Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Absence

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"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it."---Nelson Mandela

"In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?"---Saint Augustine

"God is absence. God is solitude."---Jean Paul Sartre

"Your body is away from me,
but there is a window open
from my heart to yours."---Rumi


                                 Midweek Motif ~ Absence


What is true? Is it “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” or “Out of sight out of mind”?
There are two sides to absence: either love or lack of affection.

Strangely enough absence even brings momentary happiness. As a teacher I used to notice the flash of joy in children’s eyes in the mere mention of a stern teacher’s absence.

Poet Rabindranath Tagore, as a kid used to pray with all his might to keep his home tutors at bay. But to his dismay all of them had exceptionally sound health. He confessed that in his autobiography; he was a school dropout.


Today tell us about Absence in your poem.


Poems for your inspiration:


The Absent Father

by Christopher Tye

He is just a child,
Wondering why he hasn't got a father,
Like all the other children at school,
He is wondering why so many people have ostracised him,
For something that's not his fault.

Wondering why his father has never contacted him,
He is always hoping for a Christmas card or a birthday card,
His dreams of being part of normal family are always unfulfilled.

What of his father,
Is it the fear of having to come face his responsibilities,
Or is the fear of having to come face to face with his mistakes,
That has caused him to be forever absent?



When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be

by John Keats


 When I have fears that I may cease to be 
   Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, 
Before high-pilèd books, in charactery, 
   Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain; 
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face, 
   Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, 
And think that I may never live to trace 
   Their shadows with the magic hand of chance; 
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, 
   That I shall never look upon thee more, 
Never have relish in the faery power 
   Of unreflecting love—then on the shore 
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think 
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.


    When We Two Parted

      by Lord Byron

 
WHEN we two parted
  In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted
  To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
  Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
  Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
  Sunk chill on my brow—
It felt like the warning
  Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
  And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
  And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
  A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me—
  Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
  Who knew thee too well:
Long, long shall I rue thee,
  Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met—
  In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget,
  Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
  After long years,
How should I greet thee?
  With silence and tears.



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 ~ Suffrage, the right to vote) 

31 comments:

  1. What a challenging and wonderful topic for my first Midweek Motif poem...hope you enjoy it!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your beautiful 'first' Donna...an exquisite poem...

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  2. Thank you for the midweek prompt - in reading your inspirations i think perhaps the first applies in this instance - thank you

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  3. Hey everyone,

    Hope you are having an amazing day so far :D sharing my poem "Absence" hope you all like it.

    Thank you Sumana for the wonderful opportunity :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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  4. Hello Poets, hope you enjoy the prompt :)

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  5. This was a great prompt I had three poems going in my head.
    Happy Wednesday all.

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  6. Excellent prompt, Sumana. My poem had a very timely theme.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Mary for the wonderful poem, timely indeed.

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  7. I've been absent...from writing so I jumped back in today.

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  8. Back after my busy past week! With everything happening in the news I already had this thought in my head and was so pleased when I saw the prompt! I'm linking "All Lives Matter."

    I'll be visiting takes this week. Today is a biking day and the wind has finally given our area a break so it will be hot and still and I'm looking forward to it.

    My baby kitten, Ninja, is doing fine she's a sweet girl. I never realized how much you must teach a kitten when they are taken from their mothers this early!

    I hope your week is going well PU! Hugs!

    Bekkie

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  9. Hi kids, I'm here and reading. I wrote something but am going to sit on it for a bit in hopes something better might pop up, LOL.........I'll be back.

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    Replies
    1. I am a bit late in commenting today & thanks for the beautiful poem Sherry :)

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  10. After my leave of absence, I am back! Rather apt to contribute a poem on the theme of "absence". Look forward to reading your poems, everyone!

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  11. Happy Wednesday, everyone! That was a poetic topic, Sumana. It took me to the world of Taxidermy. I'll be back to read the entries later. Thank you.

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  12. Synchronicity – the last poem I wrote (on Tuesday) fits right into this topic!

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    Replies
    1. PS I loved the anecdote about Tagore as a child! I always think of him as so dignified (smile).

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    2. Sometimes Tagore used to tell his mother that he was having stomach ache to skip off school and also the home tutors and his mother was such a gracious lady that she often granted his wish :)

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  13. Hello Dear Poets,

    I am a bit late, I will read for a bit and be back tomorrow. Thanks for understanding.

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  14. I forgot to link on my poem! I fixed it and so sorry! Lol!

    ReplyDelete

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