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Saturday, November 24, 2018

Weekend Mini Challenge: And the days are not full enough

Welcome to the Weekend Mini Challenge with Kim from Writing in North Norfolk.
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:
Image result for fieldmouse in grass Pinterest
Image found on Pinterest

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.

Image result for tiger roaring
Image found on Pinterest
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!



16 comments:

  1. I really like this prompt, and its inspiration. Thanks a bunch, Kim.

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  2. Very cool prompt! I LOVE the field mouse poem! Thanks, Kim.

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  3. Hi 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!
    I'm so pleased you like teh prompt, Magaly and Sherry! :)

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  4. You can tell I'm exhausted. I can't even type 'the'!

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  5. Sometimes the best motivation is the motivation to exercise restraint. That's what I wrote about.

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  6. Thank 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.

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  7. Ready to go out...lirdy, my fingers don't know how to write!

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  8. This was a great inspiration to write about a day in the woods.

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  9. The 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.
    Not sure what my four lines will be yet
    Thanks for prompting, Kim.
    ..

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  10. A lovely prompt, Kim!
    We'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! :-)

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  11. 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!

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  12. Attended 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

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  13. Good night to you all. I'll be back with coffee mug in hand in the morning to visit and comment.

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  14. Late 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.

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  15. Hello Everyone- I hope those that celebrated Thanksgiving had a lovely day with friends and family. Kim- thank you for such a lovely prompt!

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  16. I'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.

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