“When the gales of coming winter
outside your window howl,
When the air is sharp and cheery
so it drives away your scowl,
When one’s appetite craves turkey
and will have no other fowl,
It’s Thanksgiving Time!”
~ Langston Hughes
*
James Langston Hughes [1902-1967] was born in Joplin, Missouri, USA,
the great-great-grandson of Charles Henry Langston (brother of John
Mercer Langston, the first Black American to be elected to public office).
*
Langston Hughes, “The Weary Blues” (1925). Langston Hughes was one of the
Library of Congres Blogs
greatest poets of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and intellectual flowering that
fostered a new Black cultural identity in the 1920s and 1930s.
His poem “The Weary Blues,” also the title of this poetry collection, won first prize
in a contest held by Opportunity magazine. After the awards ceremony, the writer
and photographer Carl Van Vechten approached Hughes about putting together a
book of verse and got him a contract with his own publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.
Van Vechten contributed an essay, “Introducing Langston Hughes,” to the volume.
The book laid the foundation for Hughes’s literary career, and several poems
remain popular with his admirers.
*
“Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit
our energies to giving thanks and just giving.” ~ Amy Grant.
Badger’s Hexastich
Written for 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 9, 11/21/23, Light
Snow (November 22 – December 6) Shosetsu 小雪 & Fine Weather:
Shoman 小満 Southern Hemisphere
A Badger’s Hexastich consists of six lines written in 2-4-6-6-4-2 syllables per line.
It is unrhymed with optional rising and falling end-words, which I think is an
interesting twist. Don’t forget to add a title.
Gratitude
May this
day be extra
memorable for all;
may the world wake up to
a truth in debt
of all
May we
remember that
the sun don’t shine only
for few trees and flowers
and that moon steals nothing
from the night world–
it lifts
Likewise,
everyone is
a moon in this lifetime:
may we bow our heads in
gratitude and
respect
© selma
Happy Thanksgiving Day from my home to yours. Xo, Selma.
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your last stanza – powerful
Thanks. So pleased you enjoyed it, Beth. Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings.
That’s my favorite too, Beth! <3
This is so lovely, Selma!
Much love,
David
Thanks dearly, David and Beth. Xo Xo
Happy Thanksgiving Day to YOU! I love your gift of GRATITUDE. <3
Thanks for appreciating that, dear Annette. Blessings on your whole week. Thanks for being here, my friend.
Thank You! Blessings to You sweet Selma!
Thanks. Blessing you.
So thought provoking 💜💜💜
Glad you read, dear Willow. Blessings on your days. Xoxo
💜💜
Selma, thank you for your deeply moving Badger’s Hexastich! It’s a lovely series. Happy Thanks – Giving and much gratitude to you for your friendship. 🙏🏻💖
Gratitude to you, my dear Colleen. Happy Thanks & Giving everyday xo
Same here, Selma. Hugs and love to you!
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃,to you, Selma! Beautiful written you.
Thanks, blessing you.
((Raj??!!)
A beautiful poem Selma. Bravo
I’m grateful 🥹 for you, Sadje. Enjoy your Thursday xoxo
Thanks Selma!
A small gathering tomorrow at a resturant to befollowed the next day by hopefully all those that matter most;
Partners, sibs, children, grands, nieces and nephews.
May we all share joy with each other. Just recently I knew a gent who won a large sum at Bingo… the first thing he did was gift back to the sponsers of the event. Those sponsers aided those who could no longer care for themselves and were unaware of any financial obligations.
So many volunteers do not keep track of what they give. Time is as valuable as cash. Which reminds me I just heard on the news today that one of the Salvation Army buckets was gifted with a gold coin!
May your gatherings of family be filled with joy. May our choice always be to add smiles to the universal scales.
Amen to all you said.
🙏
Happy Thanksgiving Selma! (K)
Hey, K. Happy Thanksgiving/Thanksliving you, dear friend. Xoxo
Lovely thoughts. Beautiful poetry. Happy Thanksgiving, Selma!
And same to you, Dora. Happy Thursday Thanksgiving. I bless you
((Hugs))
Happy Thanksgiving Selma 🙏💖
((Hugs)) happy Thanks & Giving 👏🏽
<3 Gentle but the message is clear.
((Hugs, Lisa)) 😊
What a beautiful post with stunning poetry, Selma. Yours first, but I love Langston Hughes too. 🙂 Lovely, my friend. xo
So pleased to know you enjoyed it, Lauren. Blessings on your weekend.
We have one young man visiting us and later today we’re heading next door for a Thanksgiving feast.
Stay sweet and blessed. Xo
Blessings to you too, Selma. I hope you had a wonderful time yesterday. We had a lovely time as well. ❤️❤️
You are an amazing writer, Selma. I’m a few days late but, happy Thanksgiving
Aww, 🫂
Really nice evocation of the season and holiday. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite.
Hey, Boz, Sir. Thanks for the visit and the lovely comment. I appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving everyday. Stay blessed. Xo
Hi Selma, a lovely post, I enjoyed the by Langston Hughes and your triple Badger’s Hexastich.
Robbie, Langston Hughes—I like this poet. So happy you appreciated it too. Thanks for the nice words on my Badger Hexastich. Xo
💗
Oh, Selma, this is lovely. Kindness is spread throughout – and we so so need that sweetness. ❤️
Thanks for seeing all that, Gwen. You’re kindness incarnate. Thanks for this positive comment. Stay sweet, my friend. Remember, you’re a moon. Keep on shining. Xo
Lovely, Selma. <3
Thanks, D. Xoxo. Happy last day of November. Xoxo
Thank you for sharing the poem by James Langston Hughes and the little bio on him. I liked both his and your poem,Selma. I love the stanza on the sun and the moon.
Gratitude is the one feeling that will keep us human and kindness is what will keep the world going. May we stay kind and grateful.
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. Love and hugs
So right you are about what will keep the world going. May we do everything we can to afford this. Blessings
That we are all equal… I just finished reading a fictional story about the ‘Underground Railroad’ in Ohio.
(from 1996 – paperback) by Virginia Hamilton; The House of Dies Drear.
Blessings to you my friend.