Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Mountain

"A few hours' mountain climbing make of a rogue and a saint
two fairly equal creatures." 

"I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. 
And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land." 







Midweek Motif ~ Mountain

Mountains draw me to them, perhaps because I was born in the shadow of the Catskill Mountains and played on mountain sides as a child.   Heights and metaphors both scared me at one time, but I never could stay away.  Can you?  

Challenge:  Let's take each other into the mountains with this week's new poem ~ or at least onto one "mountain" of your choice.

Add caption

BY LI PO
TRANSLATED BY SAM HAMILL

The birds have vanished down the sky.
Now the last cloud drains away.

We sit together, the mountain and me,
until only the mountain remains.

Li Po, “Zazen on Ching-t’ing Mountain,” translated by Sam Hamill from Crossing the Yellow River: 
Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese. Copyright © 2000 by Sam Hamill. 

excerpt from Chattanooga

    1 
    Some say that Chattanooga is the
    Old name for Lookout Mountain
    To others it is an uncouth name
    Used only by the uncivilised
    Our a-historical period sees it
    As merely a town in Tennessee
    To old timers of the Volunteer State
    Chattanooga is “The Pittsburgh of
    The South”
    According to the Cherokee
    Chattanooga is a rock that
    Comes to a point

    They’re all right
    Chattanooga is something you
    Can have anyway you want it
    The summit of what you are
    I’ve paid my fare on that
    Mountain Incline #2, Chattanooga
    I want my ride up
    I want Chattanooga
      . . . . 
    (Read the rest HERE at the Poetry Foundation.)

I go to the mountain side
of the house to cut saplings,
and clear a view to snow
on the mountain. But when I look up,
saw in hand, I see a nest clutched in
the uppermost branches.
I don’t cut that one.
I don’t cut the others either.
Suddenly, in every tree,   
an unseen nest
where a mountain   
would be.
                     

                              for Drago Štambuk

[Used here without permission.]  Tess Gallagher, "Choices" from Midnight Lantern:New and Selected Poems
Copyright © 2011 by Tess Gallagher.  Reprinted by permission of Graywolf Press.  


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

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(Next week, Sumana's Midweek Motif will be Courage. )

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28 comments:

  1. Hey everyone,

    Woooo hoooo its time for Midweek Motif :D sharing my poem "Mountain of Ice." Hope you all like it. As always thanks for inspiring us Susan :D


    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  2. Thank you for making the hills alive - not sure we are saints but we clamber up a few mountains ;)

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely, Jae Rose, we definitely cannot avoid our peaks and valleys. Glad you are here.

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  3. Good Wednesday to everyone! I hope by the end of this week we have a 'mountain' of poetry here to read. Thanks for the prompt, Susan.

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    1. It feels like a fine anthology each week. Happy day, Mary. Thank you for Poets United!

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  4. Thank you for the prompt, Susan. Looking forward to this week's poems!

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  5. Good morning, Poets United! I was up late trying to reduce the mountain of things in my suitcase to a more reasonable size. The choices one has to make when traveling! But now I have coffee in hand and I'm ready for the anthology of mountain poems you create for this prompt. What a beautiful sunny day!

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  6. Hello everyone! thank goodness I was able to write this this week. It is about two mountains I've known in life. I will be stopping by everyone's poems this evening as I have a lot of homework to do right now! Peace out!

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    Replies
    1. Glad you could make it, James, and leave us such an amazing poem.

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  7. Good morning, friends. A mountain of longing seemed to well up with this prompt......safe travels, Susan, and enjoy every minute of your wonderful writer's retreat. I am down-Island this morning to see a doctor, but will make my rounds as I travel, on my spiffy xmas tablet!

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    Replies
    1. A Christmas tablet is like a flying carpet, isn't it? I am still speechless from the supernatural force of your poem which I have been riding into my own locations. Travel well, Sherry.

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  8. Beautiful prompt! Just linked in my poem. Hoping to read all the lovely poems.

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    1. Welcome, Ramya. I'll see you out there in this weekly anthology!

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  9. Hello everyone! Thanks for the wonderful prompt, Susan.
    Enjoyed writing on it. Looking forward to read all the wonderful poems here :)

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  10. Hello everyone. Please forgive me, as my post for this week's prompt is very personal and dark. Just hope, I have reached the standard, as last week.

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    Replies
    1. Your post resounds! All poetry, I think, reaches out to others when you start with what you know. I'm happy to welcome you, Therisa.

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  11. Hello everyone. Am late again...sorry! Lack of time is just an excuse. :) It's pretty late...so I need to come back tomorrow to read the other entries. Himalayan grandeur is breathtaking!

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    1. I hope all is well, Panchali! It's good to see you here.

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  12. Sorry Im late the post was written but have been away all day.
    Thanks Susan for another fantastic prompt - I always marvel at the different peaks where people gather inspiration from.

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    Replies
    1. You are not late. Welcome. Thanks for adding your peaks to the rest.

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  13. This is a great prompt to begin with. I am truly excited. Thanks Susan.

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  14. Hello all:)
    a lil busy. So late.
    mountain,
    one of my favourite themes to introspect n write.

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  15. Hi All, This is my first time here and have posted my poem on my favourite mountain. Thank you so much Susan :-)

    ReplyDelete

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