I am alone . . . and lonely
My own sadness makes everything around me
more beautiful.
The dusk falls softly,
As simply as a page turning or a bird lighting on the ground.
The sky grows dull rose near the rooftops
And, high above me, a sea-blue green.
I am caught up in it all - and small.
I search for words. I ache with words I cannot find.
Inside, the phone rings.
"Where's Kate?" Dad asks.
I am here - but I say nothing.
He calls - but I do not answer.
"She's not in yet," he says to someone.
"I'll tell her you phoned."
I could go in.
Soon it will be suppertime anyway.
Time for eating and talking and being part of things,
Belonging again to the horrible, boring, nice, funny,
noisy, angry, loving world of people.
I'll go in when I have to.
In half an hour, I'll even like it.
Now . . .
Now I'll stay out here, hugging my separateness,
my oneness.
I am alone. I am lonely.
I am growing into me.
- Jean Little
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Poetry
I've been thinking about poetry a lot lately, for various reasons and in various contexts, so when I saw this meme, I thought it would be the perfect thing for a lazy, snowy Sunday afternoon in November.
1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was . . .
While I'm sure I heard many poems from my parents and grandparents as a baby and toddler, the first poem I personally remember, and the first I would claim as my own, is the first poem I ever recited at a speech arts recital. I don't remember how old I was - 5 or 6 maybe? It was in a lecture theatre type room at the local community college. I was wearing a red/white/black 101 Dalmatians outfit. I was so painfully shy when I was little. I've been told I whispered the whole thing. I have some other memories of that night, but I'm not sure if they are true memories, or things I have made up over the years that fit with the story and embellish it. Anyways, the poem was I Had A Little Turtle - Anonymous.
1. The first poem I remember reading/hearing/reacting to was . . .
While I'm sure I heard many poems from my parents and grandparents as a baby and toddler, the first poem I personally remember, and the first I would claim as my own, is the first poem I ever recited at a speech arts recital. I don't remember how old I was - 5 or 6 maybe? It was in a lecture theatre type room at the local community college. I was wearing a red/white/black 101 Dalmatians outfit. I was so painfully shy when I was little. I've been told I whispered the whole thing. I have some other memories of that night, but I'm not sure if they are true memories, or things I have made up over the years that fit with the story and embellish it. Anyways, the poem was I Had A Little Turtle - Anonymous.
I had a little turtle
Who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle,
He climbed on a rock.
He snapped at a mosquito,
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow,
And he snapped at me!
He caught the mosquito,
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
But he didn't catch me!
Who lived in a box.
He swam in a puddle,
He climbed on a rock.
He snapped at a mosquito,
He snapped at a flea.
He snapped at a minnow,
And he snapped at me!
He caught the mosquito,
He caught the flea.
He caught the minnow,
But he didn't catch me!
2. I was forced to memorize [name of poem] in school, and . . .
I'm not sure I remember ever memorizing a poem in school. I remember having to memorize lines and songs for Christmas concerts. Oh wait, we had to memorize poems as a class for the Kiwanis Festival, but none of them really stick out. I've had to write poems in various English classes throughout the years. In English 10 I had to memorize a passage from both Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night to perform in front of the class. All the poems I remember having to memorize have been for Speech, not for school. Of course, like practically everything else I do, I would start out with the best of intentions, but then usually left memorizing them completely for the night before I had to preform them. By some incredible stroke of luck, I never had to face the embarrassment of forgetting my lines in front of an audience. Of course, that meant I wasn't always word perfect. On more than I occasion I paraphrased into my own words various parts of various poems because I could remember the basic idea, but couldn't remember the exact words. I'm not sure that that went over much better than just outright forgetting them would have.
3. I read/don't read poetry because . . .
I enjoy reading poetry, but I have to be in the right mood. I don't sit down with a book of poetry and read it straight through. Instead, I will flip through, reading poems as they catch my eye. Sometimes there will be a certain poem that matches what I am feeling exactly, and I will search that poem out and read it multiple times and wallow in it. Usually I read novels as pleasure reading, but there are sometimes when only poetry will do.
4. A poem I am likely to think about when asked for a favourite poem is . . .
Hmm . . . this is a hard question. There are a lot of poems that I really like and would consider favourites depending on when I am asked. It's hard to choose just one. I think I would probably go with Alone by Jean Little. I really like a lot of her poems. They seem to capture exactly how I feel - this one especially. It suits me perfectly.
5. I write/don't write poetry, but . . .
I do write poetry. Kind of. I go through phases where I write poetry constantly, and it's actually pretty good. Then there are times when I really want to write poetry, but I just can't seem to do it. If I can even manage to get something down on paper it isn't even worth being called a piece of crap. The third type of phase is when I just have no interest in writing poetry at all, so I don't even bother trying. The first phase is awesome. The middle phase is awful. "I ache with words I cannot find." I'm in that phase right now. Hopefully it will pass soon.
