Well, I didn't do much this week that I'm proud of, other than calmly facing down a tarantula, that is, but I did blog every day. Hooray! It wasn't profound, but at least I didn't go all week between Poetry Friday posts without blogging at all, the way I did every single week in September.
Yesterday a student told me that he was going to write something awesome in Writer's Workshop, and later when he was wandering around and socializing with his neighbors, I reminded him that he needed to sit down and focus, and then the awesomeness would find him. This poem says basically the same thing, if a bit more eloquently.
Lost
David Wagoner
Lost
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
...
Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
Here's the rest.
Trying to sit still, Here, in Port-au-Prince, and let the awesomeness find me.
Here's today's Poetry Friday roundup.
8 hours ago
5 comments:
Aww. the beauty of keeping still. and the engulfing silence that speaks truth and wisdom in all its quiet profundity.
Given our hectic pace and lifestyle here in Singapore, I value this poem a great deal. Reminds me to stand still and listen every now and again.
Woah...a tarantula in the classroom...I'm still trying to wrap my head around that! The poem is so lovely - more so when listened to. Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoyed this poem. Thanks for sharing!
Yes - standing still over here too. Thanks for posting this!
I love this poem. And I love your advice to your student! Going to try to take this advice as well! :-)
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