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Friday, October 18, 2019

WEEKEND MINI-CHALLENGE: ON WONDER


On the mountain tonight the full moon
faces the full sun. Now could be the moment
when we fall apart or we become whole.
Our time seems to be up—I think I even hear it stopping.
Then why have we kept up the singing for so long?
Because that’s the sort of determined creature we are.
Before us, our first task is to astonish,
and then, harder by far, to be astonished.

              - from the poem “Astonishment”,  by Galway Kinnell

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

― Albert Einstein


Humpbacks breeching in Alaska
source @Scott Methvin


In Galway Kinnell’s wonderful poem, Astonishment,  time slows as we grasp the concept of how - big! - this life really is. For me, it is not hard at all to be astonished – I am constantly amazed by the wonders of nature. There isn’t a day when I am not astonished by something large or small.






Every day reminds us of the goodness of humans. We are bathed in sunrises and sunsets beautiful enough to break your heart. How trees hold hands under the forest floor, that male seahorses give birth, how many colourful starfish cling to the rocky cliffs at the shore – the fact that we wake up in the morning, able to see, to stand, to walk – all of it is an amazement to me. Life’s beauty can bring me to my knees, with the ache of how transient and fleeting it all is, this beautiful  life.

For our challenge, let’s contemplate these topics : awe, amazement, astonishment, wonder. 

Give us a moment, small or large, full of wonder.  Employ whatever form you wish, and use as many or few lines as you need to take us there. 


19 comments:

  1. Hi ho, fellow poets. My source of wonder today was the waves at the beach - HUGE and wild. My poem is about tiny seabird who lives an amazing life. I'm looking forward to reading about your moments of wonder.

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  2. Trees holding hands? Sometimes I worry about you.

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  3. Blissing out on jazz. Exhausted...astonished that I can keep my eyes open to write a shadorma:)Nice prompt.

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  4. Sorry, Sherry I submitted the wrong poem. PLease delete it.Thankyou.

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  5. Shay, they do hold hands under the forest floor. Smiles. Rall, a shadorma , how wonderful. I am afraid i dont know how to delete, but am sure it will be okay.

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  6. A wonderful prompt. Instead of dwelling on the horror that is trumpler, I chose to contemplate autumn trees. Like you, I am always amazed at the goodness that dwells in humans and animals alike.

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  7. So much beauty and goodness midst all that is wrong......hopefully it will triumph. Regardless, it warms the heart to see it happening everywhere.

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  8. Great prompt Sherry. Wonder is a topic I address continually in my poetry, so this will be fun! :-)

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  9. Yay! There is so much wonder in this world. No end of inspiration to poets.

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  10. What a wonderful prompt to have to consider wonder. ;-) Have a lovely weekend everyone!

    //RedCat

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  11. We have to remind ourselves, in the midst of so much rhetoric, that there is also so much beauty! Am so happy this resonates with you.

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  12. We should all remember to pause in wonderment at the beauty around us.

    Dear toads, and friends. I have committed myself to a poem a day and illustration a day for instagram's Inktober challenge, so I regret that I have not been active in challenges this month. But I believe I can share my American Sentence of the day with you on Sherry's challenge. Yay!

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  13. Out of town for a wedding, will read your awesome poetry Monday morning.

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  14. Thanks, friends. Kerry, you are brave. Smiles.

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  15. Hello all... joining late with a short poem. Maybe the biggest of wonder is actually that we wonder.

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  16. Thank you for the challenge! A timely subject:)

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  17. Bjorn, LOL, you are so right! And are still capable of wonder, in spite of everything.

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  18. I apologise for joining this awesome party so late, but I've had a n exhausting yet completely wonderful week with my daughter and grandson. I'm about to post, read and comment. I hope you've all had as amazing a weekend as I have a week!

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  19. Kim, there is nothing better than visiting one's child and grandchild. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your joy in your poem. I love seeing the world through the eyes of a child....so magical.

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