Once again you have provided prompts that ease me towards becoming more.
I wonder if I’ve avoided poetry because it does require a depth of feeling and exposure to reach for the depth of truth, see the big picture and then carry it back in words for others to read. Yet, the honesty in a poem, that deep connection the poet has found and expressed is what I desire most.
Dear Lesley, this surely resonates with me and I have written a great deal of poetry over the years, in between painting. We share so much, right? I never made a study of it, but I read it and I write it. Somehow, lines of words that say what I want to express, just come to me. It has a certain magic to it and I just follow along by writing it down. That you did all this back in the day is totally impressive.
If your goal is to inspire....you have exceeded it! As a single parent of two teenage girls, the carrot I tangled in front of myself was "once you get them through college it'll be your turn." Lots of life happened in those years; life that added to my experience as a human and a newborn artist and gave me confidence to proceed once the last child graduated college. I did four years in three and enjoyed every single minute! My learning experience is singular now; alone in my studio listening for my voice, making 'my' art. Thank you for being a part of that.
I went back to art school in my 50's to get that MFA I'd always yearned for. People asked why-- I told them "because I can." Those years coincided with the unraveling and implosion of my marriage, and finding my true artist self kept me alive and moving forward. I am forever grateful that I took the plunge, plowed ahead and actually got my degree (with honors) on my 57th birthday. I wrote much poetry during those years as well, and your post inspired me to start to reclaim my poet-self. 2025 is the right time for that...! 💫
Being a well-seasoned adult student sure makes a difference when we return to school. Your timing appears to be perfect. I think we somehow know when it's time to take a leap. Congratulations to you. May the poet in you thrive in 2025. (accidental, but perfect rhyme!)
Once again you have provided prompts that ease me towards becoming more.
I wonder if I’ve avoided poetry because it does require a depth of feeling and exposure to reach for the depth of truth, see the big picture and then carry it back in words for others to read. Yet, the honesty in a poem, that deep connection the poet has found and expressed is what I desire most.
I’ve ordered the Masks book.
Thank you.❤️
Becoming more, I love that concept. Reading the book and giving yourself time to listen to the inner voice will turn into something you're happy with.
Dear Lesley, this surely resonates with me and I have written a great deal of poetry over the years, in between painting. We share so much, right? I never made a study of it, but I read it and I write it. Somehow, lines of words that say what I want to express, just come to me. It has a certain magic to it and I just follow along by writing it down. That you did all this back in the day is totally impressive.
Here's one for you today!
Quietly
Stealing in through my window,
this September day caresses my cheek.
I wake up slowly
in the special stillness of morning.
I invite my poems,
their first lines presenting themselves
like a shy little girl.
I put them down
where I can see them.
Maybe just one word,
or a line or two out of the blue
where they’ve been waiting,
the ones that are just for me.
Does someone send them?
Are they from another place
or time?
Am I just a vessel to carry out
the thoughts of another?
No, they are indeed mine, and of me,
of all I notice, and admire
of beauty, of sorrow, of longing, of love.
But they’re mine.
Yet, they need such tranquility
as morning offers
in order to appear.
Quietly.
Always quietly they come.
Sometimes in the middle of the night
I have to get up,
scribbling their whispers
before they skitter away beyond my reach.
Without the silent space
they do not come forward
with their sweet, humorous
or even urgent curtseys.
I honor the quiet and write them for me,
from me and
then maybe for you.
Lynne Haussler Oakes
Your poem is beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Please continue to write.
Thank you so much, Susie!
Beautiful poem. Thanks for sharing it with us. We have so much to give, don't we? Happy New Year.
If your goal is to inspire....you have exceeded it! As a single parent of two teenage girls, the carrot I tangled in front of myself was "once you get them through college it'll be your turn." Lots of life happened in those years; life that added to my experience as a human and a newborn artist and gave me confidence to proceed once the last child graduated college. I did four years in three and enjoyed every single minute! My learning experience is singular now; alone in my studio listening for my voice, making 'my' art. Thank you for being a part of that.
Oh Jan, thank you again for your lovely thoughts. We've earned this fruitful time, haven't we?
I went back to art school in my 50's to get that MFA I'd always yearned for. People asked why-- I told them "because I can." Those years coincided with the unraveling and implosion of my marriage, and finding my true artist self kept me alive and moving forward. I am forever grateful that I took the plunge, plowed ahead and actually got my degree (with honors) on my 57th birthday. I wrote much poetry during those years as well, and your post inspired me to start to reclaim my poet-self. 2025 is the right time for that...! 💫
Being a well-seasoned adult student sure makes a difference when we return to school. Your timing appears to be perfect. I think we somehow know when it's time to take a leap. Congratulations to you. May the poet in you thrive in 2025. (accidental, but perfect rhyme!)