Pages

Friday, March 23, 2012

Poetry of the Ordinary

Hi Toads and Friends:

I'm Mary with another Mary's Mix Bag Friday.  You don't know how much I look forward to thinking of a prompt that I hope inspires many of you.  This week I hope you will be inspired by "the ordinary."

A poet I enjoy is Stuart Dischell. I have his book Dig Safe.  It is one I often reread. I love his work He can turn the most ordinary happenings into poetry.  Good poetry! He really is so down to earth!


One of his poems is "Thin Song of the Leaky Faucet."  It is too long to share here. He writes it in short lines that cover two-and-a-half  pages.  (This poem is not linked anywhere online, or I would share that way.)  Here is the beginning of this poem:

Thin Song of the Leaky Faucet
Drop by drop
Or drip by drip

Each drip or drop
In the open rain

Sounds the note
That cannot hold

Back, builds up
A calculus

On the otherwise
Stainless steel

(It continues....)



As I read this poem, I can really experience this and actually HEAR the dripping in my mind.  I can also identify, as I have had a dripping faucet that has driven me crazy!

Another Dischell poem about a very ordinary experience  is "As I Dispose of an Old Encyclopedia."  I find myself wondering how many people even have encyclopedias anymore. ( I do remember having disposed of mine as well!)


In this poem Dischell wrote his thoughts as he was getting rid of this outdated reference.  I will share a few lines:

As I Dispose of An Old Encyclopedia

I think of the territories
With their changed names
Like some married women,
Aliases of politics and faith,
The sinuous borders that keep
Cartographers in business,
Undertakers too,
Appellations of deposed monarchs
or gods no longer relevant

(It continues)

All right, this is what I would like to do.  Think about some of the ordinary tasks, items, aspects, annoyances, joys, etc.  of your life.  Write about one of them.

I will mention a few ideas that may  trigger your muse:  A squeaking door, peeling carrots, internet access frustrations, misplacing your wallet,  a power outage, running out of gas, a friend's visit, brewing coffee, going to the grocery store and forgetting to buy one of the things you needed, deciding to part with a pair of shoes you always loved, realizing that you threw away or lost something important to you.

I look forward to reading about something ordinary in your life.  Sometimes the ordinary can inspire the most extraordinary poetry.  Please write and link a new poem written specifically for this challenge  rather than pulling one out from the past writings, and  visit and comment on as many poems of others as possible.

16 comments:

  1. OK, so big night music of the wild deeparaoo is just a overloud trombone in the complicate amassing orchesta we live and have our being in ... As Emerson said, whether it's the whirling of the spheres or puss chasing his tail, its all the same in the art of the heart. I thus and here promptly lighten up . - Brendan

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope you all enjoy the challenge of writing poetry from the 'ordinary' in your life and that you all have an 'extraordinary' weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mary I love this idea!
    His poems having such inspired insight~ I think I know what I am going to write about.
    I'm trying to read and churn out some poems. Hubby has the TV loud, racing something is on...he is off on vacation. Writing is a real challenge when there is soooo much noise ;D

    ReplyDelete
  4. hah. totally mundane, not sure i achieved extraordinary. but happy friday!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love this idea and am giving it some thought. This is the last Friday of term, so exhaustion has hit in a big way. However, with days off, I shall have more time for poetry.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very interesting challenge Mary. Had to stop and really think about what I think of as ordinary but, isn't.
    Lovely prompt full of endless possibilities.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great prompt, Mary. I dare not write about my Google woes as they have completely unhinged me. I will think of something and be back!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is something I observed yesterday at the taekwondo place.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am really enjoying the poetry so far. Truly we don't have to look very far in away during our own ordinary days to find something poem-worthy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This prompt found me pondering one of those ordinary everyday items we just don't notice a whole lot, but I like where it all ended up. Thanks for making me think a bit today, Mary!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I do hope mine is ordinary enough! I'm so excited to have you guys' poetry to read tonight! Smiles!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mary, I am glad that the prompt made you ponder (a good thing in itself)and then produce a very fine poem. Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I may have gotten a bit too ordinary with this one.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I loved this one..I went totally silly with it. It is all about my file cabinet.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oops - no spoken word on this one. I forgot to clear it before I hit enter.

    This is not a true story, except for the visit to the bank, which had me wishing for anything to prevent the necessity of queuing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I floundered on this one for a while... until my son showed me the way... :)

    ReplyDelete

Much time and effort went into this post! Your feedback is appreciated.