Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Diary Stories

http://www.quotesncaptions.com/anne-frank-quotes-2/

The Diary of a Young Girl 

(better known as The Diary of Anne Frank
was published on the 25th of June 1947.



Midweek Motif ~ Diary Stories

Your Challenge is to create a poem from an entry in a journal, yours or someone else's.  You might also want to reflect on the writer or on the journal.   Or write a poem as if it is a journal entry.

Poetic Inspiration:



You are greater than the Bible
And the Conference of the Birds
And the Upanishads
All put together
You are more severe
Than the Scriptures
And Ham­mura­bi’s Code
More dangerous than Luther’s paper
Nailed to the Cathedral door
You are sweeter
Than the Song of Songs
Mightier by far
Than the Epic of Gilgamesh
And braver
Than the Sagas of Iceland
I bow my head in gratitude
To the ones who give their lives
To keep the secret
The daily secret
Under lock and key
Dear Diary
I mean no disrespect
But you are more sublime
Than any Sacred Text
Sometimes just a list
Of my events
Is holier than the Bill of Rights
And more intense” 
       (copied from goodreads Quotes)




an old knuckle baller, he still wears the cap he wore in high school,
yellow&brown, embroidered LH, faded&nipped in time's toll---it
contrasts his grey temples, face full of whiskers, red rimmed eyes,
still wide, cheeks sagged, creased, work the salt off a peanut, teeth,
tongue shuck the shell & spit it in an ever increasing pile, like
bones at a chicken feast

one hand works the cover of a browned baseball, fingers flipping
around the leather&laces, through the repertoire of pitches he once
threw, the other works a pencil along a score card. he keeps
every hit, strike, ball, foul---every statistic of importance, a scratch,
scratch, scratch of lead, impression on paper, the game reflecting
in his cornea---spits another shell, works the ball, scratch, scratch
sisyphus

man on first, one out, pop, scratch, scratch, double play & it's
over, he folds the card in half, then quarters so it fits neat in
his back pocket, shuffles up the concrete steps between bleachers
to wherever he goes & whatever he does until tomorrow when
he'll be there, in his usual spot, spitting shells, hand running through
the memory of pitches & marking his card,
with one thing that makes sense

leaving me
to sit,
notebook in hand,
scratching away,
                       just the same
 


           (Used with permission)


 Please:  
1.      Post your diary story poem on your site, and then link it here.
2.      Share only original and new work written for this challenge. 
3.      Leave a comment here.
4.      Honor our community by visiting and commenting on others' poems.



(Next Week's Midweek Motif will be Half Year and World UFO DAY)


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40 comments:

  1. Good morning, Poets United!
    (Saying that sometimes makes me flash on Robin Williams.) Thank you, Brian, for permission to use your wonderful poem. Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good morning - and thank you for the prompt..as usual probably obtuse and alluding to the theme..hopefully the sense of paper..and filling it comes through..a diary that is not quite sure of the story it wants to tell

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    Replies
    1. Yes, all that and more, Jae Rose! Welcome to Midweek. Have a great day.

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  3. Excellent prompt, Susan; and what a pleasure to see Brian's poem here as well. Looking forward to seeing what others come up with for this prompt.

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    Replies
    1. I hoped his poem would surprise you! It's a natural, isn't it? BTW, help desk may have ironed out the kinks in the link.

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    2. Glad to hear that, Susan!

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  4. I enjoyed writing for this prompt . I read Anne Frank when I was in my sixth standard and was overwhelmed by the Diary or the book.... Brian's poem is wonderful :-)..Thanks Susan for the prompt... :-)

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    Replies
    1. You are very welcome Maniparna. Enjoy the day.

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  5. good morning susan...and thank you for the honor of the inclusion...smiles...as you wrote to me, most of my pieces fall into this category....

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    Replies
    1. Good to see you here! Grin.

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    2. How lovely to see Brian's poem here ~ I love the energy and the way the words just seems to spring from his hand, smiles ~

      Lovely prompt Susan ~

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    3. Thank you Grace! He does fit here well, and right next to Leonard.

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  6. Time to go to Physical therapy. I will be back! Wow! I am moved by your poems and look forward to the rest.

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  7. If our diaries could talk...
    Brian a colorful look at the "armchair" athlete. I am watching the world cup and playing vicariously through the players.

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad that they can not--though it might be interesting if they talked to me alone--more like a sister than like a burning bush!

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  8. nice to be here once again...i wrote about a lost piece of childhood for the wonderful prompt you gave us today Susan... :)

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  9. Great prompt, Susan! I am enjoying what others have written.

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    Replies
    1. Me, too. It seems time to pause and think about how we remember and/or use these catch-alls.

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  10. Susan what a nostalgic theme... I used to have so many diaries started at different phases of life and then discontinued at some point... thank you!!

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    Replies
    1. This makes me wonder/warn: "Do you know where your diaries are?" Perhaps at some point, only the poems and publications should survive. Perhaps, like Anne Franks, it is good when they speak. Thank you, Arushi!

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  11. I have an invite to dinner, Poets, so I'm taking a train from this odd little suburb and heading to downtown Philly hoping the storm won't be too horrible. Indian food, a birthday treat. No--it is not my birthday--just an early gift from friend and FUN. I'll check in again before bed-time. Enjoy.

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    Replies
    1. smiles...enjoy dinner susan.....indian food...yum...
      you had me about to sing happy birthday as well...smiles.

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  12. Hope you had a delightful dinner.
    I like that you used two of my favorite poets as examples for your great prompt.
    I'm submitting mine. It's a little late, but I'm happy to join in.

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    Replies
    1. I'm open until Saturday, Myrna! Glad you could make it.

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  13. Hi kids, I'm late because it took me a while to remember it was Wednesday. Hee hee. I had it all ready to go too! Will get around to you all......

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    Replies
    1. p.s. Brian, I LOVE seeing your poem there for inspiration!!

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    2. ha. probably the only time i will be in the same line with cohen...ha...
      thank you wild woman...

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    3. Amazing action in your poem, Sherry!

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  14. Collected my story a stanza by stanza, day by day....Thanks for inspiration, Susan!

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    Replies
    1. re very welcome, Humbird. Good to see you here.

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  15. Good day, I've posted a journal entry about a 1967 C-10 Chevrolet Pick Up I owned, please enjoy!!

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  16. You are very welcome, Loredana.

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  17. Happy Friday, Poets United! Poets can join in today and tomorrow too, so if you meet up with a poem and poet that fit the diary motif and would enjoy joining us, give them the link. I have been moved and inspired by this week's poems here and elsewhere. What a week!

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  18. Susan, this is a wonderful prompt..I enjoyed it very much.Thank You..smiles..

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  19. Nice one by Leonard Cohen. Love this prompt.

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