Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Happiness



Two film-makers speak about happiness:  
Alfred Hitchcock (above) 
and Markus Imhoof (below).


Midweek Motif ~ Happiness

Happiness grounds my life despite pain from the physical ailments of aging, from distorted relationships between homo sapiens and the rest of life, and from empathy with people facing environmental disaster, violence, starvation, disease and racial injustice.  It took a long time to find this ground, but I hope to stand on it for the rest of my life!

  • Do you now or did you ever possess happiness? 
  • Will you know happiness when/if you see it?

Your challenge:  Help us to see, feel or anticipate happiness through a poem in any form that makes you happy.


Three Quotes to consider:

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, 
trees, people.  I thought, "This is what it is to be happy.” 

“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up.” 
― Mark Twain

“No one asked you to be happy. Get to work.”― Colette



And One Poem:

                            Nikki-Rosa



childhood remembrances are always a drag   if you’re Black
you always remember things like living in Woodlawn
with no inside toilet
and if you become famous or something
they never talk about how happy you were to have
your mother
all to yourself and
how good the water felt when you got your bath
from one of those
big tubs that folk in chicago barbecue in
. . . . 
 (Read the rest HERE at The Poetry Foundation)

#

Please share your new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community.


(Next week Susan's Midweek Motif will be Weeds or Weediness.)



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53 comments:

  1. Thanks for making us think and feel about happiness...we took our roundabout route (as ever).. maybe the trick to happiness is in learning how to recognise it..

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    1. Yes, indeed, I think that is part of it. Not all of it, for sure. I'll be right over to ride your roundabout. Welcome #1 poet!

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  2. Hi Susan, just finished reading a book and it inspired me to write a tanka about a different kind of happiness :)

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    1. Greetings, Totomai! You are giving us quite a lot today!

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  3. Good morning, all! What a great topic to ponder this week! I will be around....looking forward to sharing 'happiness' with you this week.

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  4. one of my still favourites Happy by Pharrell Williams came to mind on rading this weeks prompt
    Happy Wednesday to you
    much love...

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    1. Mine too! I had to try hard not to use it for the prompt. Welcome and happy days!

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  5. Lovely to discover this place (and I hope to come back, soon, If I may)! I discover it reading about it on Donna's Blog.
    All the best for you and warm greetings!

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    1. Is there a poem here that you wrote? Help me to find it amid all the images.

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    2. Yes, gladly! right next to the images of flowers, Spring blooms in collages!! Greetings

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  6. Thank you, Susan, for the prompt. Happiness is easy to attain if you try to make others around you as happy you wish to be yourself... :-)

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    1. You are very welcome Nicholas. This is the golden rule of happiness.

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  7. Susan,

    A great topic which was easy to write about, especially after enjoying my recent location and weather of Andalucia....Life has many happy opportunities..

    Eileen

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    1. I wondered if you'd write about Andalucia! I'd lke to see more pictures too (hint, hint).

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  8. oh...at last i'm able to post my poem...i'm extremely frustrated as the net is so slow, i do hope to visit everyone friends...this is a fantastic theme Susan and really enjoyed writing to this :)

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    1. Thank you, Sumana. I hope you have time today to move slowly like your internet. Is it possibly meditating? (smile) How frustrating!

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  9. Hello everyone :D
    Its Wednesday once again & its time for mid-week motif :D Just came home from work.. had an afternoon shift! Sharing my poem "Ode to Happiness", tried the form irregular ode..! Hope you all like it :D

    Lots of love
    Sanaa

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    1. Relaxing in the sun, Sanaa? I think here it is nearly 4PM, so the sun there must be already asleep.

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    2. Lol.. yeah its 22:46pm here Susan :) glad you liked the ode :D
      xoxo

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  10. Love the Nikki Giovanni - quite the inspiration!
    I've started by thinking about what happiness isn't...

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    1. Thanks. Starting there worked to create a unique poem, Claire.

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  11. A fabulous choice tor today, Susan!

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    1. Thank you, Kim. Did you mean to post two? It's OK, just checking.

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  12. What a good prompt Susan. I thought I'd have so much to write about happiness, but my muse is snoring. Still I gave it a try.

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    1. You gave us a truth, Myrna. I like the story too.

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  13. I will return to read...right now I have kiddos school concert. :)

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  14. This was such a fun prompt I got my pencils out.
    Thanks to each of you poets you bring my happiness factor up to 10!!!

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  15. Great prompt, Susan. The week before a long vacation is always the best...you know all the anticipation and everything - you just feel so productive!! So, it was easy for me to write today. Thanks a lot...

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    1. Hahaha! I never thought of that! Sometimes that week of anticipation is better than the actual event. But I wish for you the best of happiness on your vacation!

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  16. wonderful prompt, Susan! i don't think i'll be able to participate but i'll try.

    i hope everyone is having a good week.

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    1. Thank you. Sit back and enjoy and have a good week yourself.

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  17. Thanks for the fun prompt, Susan. :) Loved this little trip to happy today.

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    1. Loved the visit. You come back soon,hear?

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  18. Linking up after a long time. Love the prompt, though I'm not sure I answered the complete prompt, but I wrote what came to me.

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    1. Never feel you have to answer the complete prompt. It's just an imagination starter. Welcome!

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  19. Thanks so much, Susan. I have not read Nikki Giovanni in a long time. Love the videos!

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  20. Great prompt! Looking forward to reading them all but can't get to them right away! Will do so over the next day or two :-)

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    1. We'll enjoy your visits when you have the time. Welcome, CC.

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  21. Always interesting to find out where a prompt will take me! :)

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    1. I am happy it took you and brought you here.

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  22. i get joy from accepting what is. if that later translates to happiness then let it be so

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  23. Visiting today I am not sure if I will post. I am winding up a busy time and have missed you all!

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  24. Posted for the first time here. Loved the prompt, Susan. It was a pleasure writing a poem on happiness :)

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    1. Welcome to Poets United. I usually only check this prompt through Friday. How lucky that I returned and found you. Visit us again! Tomorrow we have Poetry Pantry--a chance for you to post a poem of your own that needs more readers.

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    2. Thanks for the wonderful prompt, Susan. Last week got a bit stuck, so this time, I'll try to devour as many...

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