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GloPoWriMo 2023, Day 30 Palinode: Odd Ode For You To Decode

On Twitter, Maureen says:

NaPoWriMo on Twitter

And for anyone interested, late but useful for next year— if you wish
to get a nudge when the prompt of the day goes live, turn ON
Notifications for @napowrimo2023 on TheTwitter.
(I just found this out🤦🏻‍♀️)

The final prompt: Thirtieth of April

Palinode? Color me pale!

An ode or song that retracts or recants what the poet wrote in a previous poem.
For instance, Geoffrey Chaucer’sThe Canterbury Tales ends with a retraction, in
which he apologizes for the work’s “worldly vanitees” and sinful contents.

Humans, for all their avant-garde forward-thinking,
          Are blind like bats gazing blindly into the sun

With bloated brains in the pursuit of happiness,
          Calm but edgy amid overabundance

The meaning of happiness is subjective
          But the recipe is the same all along

A sense of control over what pleases you
     Foremost guided by the likes that you amass
          And forging your place in the family of things.

                        © selma

Is this a retraction from the post of Day 27, or just plain cynical? You be the judge.

People, my people.
How amazing I feel to have completed
this challenge for the third year.
See my badges?

Thanks so much for tolerating my selfishness this month.
As I told you before, I will take a break
from posting for a while.
Golden Week
Wedding Anniversary
A short vacation to
recharge in a hot spring
and such…

Thanks so much for being here with me, and I hope you had
as much fun as I did, this glorious
national poetry writing month.

It was truly remarkable!
*
Thank you, Maureen Thorson,
Thanks, partners in poetry,
here at WordPress

and
in the Disqus Forum.

I bless you and wish you miracles. XO.

Selma Martin
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This Post Has 43 Comments

    1. Selma Martin

      Jennifer, dearest, and I enjoyed reading your words this whole month too. Thanks and forgive for not visiting more often. I bless you and wish you well… blessings and miracles too.

  1. Sadje

    Excellent poem to finish the month. Have a wonderful vacation.

    1. Selma Martin

      Sadje, so happy to have your lovely support. Glad you were/are here. I bless you, always, Selma.

  2. kim881

    I love the bat simile, Selma, and the ‘bloated brains in the pursuit of happiness’ expresses how I feel this morning after a month of writing a poem a day – in addition to the usual output and thinking up prompts for dVerse. Your recipe for happiness makes sense to me!

    1. Selma Martin

      Kim, impressive m’lady. I cannot imagine how you juggled all that… I sure think I need more practice or somethin’ of the sort. I bless you for the support you gave me this month. It was fun writing alongside you. Thanks a million. xoxo

      1. kim881

        Thank you, Selma. I hope we meet soon on the poetry trail! xoxo

  3. Meelosmom

    Excellent, Selma! I wrote several new poems and revised others this month. Have a good break!

    1. Selma Martin

      Barbara, the whole month of poetry was fun but exhausting, I tellyou. I am recovering (I’m wimpy) But I’m so glad I persevered this month. Thanks for being here. I bless you, dear friend. xoxo

  4. Kathryn LeRoy

    Happy Anniversary! Congratulations for all you gems in April! Have a restful week/vacation.
    With gratitude. . .

    1. Selma Martin

      Aww, Kathryn. Thanks so much. Sooo much. With double gratitude. Blessings xoxo

  5. Romana

    It was wonderful to write together, dear Selma! Wishing you a year filled with creativity and joy. See you next April!💜

    1. Selma Martin

      Oh, wow, Romana. That’s my line: It was wonderful to write together with YOU, dear one. Thanks for everything. I bless you and wish you Miracles. God willing, I’ll be back next April. Until then, take great care, my lovely. xoxo

  6. Arti Jain

    Wishing you all the happiness and joy as you get ready to celebrate and rejuvenate Selma. I’ve enjoyed visiting you and have loved your visits to my blog. Stay blessed.

    1. Selma Martin

      Arti, You are most precious. I appreciate your lovely words. I should have done more, but couldn’t cope, so forgive me for not visiting as often. I do love this community. Will return next year and for the rest of this one I’ll try to exercise my muscles more so I get less tired. I bless you and wish you miracles, dearest Arti. Stay sweet as you are.

  7. I vote for cynical, Selma! Or maybe it’s more satirical. Anyway, I like it! <3

    Wishing you a lovely break and a joyous anniversary celebration! <3

    1. Selma Martin

      Satirical is what it is, really. It was all I could come up with for this last prompt. Cheryl, thanks so dearly for the lovely support you showed me this month. I bless you and wish you miracles. xoxo

  8. Holly Jahangiri

    Selma, I love how you’ve explored such varied forms and themes this month. I will have to keep coming back to try some of them out, myself. I didn’t follow the prompts, as you know – one of the hazards of juggling two challenges at once. But poetry doesn’t end when April does, does it?

    1. Selma Martin

      Holly, how right you are. Poetry doesn’t end when April does and I will need to practice my muscles to be in better shape for next year. You juggled two challenges, how amazing you are, my friend– but I will try to stick to just one challenge. You did amazing. I have so much catching up to do over at your website and I will. All the lovely information you offer will not go to waste. I don’t know how you did that on top of your international trip. Wowed me good! Blessings, dear friend. I bless you

  9. memadtwo

    Unfortunately true for too many of us! but not you I think. Thanks for traveling the month with me Selma. (K)

    1. Selma Martin

      K, dearest, so happy to have traveled the month with you. You’ve no idea how happy… Thanks for being such a lovely person. I bless you and wish you miracles. xoxo

  10. Jennifer Pentland

    You were most certainly given the gift of poetry. Well done! 🦋💜👏

    1. Selma Martin

      You say nice things to me, dear Jennifer. I appreciate you. So happy to have your visits and comments. May Blessings and miracles abound.

  11. RuthScribbles

    Wishing you miracles too!

    1. Selma Martin

      Aww, Ruth. Thanks for wishing me miracles… I appreciate you
      And I’m confident yours has come true… You said, Monday– I am still praying. Bless you all. xoxo

  12. Manja Maksimovič

    “forging your place in the family of things.”

    Wow! Isn’t this exactly what we are doing? Extremely well done for finishing another April with a poem a day, my friend. Nothing will stop us now. Much love and most excellent festivities.

    1. Selma Martin

      I appreciate all the lovely words you sprinkled on me this month, dear one. You are the best. I don’t know about you but this made me tired. And happy too. I guess I need to practice my poetry muscles more. Wowed by you. So much. So much. Wowed! Thank you for being here with me this month. I bless you.

    1. Selma Martin

      Thank you, dear d.a. I bless you and appreciate the support. xoxo

  13. Cindy Georgakas

    What a great last poem and message to end with Selma! Congrats that’s a real accomplishment! 👏💞

  14. Selma Martin

    Jennifer, and I enjoyed reading your words this whole month too. Thanks and forgive for not visiting more often. I bless you and wish you well… blessings and miracles too.

  15. Aaysid

    Wow! This is a great achievement! These are brilliant poems!💖✨️

    1. Selma Martin

      So pleased to hear your thoughts on these first drafts. Bless you. Xoxo

  16. Bridgette

    Congrats for completing the challenge and your final poem has such a great message! Love it.

    1. Selma Martin

      My friend. Take all of me.

      Leave it to you to think this up. You’re simply unstoppable and inimmitable. And I don’t know how you get to have all the fun, sweet Manja. Tremendously amazing.
      As for me, your choosing that last line— what an honor my friend. I bless you.
      Your cento is indeed delicious.
      We are family… xoxo

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