you've given us and the words of your poetry. May your endeavors be blessed and we will visit with you in the garden on Mondays and wherever our paths cross.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susan,
ReplyDeleteI was stumped and now I'm saved :-)
Have a good whatever it is and I hoped you are healing well through all the endeavours recent and pending.
Look at the time! The birds are starting to sing at 3:30 am. And I am moved by these first poems. Thanks for being the first, Kay. Catch you later today, Toads and guests!
ReplyDeleteOh, Susan! I hope there were no silver birds singing in your ear at 3.30 a.m.! Thanks for being awake enough to post today's prompt.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely prompt and gem you shared with us dear Susan ~ I am busy today but will post something ~
ReplyDeleteI don't want to say goodbye as we will still bump into each other ~ Keep in touch ~
Nice prompt, Susan! And yes, there is no good-bye to you. There is only "Auf Wiedersehen" (until we meet again).
ReplyDeleteFrom my neck of the woods, the farewell greeting is Hambe Kahle - Go Well.
ReplyDeleteI know we shall see you often in the garden.
no goodbyes, Susan! catch ya later!
ReplyDeleteWonderful prompt and I'm lucky that my poem for today falls in line with this. I shall be away for a while but will most definitely visit everyone. Happy writing from a new follower.
ReplyDeleteMagical prompt...I am living a hello and good-bye right now~
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you have done! Well done as always Susan!
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you asked for emotion Susan and it came flooding out, I've even put my first recorded reading in the post as well. thanks for the great prompts
ReplyDeleteUp and in.
ReplyDeleteThe readings are GREAT! The more risked, the larger the impact. What a fine day--and it's only half over!
ReplyDeleteDear Susan,
ReplyDeleteI also offer my thanks for your work here during NaPoWriMo. This community is so devoted, so good at visiting each other, much like Poets United, where I have been a member since 2011. I'm proud to have call the Garden my NaPoWriMo home for 2013.
I'll be back to comment VERY LATE. Have to rehearse with the praise band. "I'll be baaaaack!" Amy
Another poem from my son, Will. It just seemed to fit so perfectly with hello & goodbye. Thank you Susan! And we will still see you around, of course. Good luck on your writing project (I'm assuming that is what it is)
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