Animation by DemonDeLuxe (Dominique Toussaint), from Wikimedia Commons
Z IS FOR THE END
The month has zipped by,
although some days
the writing was
much zippier than others.
Like the teeth of the zipper
we writers came together,
locking ideas to make a chain.
The prompt was our slider.
I thank you, fellow poets,
for joining me
in binding word to word,
thought to image.
This common daily work,
putting one word after another,
has brought us close,
will link us forever.
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2013
From Kevin (Kevin's Meandering Mind):
our words entwined like wires
moving with electricity through the world
from our fingers to our ears
to the universe beyond.
Where it ends is where it begins,
a spark of creativity and connectedness
and shadows of worlds unfolding on the page
from our fingers to our eyes
to our thoughts settled inside.
Where it ends is where it begins,
poems as stories as memories
as thinking, as sharing in this space
where time and distance are immeasurable
and where our words collide
forever.
©Kevin Hodgson, 2013
The podcast is here.
From Linda (TeacherDance):
Tasty Pleasure
Baby poems zipped, enthusiastic group.
This was our own alphabet soup:
dashes of some humor, facts there, too;
thought-filled words together - eclectic stew!
©Linda Baie, 2013
From Carol (Carol's Corner):
"Zipper"
I crouch down
take your down jacket
in my hands
fumble with the frayed
late winter zipper
until it catches
I draw the zipper
to just below your chin
tie your hood and
stuff your hands
into mismatched mittens
hoping this
little bit of love
will be enough
to protect you from
a frigid unloving world.
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2013
The theme of my 2013 National Poetry Month Project was
"Common Inspiration--Uncommon Creations."
Here are some of my students' creations:
 |
| Inspired by the fire breather |
 |
| Inspired by the fire breather |
 |
| Inspired by the fire breather |
 |
| Volcano cake inspired by the fire breather |
 |
| The above three inspired by Le Silence |
 |
| Foodscape/sculpture of the Broadway Tower with an imaginative landscape surrounding it! |
To go with the Rubik's Cube animation
And the poems that were inspired by the harp music:
that sound calms
me down every
time I hear
it going past
nice and fast
just the
way I
dream
it
--B
SOUND OF BEAUTY
The brush of a harp.
The melody.
The sound.
The feeling.
The beauty.
--No
ANGELS
It feels like
angels are flying
over me,
playing their soothing harps,
sounds relaxing.
--Na
FLOWERS AND HARPS
When I think of flowers
I remember the
sound of harps. They are
both peaceful and
relaxing. They make me feel
safe.
--Jo
peace harmony
freedom
happiness
Litmus
Lozenge
vengeance sorrow
pain agony
honor courage
respect
--Re
TWOs
Two harps
play
two beautiful
sounds
like two flowers
twirling around and
around
like two friends
caring for
each other
like two blue jays
singing
sister and brother
like two people
giving gifts on special days
like two children
wanting
to play
like two angels
watching
for us
like two harps
playing
two
beautiful
sounds.
--Ra
Had to remember
A loved one.
Running my fingers on the strings making
Peaceful music.
--M
NICE SOUNDS
That sound, what is that
it's so...peaceful.
It makes me calm down,
overjoyed, I went to where
it came from.
It was at a church
it was a girl playing
her harp.
I walk in and
she stops, she looks
at me then looks away
and starts playing
again.
--G
HARPS
The music from heaven
letting us know the right way
like a rainbow in the clear sky
it is quiet music that
makes us feel safe.
--Y
HARP
The music is peaceful
like crickets making music.
All the sounds come together
like every feather of a bird.
This piece had harmony
like a two instrument symphony.
Playing my harp
making beautiful music.
Plucking the strings,
playing something inspirational.
Inspiration,
that made this poem.
--J
no stopping
back and forth, forth and back.
no stopping; for there is no
time in this new world.
back and forth, forth and back.
as i lean against ellis,
i try to remember those days.
back and forth, forth and back.
one year more until
this war is out of my head.
back and forth, forth and back.
my life is full of melodies,
and i need them to live.
--S
(Love all of the work you have posted here, Mary Lee, and for all of the inspiration this month. Thank you.)
ReplyDeleteWhere it ends is where it begins,
our words entwined like wires
moving with electricity through the world
from our fingers to our ears
to the universe beyond.
Where it ends is where it begins,
a spark of creativity and connectedness
and shadows of worlds unfolding on the page
from our fingers to our eyes
to our thoughts settled inside.
Where it ends is where it begins,
poems as stories as memories
as thinking, as sharing in this space
where time and distance are immeasurable
and where our words collide
forever.
-Kevin
And the podcast: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0ViCwHu2qtX
Yes. That's what I was trying to say. You said it more eloquently.
DeleteThanks for writing with me/us all month, Kevin. You are an inspiration.
Lovely final post for us, Mary Lee. I so enjoy seeing your students' work, so much that is inspiring for us teachers! I especially love that you took your students along for the ride, a joyous month! Thank you again! (I'll be back later.)
ReplyDeleteTasty Pleasure
ReplyDeleteBaby poems zipped, enthusiastic group.
This was our own alphabet soup:
dashes of some humor, facts there, too;
thought-filled words together - eclectic stew!
©Linda Baie, 2013
It was a delicious month, wasn't it?!?! Thanks for playing along!!
DeleteYou are very welcome! Yum!
DeleteA fantastic post, Mary Lee! I especially love the zipper simile! You are definitely zippy!
ReplyDeleteMary Lee,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful journey. I learned a lot just stopping by and often found my inspiration right here. It was interesting to see the different perspectives poets took with the visual images. I enjoyed the collaborative nature of the posts. It was fun to watch the thinking grow.
"Locking ideas to make a chain." <--- perfect!
Cathy
BTW --- loved the student work.
ReplyDeleteHere is my final offering. I really wanted to write something wonderful and profound and metaphorical like everyone else did, but it just wasn't happening tonight.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Lee, for hosting this wonderful month-long poetry party. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing and reading poetry with all of you this month. I have been totally blown away by people's ability to take an image and turn some words and shape them, and have a poem emerge. I've loved seeing all of the different ways people have handled various topics. I will miss (a little!) waking up tomorrow morning without a prompt to think about!
Here is my final offering.
"Zipper"
I crouch down
take your down jacket
in my hands
fumble with the frayed
late winter zipper
until it catches
I draw the zipper
to just below your chin
tie your hood and
stuff your hands
into mismatched mittens
hoping this
little bit of love
will be enough
to protect you from
a frigid unloving world.
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2013
It's just beautiful, Carol. So filled with love. It's exactly the poem you would write. Thank you for this gift on our last day. It will be odd to spend the day without waiting to see what you all make from the image I've chosen!
DeleteWhoops, forgot to say, like everyone else, I loved the student work. Would love to hear the story about how you orchestrated all of these projects. I'm thinking kids must have done them at home. Were they assigned or optional or ???
ReplyDeleteThe projects were for extra credit and had to be done at home (with the exception of the harp music poems). The students could negotiate for the number of points they thought the work was worth. I was sad that so few took me up on the offer.
DeleteA month of wonders, Mary Lee! Thanks for sharing them.
ReplyDeleteLove the student work here (which I'll actually link to tomorrow, BTW, in my PF Post).
"no stopping" is potent, powerful poem - especially those last two stanzas. Kudos to this poet.
You brought inspiration to so many this past month, Mary Lee. Thanks for sharing the love.
ReplyDelete