Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Starting Over




"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come."

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning."

"The beginning is always today."




Midweek Motif ~ Starting Over


I hope your new year is going well!  You may be continuing your "normal," rather than starting over ~ but we all have experienced a re-starting, whether it be in writing a poem, singing a song, trying to sleep, taking up a career, or reforming a government.  Or maybe we just wished we could start something over again.

This prompt is also a response to Phillip Moffit's article "Starting Over" on his "Darma Wisdom" blog.  He speaks of the moment of drifting away in meditation (just start over) and losing focus on resolutions (just start over), among other things.


Your Challenge: Write a
new poem in which you sing of starting over.  Or call it by its other names: reboot, renew, recommence, take two,  going back to the drawing board, etc.


 



excerpt from


 Oh Great Spirit

. . . . 
Restore the animals.
In the name of Raven. In the name of Wolf. In the name of Whale. In
the name of Elephant. In the name of Snake.
Forgive us. Have mercy. May the animals return. Not as a resurrection
but as living beings. Here. On earth. On this earth that is also theirs.
Oh Great Spirit. Heal the animals. Protect the animals. Restore the
animals.
Our lives will also be healed. Our souls will be protected. Our
spirits will be restored.
Oh Spirit of Raven. Oh Spirit of Wolf. Oh Spirit of Whale. Oh Spirit of
Elephant. Oh Spirit of Snake.
Teach us, again, how to live.

(Read the rest HERE)
THE GUEST HOUSE
By Rumi
Translation by Coleman Barks
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
Because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.


by May Sarton

19 comments:

  1. A lovely, lovely prompt to begin the year with, Susan. Thank you. Hello everyone!

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  2. Good Morning, Poets United! I had in my mind an "earth is dying and starting over" poem, but when I looked closer into my reality, another poem entirely came to me. It was like starting over. Writing poetry is healing, and sometimes even magical. I hope this one is for you.

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  3. Happy New Year. Will link up later

    Much🎉love

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  4. Susan, this was the perfect prompt for me right now. Thank you!

    Happy readings, everyone.

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  5. Compliments of the New Year to everyone! Thanks Susan for the first prompt of the year, how relevant! And the introduction to Phillip Moffitt's work...

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  6. I fell in love the minute I saw the prompt!❤️ Sharing my poem 'January in the heart of a Poet,' hope you like it! I'll be around shortly to read and comment.❤️

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sanaa. I'm glad it touched you.

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  7. I love this prompt, and the poems, especially the poem to the Great Spirit. Right now in Canada we have a Standing Rock shaping up. The government, AS ALWAYS, is arresting protectors blocking access to developers of a gas pipeline in northern B.C. that will go right through First Nations traditional lands and will frack and destroy the environment and wreck the limited fresh water sources. Many of our First Nations STILL have no access to clean drinking water (!!!!) As usual government pays lip service to the rights of aboriginal people, but backs big money interests. There are protests across Canada in support of the Wet'suwet'en people. This is likely going to be where the people draw a line in the sand. They are fighting for their survival on the little land they have left. Our smiling prime minister is in the pockets of big industry, like all the rest. He SAYS Canada's most important relationship is with First Nations. Ha.

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    Replies
    1. I included that poem for you. I hope you read the rest of it. I've read about the Canadian First Nations taking a stand--they've been standing for a long time. Now we have to help them be seen and listened to--if they want help. A line in the sand would be scary and refreshing. It might even generate positive change. Those elected leaders need the voice of the people or they weaken. We're working on that here, but DT has many people's voices.

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  8. Happy New Year to one and all - may it be filled with blessings, peace, love and miracles for the heart, spirit and body.

    Thank you Susan for the interesting prompt and diverse inspirations. Certainly it offers much to consider and word possibilities to show up as they will. And so I walked into some form of my arid and deserted wording mojo and just let it unfold, as it wished. A start of some sort, - which is better than a whole lot of nothing.

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    Replies
    1. Sounds good, a great way to begin a year. Best wishes to you, too.

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  9. Happy New Year, Poets! Thank you, Susan, for such an apt prompt! See you on the trail! :)

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  10. I wrote a poem for Sherry's prompt for the Imaginary Garden with real Toads, in which I include the metaphor for a new beginning: 'turning a new page. I hope it fits this midweek's motif too.

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  11. Took me a couple days to finish this one. ;)

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  12. Better late than Never!. :-) Hello All- Happy New Year!

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