Day Five
on APRIL 5, 2024
Friday is here, and so is the fifth day of Na/GloPoWriMo.
Today’s featured participant is Narrative Paralysis, which brings us a spooky, cosmic poem in response to Day 4’s “strange things” prompt.
Our resource for the day is not a social media account, but a podcast that we’ve featured in past years (and is good enough to bear repeating): The Slowdown. You’ll find a poem here every day — you can listen online and read the transcript with the daily poem as well.
Now, let’s get to our optional prompt! Today we’d like you to start by taking a look at Alicia Ostriker’s poem, “The Blessing of the Old Woman, the Tulip, and the Dog.” Now try your hand at writing your own poem about how a pair or trio very different things would perceive of a blessing or, alternatively, how these very different things would think of something else (luck, grief, happiness, etc).
Happy writing!
Just Us
I belong to Earth
nature is my instructor
purpose keeps me sane;
my soul is from somewhere else
every day we get closer
*
all the world over
no holier place than here
where those I love live–
except every other place
where the whole world lives in me
*
I am tumbleweed
of grit and perseverance
I would rather roam
wheeling with my ancestry,
discover new horizons
© selma
Thanks so much for reading my “Just Us” Tanka series today.
Happy Friday
© selma
- 44 words Quadrille: The Fields of Flanders - May 17, 2024
- Poetics: Left in the Lurch - May 16, 2024
- Wea’ve Written Weekly: There Is Another Sky—It’s Called Hope - May 16, 2024
I really liked the combination of earth and soul. It all keeps one grounded.
So happy you read and liked, Heather. Yours was inspirational. You’ve no idea how much it inspired me. I wrote one privately about The Big Guy: God. One day I’ll publish it for you to read as you inspired it.
Oh my goodness, Selma. I am touched by your words and look forward to reading your poem one day.
Heather, please check you inbox. I sent you something I hope you like… bless you. Good night from Japan.
This is beautiful. I picked out a line, but then I read on, and I really just like the whole thing. I’ll share the first that stood out to me anyway: “my soul is from somewhere else
every day we get closer”
❤️
Aww. So splendid you liked that line. I was surprised too when the words lined up like that. Before my very eyes. Thanks, Melissa.
Beautiful pic. Very nice combination of earth & soul. Nice recommend the earth in poem.
Thanks so dearly, Raj. Glad you enjoyed. 👏🏽 💜
Lovely combination of images and ideas
Thanks, friend.
My pleasure
Especially like “my soul is from somewhere else /
every day we get closer”
Aww. Bless you. Every day we get closer. 🙇🏽♀️
Beautiful !
😜
Soul and earth as one
💗 👍🏽
Beautiful ❤️
🙏
Belonging casts a wide net. (K)
Exactly 👍🏽
This is exquisite, Selma! It speaks to me! 🦋🌺🐝
Beautiful. Glad it did. 🤗
A very spiritual and uplifting poem, Selma!
Happy to know your thoughts, dear Dawn. Blessings.