Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Gratitude


“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, 
then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” 


“My gratitude for good writing is unbounded;
I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean.”

     ― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life





If you have heard this song too many times,
switch off the sound and just search the images for inspiration.  


Midweek Motif ~ Gratitude


The New Science of Gratitude:  "Author and researcher Dr. Robert Emmons has discovered what gives life meaning: . . . . Gratitude improves emotional and physical health, and it can strengthen relationships and communities."


What do you think?


Your Challenge:  Compose a poem around the idea or experience of gratitude.



from Thanks  
by  W. S. Merwin,  1927 

. . . .
over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

. . . .  (Read the rest HERE at The Acadamy of American Poets)



Part in peace: is day before us?
Praise His Name for life and light;
Are the shadows lengthening o’er us?
Bless His care Who guards the night.

Part in peace: with deep thanksgiving,
Rendering, as we homeward tread,
Gracious service to the living,
Tranquil memory to the dead.

Part in peace: such are the praises
God our Maker loveth best;
Human hearts to heavenly rest.
Such the worship that upraises




For those who are new to Poets United:  
  1. Post your new gratitude 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 is "a day 'that will live in infamy' or a 'bomb' of a day.")


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21 comments:

  1. Good Morning! Giving thanks for your presence here today.

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  2. Added only four lines today Susan...that childhood nursery rhyme would not let any word come out but these..Happy Thanksgiving :)

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  3. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - good to remember all the things we can be grateful for - thanks Susan!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Moonie.You are so very welcome! Happy ...

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  4. Good morning Susan and everyone here.
    Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating!

    For the prompt, I tried to think a bit out of the box and thank school / education... and the result of it (maybe a good one or not at all, lol)

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    1. OH, there it is! I'm heading over to your blog again. I gather with my ffamily on the day, for whom I give thanks. We are much more likely to talk about Native Americans than Pilgrams though. My family gave up the myth a while back. But I do love the harvest table!

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  5. Happy Thanksgiving to all. I'm so grateful for the privilege of reading your poetry. Thank you. And Susan thank you for all you do to inspire us. Enjoy!

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    Replies
    1. You are more than welcome. I'm grateful for your contribution too. Thanks for sharing you work with Poets United.

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  6. Wow, Susan, thanks for this uplifting video. I may be the one person on the planet who had not heard that song and I am so glad I didnt miss it. Gratitude is such a big topic, when one is grateful for every single thing. It is a perfect time to reflect on it. Thank you, for another wonderful and timely prompt. I'll fly around the rafters a bit and see what dislodges itself!

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    Replies
    1. Sherry, the song was quite unknown to me too. Great words, and yes, what wonderful images in the video.

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  7. Susan,

    A topic with an endless list for inclusion, such are the gifts to be had in life.
    I enjoyed the contemplation which aided this poem and its composition!

    Eileen

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  8. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, there is a lot to be grateful for. A timely topic, Susan. Thank you.

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  9. Happy Thanksgiving! I travelled yesterday and am writing now from Denver, North Carolina where we've all been cooking. I'm taking a break to visit you! Sorry for disappearing yesterday. Whoops! We've got to look up the recipe for creamed onions. I'll be back!

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  10. Happy thanks giving.
    Thank you for giving this wonderful chance for writing on gratitude..!!!

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    Replies
    1. And thank you for taking the time to bring your work here and read the rest!

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  11. I haven't overtly mentioned gratitude in my poem, but trust it is evident without spelling out.

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  12. Hope my abstract take will be not so out of kilter...

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    Replies
    1. You made me work to read it, but i think I understand how gratitude is the motif!

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  13. What a week! I am grateful for all of you. Thank you for dropping by with fabulous writing and close readings of each others' work.

    I'm ending this prompt now--so be sure to bring your poem tomorrow to the PU Poetry Pantry, and join me again next week when the motif is "a day 'that will live in infamy' or a 'bomb' of a day." I was thinking of the USA bombing locations in Japan during WW2--but there are other types of bombs, big and small. See you then!

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