I have a little book of 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life,
subtitled ‘an anthology of emotional first aid’, edited by Daisy Goodwin, which
I turn to from time to time when I need a poem to help me get through a day. It
has an emotional index with entries such as ‘Bad Hair Day’, ‘Career Crisis’ and
‘Is This Relationship Going Anywhere?’ There is also one entitled ‘Just Do It’,
about seizing the day and getting motivated. It contains just three poems: the
first is by Ezra Pound:
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And the days are not
full enough
And the days are
not full enough
And the nights are
not full enough
And life slips by
like a field mouse
Not shaking the grass.
Ezra Pound
I love the message and how it
has been delivered in so few words.
The second poem in
this section is ‘Tiger’ by A.D. Hope and the third is ‘The slow starter’ by Louis MacNeice.
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Whether we are
tigers who roar, bursting the night and shaking the stars, or slow starters,
watching the clock and counting days, we poets make our marks on life. This week I would like you to write about just doing it and
leave your imprint in a NEW poem. You
may want to keep it short and sweet, like Ezra Pound, or in a longer poem with a
maximum of four stanzas.
Seize the day by clicking on Mister Linky and filling in
your name and url – not forgetting to tick the small ‘data’ box. And please
remember to read and comment on other toads’ poems – don’t slip by like a field
mouse!
I really like this prompt, and its inspiration. Thanks a bunch, Kim.
ReplyDeleteVery cool prompt! I LOVE the field mouse poem! Thanks, Kim.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone! I hope you're having a great weekend. I've only just got back from my daughter's and had something to eat. There was a strike on South Western trains so I had to get a later train which meant I would miss my connection. I had to take a slightly different route home and everything seemed to be going well until I reached a place called Ely where there was another delay, all of which meant I got home more than an hour and a half late. I'll just post my own poem and then start to read and comment!
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased you like teh prompt, Magaly and Sherry! :)
You can tell I'm exhausted. I can't even type 'the'!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the best motivation is the motivation to exercise restraint. That's what I wrote about.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this prompt Kim. I am getting to go out into the rainy day for my walk. Something to think about while walking. Sorry you had the bad connections but glad you got to visit with baby Lucas. I will be posting later.
ReplyDeleteReady to go out...lirdy, my fingers don't know how to write!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great inspiration to write about a day in the woods.
ReplyDeleteThe Pound Poem was nice, I liked the cute little Field Mouse even better. We have mice in our fields wanting to come into houses but these are grey. Perhaps Field Mice live near trees.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what my four lines will be yet
Thanks for prompting, Kim.
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A lovely prompt, Kim!
ReplyDeleteWe're so habitual to delays here, whether traveling by road and air or using the expansive railways, that it doesn't really surprise me. Ha!
I'll read others and see if something strikes me. Thanks for the inspiring poems! :-)
Hi Kim, Thanks for a wonderful prompt. The Ezra Pound quatrain is one of my favourite things in this world! I first learnt it while at university, and I have incorporated it in the poetry notes I use to teach grade 10 - I instruct them all to learn it by heart and never forget it their whole lives!
ReplyDeleteAttended my Father-in-Laws funeral this past week and I walked the beach he dearly loved to walk at sunset. Makes one reflect on life - what is important, what we can do, what we can't let pass by... How we might handle challenges moving forward.... I hope this poem expresses some of that feeling
ReplyDeleteGood night to you all. I'll be back with coffee mug in hand in the morning to visit and comment.
ReplyDeleteLate at night, should be in bed ... but how could I resist such a delightful challenge? Might be tomorrow before I read everyone else's, though.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone- I hope those that celebrated Thanksgiving had a lovely day with friends and family. Kim- thank you for such a lovely prompt!
ReplyDeleteI'm late, but this seemed too good a prompt to pass up. I'm puttering about the house completing chores, but I'll be back later.
ReplyDelete