Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Fun




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“And the sun and the moon sometimes argue over who will tuck me in at night. If you think I am having more fun than anyone on this planet, you are absolutely correct.” 
― Hafiz

“One thing I had learned from watching chimpanzees with their infants is that having a child should be fun.” ― Jane Goodall

“Fun is closely related to Joy -- a sort of emotional froth arising from the play of instinct.” ― C.S. Lewis





 Midweek Motif ~ Fun

Can you list 10 ways you have fun?

Fun for me is ACTIVE, like: licking the cooking spoon, playing a challenging game of Scrabble, drinking tea while visiting, reading a good book, re-reading the good book, praying while coloring, stroking the cats until they purr, writing a poem in an un-rushed time, reading poetry aloud, and taking long walks on cool days.  That's 10 things.  What's the first 10 that occur to you?  the next 10?  

The challenge:  In a new poem, find a meaningful way to have fun fore-grounding fun.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Children’s Games - Google Art Project.jpg
Children’s Games by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1560)


(I)
This is a schoolyard
crowded
with children

of all ages near a village
on a small stream
meandering by

where some boys
are swimming
bare-ass

or climbing a tree in leaf
everything
is motion

elder women are looking
after the small
fry

a play wedding a
christening
nearby one leans

hollering
into
an empty hogshead

(II)
Little girls
whirling their skirts about
until they stand out flat

tops pinwheels
to run in the wind with
or a toy in 3 tiers to spin

with a piece
of twine to make it go
blindman’s-buff follow the

leader stilts
high and low tipcat jacks
bowls hanging by the knees

standing on your head
run the gauntlet
a dozen on their backs

feet together kicking
through which a boy must pass
roll the hoop or a

construction
made of bricks
some mason has abandoned

(III)
The desperate toys
of children
their

imagination equilibrium
and rocks
which are to be

found
everywhere
and games to drag

the other down
blindfold
to make use of

a swinging
weight
with which

at random
to bash in the
heads about

them
Brueghel saw it all
and with his grim

humor faithfully
recorded
it.

The wind may blow the snow about, 
For all I care, says Jack, 
And I don’t mind how cold it grows, 
For then the ice won’t crack. 
Old folks may shiver all day long, 
But I shall never freeze; 
What cares a jolly boy like me 
For winter days like these? 

Far down the long snow-covered hills 
It is such fun to coast, 
So clear the road! the fastest sled 
There is in school I boast. 
The paint is pretty well worn off, 
But then I take the lead; 
A dandy sled’s a loiterer, 
And I go in for speed. 

When I go home at supper-time, 
Ki! but my cheeks are red! 
They burn and sting like anything; 
I’m cross until I’m fed. 
You ought to see the biscuit go, 
I am so hungry then; 
And old Aunt Polly says that boys 
Eat twice as much as men. 

There’s always something I can do 
To pass the time away; 
The dark comes quick in winter-time— 
A short and stormy day 
And when I give my mind to it, 
It’s just as father says, 
I almost do a man’s work now, 
And help him many ways. 

I shall be glad when I grow up 
And get all through with school, 
I’ll show them by-and-by that I 
Was not meant for a fool. 
I’ll take the crops off this old farm, 
I’ll do the best I can. 
A jolly boy like me won’t be 
A dolt when he’s a man. 

I like to hear the old horse neigh 
Just as I come in sight, 
The oxen poke me with their horns 
To get their hay at night. 
Somehow the creatures seem like friends, 
And like to see me come. 
Some fellows talk about New York, 
But I shall stay at home.

Ormakalil 3.jpg
Nostalgia 3 by Sunil Pookode  (2016)
(Used without Permission.  Forgive me.)

I’ve stayed in the front yard all my life.
I want a peek at the back
Where it’s rough and untended and hungry weed grows. 
A girl gets sick of a rose.

I want to go in the back yard now   
And maybe down the alley,
To where the charity children play.   
I want a good time today.

They do some wonderful things.
They have some wonderful fun.
My mother sneers, but I say it’s fine
How they don’t have to go in at quarter to nine.   
My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae   
Will grow up to be a bad woman.
That George’ll be taken to Jail soon or late
(On account of last winter he sold our back gate).

But I say it’s fine. Honest, I do.
And I’d like to be a bad woman, too,
And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace   
And strut down the streets with paint on my face.
🎲
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 ~ Cloud)

12 comments:

  1. Happy Wednesday poets! Lovely prompt. About the poems I have to say, "They do some wonderful things."...I wish I could write something full of light.

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  2. So here's what I learned recently: It's hard to visit fun when the world is hurting so. But for those like me who spend time in depression, those lists of fun things, done often enough, can pick us up off the floor. I hope you have fun with today's prompt. Happy Wednesday. Have a great week. Lots of love right here at Poets United.

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  3. Aww! Hafiz is one of my favourite poets. Love that quote by him.

    Susan, thanks for the reminder to have fun. I'm waiting for the snow to melt, and I'll grab my backpack and disappear into the woods.:)

    Happy Wednesday, everyone!

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  4. Wonderful poems for wordly wednesday! It was "fun" reading these poems.

    Jui Positive Cookies

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  5. What a fantastic prompt, Susun. I can't add a poem today, but I'm almost sure that I will be back to explore it in the future. There are just so many interesting ways to explore this theme.

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    Replies
    1. I meant to write "Susan", of course. I've no idea where Susun came from.

      Delete
  6. I love the Rumi quote. I often feel like that - that I am happier than many of the millionaires in mansions along the shore.........I am, today, extremely tired, my head feels like a lead weight. But will try to come up with some fun in words!

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  7. Nice. Your prompt made me focus on fun and it was fun. Thanks Susan.

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  8. Lovely prompt Susan. A happy Wednesday to everyone

    Much🎶love

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  9. I'm a little late this week, so happy Thursday! I wrote a list poem of all the fun things I've done or plan to do this week.

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  10. Ah, lovely day, especially reading the lists that some have incorporated into the poems. Note that I always check back at least through the Friday feature. Visit. Be inspired. leave a trace.

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  11. I’m losing time but it’s no excuse. Love the prompt and prose. Keep prompting. I’ll be back

    ReplyDelete

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