Wednesday
May232007
a poem {poetry thursday}
today i am sharing a poem i wrote in susan wooldridge's poemcrazy workshop i took at artfest. we were given several prompts, one being to give voice to something. we had also spent time sharing words from different books we each had; susan wrote the words up on the board. they were so good! that we were all furiously writing them down. she also wrote several words she had written in her journal from a dictionary page that all began with s. i grabbed onto the word seed and this was the result.
*****
The seed says
I used to believe I was
a practitioner of balance
perched inside a canopy
but here i am,
pirouetted to the ground
my eyes see nothing in
this cocoon of windswept dirt
i am scattered
come back to me
home
come back to me
quiet mind
*****
tagged 
. i series ., poetry
. i series ., poetry
Reader Comments (25)
Ah, nice.
This is lovely - I keep thinking I'd like Susan's book (though, I'm trying not to buy any at the moment)
How lucky to participate in that workshop! And your poem is lovely, if a bit triste.
I love your flags in your shop Liz. They are stunning and moving.
Interesting perspective of a seed cast into the earth.
Rose
xo
I remember loving another poem that you had written during/shared after Susan's workshop, and the language/imagery in this one is just as powerful! Such a lovely parcel of crisp words! xo
I love how your poems say so much in such a little way... I feel as if I am listening in on a secret conversation...
Thanks, Liz...
Such a lovely juxtaposition of words, Liz. Love this poem this morning. xo...
Ah, I don't think it is 'triste.' I see embodied in the poem, the blossoming that will come, of which the seed in unaware!
Enjoyed your little seed :)
From that dust laden darkness, the seed finally sees light. Light is home.That was I saw it.
I liked this, liz..
What a lovely poem! Nice work. I enjoyed reading this.
It's also great to hear that Susan W. is out there teaching. I too took a workshop with her but it was many, many years ago. I treasure my copy of Poemcrazy. It's great inspiration.
I love her book--such a fresh outlook on writing poetry and in "giving permission" for however you might use your inspiration.
Your seed poem is beautiful, Liz.
I love the idea of giving voice to a seed, very lovely poem.
There is aways adventure in growth..and somtime a bit of fear before we bloom.
A great little poem.
I think this poem works on several levels. On the one level, it's wonderful to hear the voice of the seed moving from its safe (balanced) haven of the tree to be scattered in the dirt. On another level I think your poem is a great metaphor for us as people moving from our comfort zone to start a new adventure even though it maybe more comfortable at 'home'.
Clay
Nice, nice, quiet and longing.
AHHhhhh how I miss that day with Susan....
beautiful poetry, Liz... simply beautiful
I love the phrase "pirouetted to the ground." What a great juxtaposition!
This makes me think of the majestic maple in my front yard, whose seedlings are rapidly approaching their time to scatter. I agree with what other readers have commented, that this works so beautifully as an allegory about growth: that we all have to leave home and find ourselves in fertile soil in order to come to fruition. And your words are deceptively profound in their simplicity and accessibility!
Elegant and beautiful. Like a drink of cool, clear water. Lovely.
Liz,
Sometimes we find ourselves in the words we ascribe to others. ;-)
rel
Oh, Liz, you have a gift. This is the sort of poem that makes me like poetry again.
That is so beautiful. We think so much about the blossom, the buds, the flowers...I love something about the perspective of a seed, hidden in the ground waiting to surprise the world.
Lovely, really lovely
i am envious of the workshops
that you get to attend.
and now that i have gotten
that off my chest,
i can say how much i love
what you have written there...
:)