Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Heritage Day

Bishop Desmond Tutu





Midweek Motif ~ Heritage Day


Today is Heritage Day in South Africa: "On this day, South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their culture and the diversity of beliefs and traditions in their country."   One way South Africans celebrate is by barbecue gatherings, or braai.  In 2007 South Africa combined National Braai Day and National Heritage Day for a people-made cultural holiday.


I wish every town/region/country had a Heritage Day.


Your challenge for the midweek poem:  If you celebrated a Heritage Day, what culture(s) would it include? and what would be a good way to celebrate?



      Poetic Inspiration:      



BY ESTHER BELIN
I.
And Coyote struts down East 14th
feeling good
looking good
feeling the brown
melting into the brown that loiters
rapping with the brown in front of the Native American Health Center
talking that talk
of relocation from tribal nation
. . . . (Read the rest of this amazing poem HERE at the Poetry Foundation.)


“I emerged from the black oil pools in the forgotten house of dreams in the wild backcountry of the heart. I am heir to the sun, child of Mother Earth and the Mayan galaxy. All the mountain cures and healing waters and winds and junipers run deep in my bloodstream.”




Poetry Everywhere: "won't you celebrate with me" by Lucille Clifton

For those who are new here:  
  1. Post your Heritage Day  poem on your site, and then link it here.
  2. If you use a picture include its link.  
  3. Share only original and new work written for this challenge. 
  4. Leave a comment here.
  5. Visit and comment on our poems.

~Next week's Midweek Motif will be Children's books.~


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15 comments:

  1. Good morning! Happy spring and Heritage Day in South Africa. Happy autumn in the north. Happy New Year to those entering High Holy Days. Happy day to everyone. This prompt took some research for me. I nearly wrote a chant of all the names I had never heard before, which I may still do. Some of you may find yourself already brimming with celebration. Welcome to all!

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  2. Thanks for the prompt Susan - another loose interpretation - what else! A kind of celebration of an alliance that is both happy and defective....a world inside ourself..i guess that's a cause for celebration

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    1. Welcome, Jae Rose. Some very loud Geese just flew past as I was welcoming you!

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    2. I wonder what that meant! We get geese here in the winter maybe they are en route from yours to mine!

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  3. Thank you for making this a Heritage Day to be shared around the globe, Susan.

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    1. You are welcome, Kerry. Thank you foryour help with this prompt.

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  4. Thank you for your wonderful topics, Susan!

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    1. I am always so happy to see you, Laurie. Thanks for picking up the challenge.

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  5. When I think of heritage, my mind goes back to the line of strong women who walked the earth path before me........I wrote a poem years ago about them, which I likely can never do as well again. However I did manage to write a new one for today, by the skin of my teeth. How wonderful that it is Heritage Day in South Africa. I watched Long Walk to Freedom for the third time the other day - how I love Mandela! And Desmond Tutu! Maybe I will yet write something for Africa. I am barely awake at the moment.

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    Replies
    1. Irish in Canada is mighty fine, Sherry, but go ahead and link another if it comes to you.

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  6. Thank you Susan for this wonderful prompt...I tried to do a unity in diversity in the shortest possible way :)

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    1. You ACED this. The one long line also made we think of the child's game called the whip. Do you know it?

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  7. The last 5 people left no comment, sadly. I would love if we were all tlking to each other!

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  8. It's Saturday! That means I stop visiting this prompt for this week. Be sure to post your poems here in the Poets Pantry tomorrow. Next week's prompt is children's books--well, stories, actually--well, writing for children ... addressing children in poems whether for dhildren or adults. Tell them the meaning of life, maybe? At dVerse, this week, a child told that meaning to us!

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  9. Hi Susan,

    My poem is about my two cultures: Samoan and American. I had wanted to write a piece only on American stuff but then again my Samoan side was nagging so badly so that's that. thanks for the prompt. :)

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