6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature . . .
I am always reading a novel, every free moment I have. Poetry, on the other hand, only gets read occasionally, when I am in the mood for it. If I am not, then I get nothing out of it. Sometimes I will read a poem just once, and then lead it. Other poems I will read over and over and over in one sitting -sometimes to try and understand it, sometimes just to drink it in. Reading poetry is something that I do just for me, unlike much of the other reading I do.
7. I find poetry . . .
Everywhere and in everything, especially if I am looking for it. I love, however, when I find poetry somewhere unexpected, or when I don't realize that I am looking for it.
8. The last time I heard poetry . . .
It's been a long time since I've heard others performing poetry. Probably not since I last performed in the Kiwanis festival. I've been thinking lately of going to check out one of the poetry readings that some groups in town put on occasionally. I enjoy hearing people read their poems, but for the most part, I prefer to experience poetry by reading it myself. It is a very personal thing, for me, I think.
9. I think poetry is like . . .
A good thunderstorm . . . staring into a deep, calm, summer lake . . . a hug . . . a good, long run . . . crying . . . friends . . . comfort food . . . laughter . . . a release . . . fish . . . an ache . . . the wind . . . God . . . a well . . . a good, loud scream . . . falling in love . . . a look into the human soul . . . I think poetry is wisdom.
As seen at The Hobgoblin of Little Minds
I'm not sure I remember ever memorizing a poem in school. I remember having to memorize lines and songs for Christmas concerts. Oh wait, we had to memorize poems as a class for the Kiwanis Festival, but none of them really stick out. I've had to write poems in various English classes throughout the years. In English 10 I had to memorize a passage from both Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night to perform in front of the class. All the poems I remember having to memorize have been for Speech, not for school. Of course, like practically everything else I do, I would start out with the best of intentions, but then usually left memorizing them completely for the night before I had to preform them. By some incredible stroke of luck, I never had to face the embarrassment of forgetting my lines in front of an audience. Of course, that meant I wasn't always word perfect. On more than I occasion I paraphrased into my own words various parts of various poems because I could remember the basic idea, but couldn't remember the exact words. I'm not sure that that went over much better than just outright forgetting them would have.
3. I read/don't read poetry because . . .
I enjoy reading poetry, but I have to be in the right mood. I don't sit down with a book of poetry and read it straight through. Instead, I will flip through, reading poems as they catch my eye. Sometimes there will be a certain poem that matches what I am feeling exactly, and I will search that poem out and read it multiple times and wallow in it. Usually I read novels as pleasure reading, but there are sometimes when only poetry will do.
4. A poem I am likely to think about when asked for a favourite poem is . . .
Hmm . . . this is a hard question. There are a lot of poems that I really like and would consider favourites depending on when I am asked. It's hard to choose just one. I think I would probably go with Alone by Jean Little. I really like a lot of her poems. They seem to capture exactly how I feel - this one especially. It suits me perfectly.
5. I write/don't write poetry, but . . .
I do write poetry. Kind of. I go through phases where I write poetry constantly, and it's actually pretty good. Then there are times when I really want to write poetry, but I just can't seem to do it. If I can even manage to get something down on paper it isn't even worth being called a piece of crap. The third type of phase is when I just have no interest in writing poetry at all, so I don't even bother trying. The first phase is awesome. The middle phase is awful. "I ache with words I cannot find." I'm in that phase right now. Hopefully it will pass soon.
6. My experience with reading poetry differs from my experience with reading other types of literature . . .
I am always reading a novel, every free moment I have. Poetry, on the other hand, only gets read occasionally, when I am in the mood for it. If I am not, then I get nothing out of it. Sometimes I will read a poem just once, and then lead it. Other poems I will read over and over and over in one sitting -sometimes to try and understand it, sometimes just to drink it in. Reading poetry is something that I do just for me, unlike much of the other reading I do.
7. I find poetry . . .
Everywhere and in everything, especially if I am looking for it. I love, however, when I find poetry somewhere unexpected, or when I don't realize that I am looking for it.
8. The last time I heard poetry . . .
It's been a long time since I've heard others performing poetry. Probably not since I last performed in the Kiwanis festival. I've been thinking lately of going to check out one of the poetry readings that some groups in town put on occasionally. I enjoy hearing people read their poems, but for the most part, I prefer to experience poetry by reading it myself. It is a very personal thing, for me, I think.
9. I think poetry is like . . .
A good thunderstorm . . . staring into a deep, calm, summer lake . . . a hug . . . a good, long run . . . crying . . . friends . . . comfort food . . . laughter . . . a release . . . fish . . . an ache . . . the wind . . . God . . . a well . . . a good, loud scream . . . falling in love . . . a look into the human soul . . . I think poetry is wisdom.
As seen at The Hobgoblin of Little Minds
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
