Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Picnic

Breakfast in the Open by Carl Larsson 1919

“I’ll affect you slowly as if you were having a picnic in a dream. 
There will be no ants.  It won’t rain.” 

― Richard Brautigan

"Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic." 

. "Society is the picnic certain individuals leave early, the party they fail to enjoy, the musical comedy they find not worth the price of admission."
 Joyce Carol Oates


Pierrot's Repast: Deburau as Pierrot Gormand by Auguste Bouquet c. 1830.



Midweek Motif ~ Picnic

When I was young, picnics involved food and parks with lakes to swim in and trails to walk in along cliffs with great views.  I loved them.  But lately, I only hear the word "picnic" in metaphor— something is or is not "a picnic"— meaning "easy."  I don't remember picnics being easy to prepare, but I remember feeling holiday in the air. Now, picnics for me are either solitary outdoor eating during walks or mass potluck church outings. What about you? Do you now or have you ever picnicked?

Your Challenge:  
Take us to a picnic in a new poem.


from Rubaiyat: "A Book of Verses underneath the Bough"

Related Poem Content Details

. . . . 
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, 
A Jug of Wine, A Loaf of Bread—and Thou 
Beside me singing in the Wilderness— 
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow! 
. . . . 
(Only quatrain 11; read the entire poem HERE.)


            by Rita Dove

The Day? Memorial.
After the grill
Dad appears with his masterpiece –
swirled snow, gelled light.
We cheer.  The recipe’s
a secret and he fights
a smile, his cap turned up
so the bib resembles a duck.

That morning we galloped
through the grassed-over mounds
and named each stone
for a lost milk tooth.  Each dollop
of sherbet, later,
is a miracle,
....
Read the Rest HERE.

I Ask My Mother to Sing

Related Poem Content Details

She begins, and my grandmother joins her. 
Mother and daughter sing like young girls. 
If my father were alive, he would play 
his accordion and sway like a boat.

I’ve never been in Peking, or the Summer Palace, 
nor stood on the great Stone Boat to watch 
the rain begin on Kuen Ming Lake, the picnickers 
running away in the grass.
. . . . 
Read the rest HERE.

* * * * 

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 ~ Parenthood 
(Parents, Guardians, Significant Adults in the Lives of Children)

28 comments:

  1. Thank you for taking us on a picnic - ours were usually indoors.. and when the electricity ran out! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great to see you, Jae Rose. Indoor picnics have way less insects. That's one plus!

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    2. Do parentals count as bug life ;)

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    3. Definitely, they can. And you get to write about that for next week's prompt.

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  2. aaah...it's wonderful to be number one :)
    thanks for the beautiful prompt Susan, posted a Haibun today...

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  3. Hey Susan thank you so much....for making me nostalgic with your prompt
    My poem reflects that!
    hope you all like it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, PT. It made me nostalgic too.

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  4. Mr Linky is not liking me today. Have tried several times to load my URL. Im off as we (Air and Space Museum) are hosting the Canadian Snow Birds. Will be back tonight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow!. I'll try to link you. Have a great day.

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    2. Thanks so much for the link, Susan.

      Delete
  5. Great prompt, Susan. I went on a metaphorical dream-world picnic. Sigh. Am babysitting this morning, so will make the rounds on my return.

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    Replies
    1. Any time, Sherry. Thank you for this image of a possible future.

      Delete
  6. Thanks for the wonderful prompt, Susan. It made me philosophical. Eager to read all the lovely poems here :)

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    Replies
    1. Philosophically happy, I see. Thank you.

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  7. Hey everyone,

    Hope you are having an amazing day so far :D sharing my poem "Beneath the shimmering sun." Thank you Susan for the wonderful opportunity..!

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sanaa, for bringing u your poems.

      Delete
  8. Thanks for the idea to write about a recent evening....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are very welcome. We should all have such evenings!

      Delete
  9. I had a lot of fun with this! So many ideas from a simple picnic prompt. I just linked up now.

    I can't wait to read everyone's takes! I hope you have a good rest of the week. They go by so fast!

    Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Week's stream by! Who has time to picnic anymore?

      Delete
  10. Sigh. Am unpacking some memories that I rarely talk about, but need to do so, more often. Not a happy write, from me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The motif of picnics will bring up both sad and happy. It can't be helped, though writing always helps me. I saw a happy thought or two in there.

      Delete
  11. Thanks for the fantastic prompt, Susan.I came up with the idea of writing a haiku this time.
    Shall come back tomorrow to read others! Got delayed this time again, as usual...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No problem, Panchali. It's good to see you on the beach!

      Delete
  12. Hello Everyone!

    I am a bit late, but thought I'd play along. I couldn't resist a picnic.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thank you, for the excellent inspiration...I jotted it in the journal for later...I hope to return with something...although I'm already very late. Busy week here. Warm smiles to all. :)

    ReplyDelete

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