Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ The Song of a Single Word





“The road is a word, conceived elsewhere and laid across the country in the wound prepared for it: a word made concrete and thrust among us.” 

― Wendell Berry

“PHOSPHORESCENCE. Now there's a word to lift your hat to... to find that phosphorescence, that light within, that's the genius behind poetry.” 
― Emily Dickinson

“The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, 

whether through malice or through ignorance, 
remain branded in his memory, and 
sooner or later they burn his soul.” 
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.” 
― Gautama BuddhaThe Dhammapada




Midweek Motif ~ 
The Song of a Single Word


One day our Sumana sent me a song she translated, and said: 
I tried to translate it, but it's quite hard to do it in English. I lost all the cadences of the beautiful Sanskrit words which themselves are songs.

This made me wonder if any of my words~in English, German, Latin or any language at all~contain songs all by themselves. Or does a word spark a song?


Your challenge: Chose a word which sings to you. Write a poem from its lyrics ~ or write a lyrical poem in answer to it. Enjoy!







BY PABLO NERUDA  
Translated by T.M. Lauth



I’m going to wrinkle this word, 

I’m going to twist it, 

yes, 

it is much too flat

it is as if a great dog or great river

had passed its tongue or water over it
during many years.

I want that in the word
the roughness is seen
the iron salt
The de-fanged strength 
of the land,
the blood 
of those who have spoken and those who have not spoken. 

I want to see the thirst
Inside the syllables 
I want to touch the fire
in the sound:
I want to feel the darkness 
of the cry. I want
words as rough
as virgin rocks.

(Found HERE) 



Related Poem Content Details

I never hear the word “Escape” 
Without a quicker blood, 
A sudden expectation – 
A flying attitude! 

I never hear of prisons broad 
By soldiers battered down, 
But I tug childish at my bars 
Only to fail again!


Related Poem Content Details

I don’t know when it slipped into my speech
that soft word meaning, “if God wills it.”
Insha’Allah I will see you next summer.
The baby will come in spring, insha’Allah.
Insha’Allah this year we will have enough rain.

So many plans I’ve laid have unraveled
easily as braids beneath my mother’s quick fingers.

Every language must have a word for this. A word
our grandmothers uttered under their breath
. . . . 
(Read the rest of this amazing poem HERE)


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

(Next week Sumana's Midweek Motif will be ~  Predator and Prey !   ) 

42 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes, so many choices! (I nearly went with "denouement"!

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  2. I have been away for a week and am happy to be back! I hope you have a word that makes you sing.

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  3. I couldn't think of a better word to sing about, than my word of the year. I hope to get around to visit everyone....a hurt shoulder is limiting how much typing I can do.

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  4. Replies
    1. I think you create what this means--as you did!

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  5. Hey everyone,

    Hope you guys are having an amazing day so far :D sharing my poem 'Undo with love.' Thank you Susan for the wonderful opportunity :D


    Lots of love,
    Sanaa


    PS: For some reason I am unable to visit the poems on wordpress.com blogs but i ll keep trying :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know the answer to the Wiki thing. Today, mine posts and other days mine doesn't. My day is great so far--though I have a mammogram at 2:30, which isn't fun at all. Hopefully it will be brief.

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    2. Hopefully.. good to see you Susan :)

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    3. Fast Mammogram, and no problems! Whew.

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  6. I wrote the song of a language today for your most beautiful prompt Susan...

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    Replies
    1. Good to see you Sumana, and to imagine the weightiness of the words.

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  7. I saw the prompt and had to sing a long! I will be in and out today, but I look forward to reading words or songs.

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  8. Hi kids, a quick ditty on my way out the door to babysit the fair Lunabella! Will be back to visit everyone this afternoon.

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  9. What an inspirational prompt Susan. It sounds like a poem itself.
    Hope you have a good day. Nice to have you back!

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  10. Challenging, beautiful topic, just what a busy mind needs :)

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    Replies
    1. Great! It was more difficult than I thought it would be, but the those who took up the challenge are making wonderful poems.

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  11. A beautiful prompt and some beautiful poems. I loved the poem Insha'Allah. Thanks Susan for including it in the post :)

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  12. Struggled with this one for a few days, and your prompt helped give me a little traction susan...for that, thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Happy that it worked out, Brian, the poem is quite moving.
      How are your boys?

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    2. they are good. enjoying the last days of summer.
      i go back to school on friday, and they a week from monday.

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  13. That was a bit tough...but, eventually enjoyed writing on this prompt, Susan. I look forward to reading the other entries...shall come back tomorrow!
    G'nite everyone!

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    Replies
    1. Toughness seems to generate beauty! Goodnight!

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  14. Thank you, Susan...very inspiring post...I will be back shortly to read...after the dinner hour and kids off to bed. :)

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    Replies
    1. I've gotten to ten pieces but that's all I have time for...I'll get back to anyone who visits me...thank you for reading and sharing, too!

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    2. Thank you, dear Hannah, for the gift of your poem and comments.

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    3. Thank you, so much, Susan...this warms my heart.

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  15. Thank you, Susan. I forgot to link up my post yesterday... There now.

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  16. Lovely prompt, Susan, and lovely post altogether.

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    Replies
    1. One of my favorites. Thank you. When I got that letter from Sumana, I knew this would be a prompt for me.

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  17. loving this prompt, though posting so late

    much love...

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Gillena, for the most marvelous song.

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  18. I hurt my back (it went out) so was on strict bed rest last week. I'll be back and writing with everyone soon. I am feeling much better now and will start biking again soon.

    Love, Bekkie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Biking first--then writing. Got to take care of that back!

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