Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Power


“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

“There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
― Madeleine Albright

“Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless 
means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral. ” 
― Paulo Freire

The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. 
But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. 
It never did and it never will.” 
― Frederick Douglass

EXCLUSIVE by GOLDIE TAYLOR: Newsome Speaks
For The First Time After Courageous Act of Civil Disobedience:  

"We discussed it and decided to remove the flag immediately, both as an act of civil disobedience and as a demonstration of the power people have when we work together."




Midweek Motif  ~ Power


Power, power: Who's got the power?  


Dictionary.com has 20 definitions of "power"--and that's just as a noun!  You may use any of them.  But I challenge you to write a poem that demonstrates "the power people have when we work together."

Alternatively, describe your fantasy secret power.


source



BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
Oh! pleasant exercise of hope and joy!
For mighty were the auxiliars which then stood
Upon our side, we who were strong in love!
Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven!—Oh! times,
In which the meagre, stale, forbidding ways
Of custom, law, and statute, took at once
The attraction of a country in romance!
When Reason seemed the most to assert her rights,
When most intent on making of herself
A prime Enchantress—to assist the work
Which then was going forward in her name!
. . . . 

Read the rest Here at the Poetry Foundation.


—Barrio René Cisneros 

Managua, Nicaragua, June-July 1982


This was the dictator’s land
before the revolution.
Now the dictator is exiled to necropolis,
his army brooding in camps on the border,
and the congregation of the landless
stipples the earth with a thousand shacks,
every weatherbeaten carpenter
planting a fistful of nails.

Here I dig latrines. I dig because last week
I saw a funeral in the streets of Managua,
the coffin swaddled in a red and black flag,
hoisted by a procession so silent
that even their feet seemed
to leave no sound on the gravel.
He was eighteen, with the border patrol,
when a sharpshooter from the dictator’s army
took aim at the back of his head.
. . . .

Read the rest HERE at the Poetry Foundation.




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 ~ UNITY)



35 comments:

  1. Hey everyone,

    Woooo hooooo its time for Midweek Motif once again :D sharing my poem "Power." I thought to try a new form this week, "Glosa", hope you guys like it :D

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good morning, Sanaa Rizvi! Loving your energy this morning which brings sunshine despite the storm raging outside my window! I think I'll head over to read your poem before posting my own.

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    2. Good morning Susan :D

      So good to see you! Hope the storm passes soon and the sun shines through.
      xoxo

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  2. Thank you for the morning cheer Sanaa - we need to have a cup of tea together! Thanks for the power prompt - i hope we all have our own little slice of power..even if it's meddlesome and dressed in a blue frock!

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    Replies
    1. Good morning Jae :D

      You're most welcome to come over for tea anytime :D
      xoxo

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    2. Ok - I will come alone Alice can be a little too much to handle ;)

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    3. I went back and read your interview again because I wanted to. You have power in your writing and probably do many little acts of kindness too!

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  3. another good prompt Susan, posted mine....

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sumana. I'll visit yours soon ...

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  4. A controversial take on power :-) Hi all hope you are all doing fine

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  5. Ah, dear Poets United, I must leave you for the rest of the morning. I have a morning of hospital activities with doctors and and other powers drawing blood and testing. I'll be back in the early afternoon. I may have to write another poem then about positive medical powers ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Luck Susan, hope everything turns out alright :)
      xoxo

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    2. I hope everything goes well,. Susan. E me when you get home.

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    3. All is well. I've been Xray-ed and EKG-ed and milked for blood. I have a small surgical procedure next week to relieve pressure on my spinal cord.

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    4. Hopefully the procedure will be smooth and painless.
      My prayers are with you :)

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  6. A wonderful prompt! Loved writing for it!

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  7. I took the fantasy option and had fun with writing my wish list for a healthier world. LOL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You sure did! Haha. But, hey, I'd love for it to come true..

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  8. Susan I think I passed you in the hall - please take care.

    A fantastic prompt by the way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Leslie. You take care too--with optimism and healing power!

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  9. Hope all goes well Susan. May your good health be as powerful as your poetry.

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    Replies
    1. Amen, Myrna. Thank you. Your presence here and your prayers mean a lot.

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  10. Ok, so the power of art was where my head/ pen went...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! That's a good place to be. I'm coming around soon.

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    2. Your link brought me back here so I found your poem, took its address, and fixed the link.

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    3. Thank, Susan - I must have been having a moment...

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  11. Thank you for the prompt and the opportunity to stop and think.

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome. When you stop and think, I get to read amazing poetry!

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  12. Hi everyone,
    Am late to the party this time, Susan, and I have a broadband tale of woe to share : D :D
    Hope everything turned out well in the hospital. Take care.
    I am happy to be here..as always!! Thanks for the powerful prompt..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Since the party runs through Friday, you are not late at all. You add a lot to the proceedings, friend.

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  13. it Friday; im ah sooo late

    much love...

    ReplyDelete

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