Tags
claudia schoenfeld, Joseph von Eichendorff, online poetry, our heart and poetry, poetry sharing, spring
Sunday afternoon and spring at last.
Been walking, biking, preparing my trip to Berlin, and now I just sit on the terrace, listen to the birds and last week’s pressure falls off.
I listen to the kids, playing soccer in the street, church bells call for the evening mass, faint sound of cars on the nearby highway, a plane leaves a long white trail in the spring blue sky, the bees hum, it’s peaceful and these Joseph von Eichendorff words jump to my mind…
“Und meine Seele spannte
Weit ihre Flügel aus,
Flog durch die stillen Lande,
Als flöge sie nach Haus” –Joseph von Eichendorff
And, oh, my soul extended
its wings through skies to roam:
O’er quiet lands suspended,
my soul was flying home. (translation by Walter A. Aue)
And suddenly there’s this urge to breathe deeper, spread my own wings, sink into the moment and write a poem myself.. just to tell the world what I see and how I feel..
because poetry does this to me, it connects me with what’s slumbering inside me, connects moments with emotions and it also connects people cause suddenly Eichendorff seems to be so close and he allows me a glimpse into his world and graciously shares what he felt this very moment.
Thanks for linking up with us, thanks for sharing a bit of your heart through the poetry you write and I really urge you to get out on the trail, read what others have written and connect with your fellow poets.
When this post goes online, I’m in Berlin and hopefully made it back to the hotel in time for the pub doors opening. If not, I’ll be around soon…smiles
Happy OLN everyone!
If you are new here, let me tell you how it works:
- Write a poem and post it to your webpage.
- Click on the Mr. Linky button below and enter your name and direct url/web address to your poem
- There you will also find the list of those participating this week. You might want to refresh this occasionally or check back in as there are people joining over the next 33 hours.
- Read other poets that have linked. Let them know what you thought, how the poem moved you, what you think of their style, what caught your attention.
- Encourage others to participate through social media, promote your own piece and others.
- Have fun. Have fun. Have fun. Really.. don’t forget to have fun…smiles
claudia said:
smiles…made it back in time….happy OLN everyone and greetings from berlin..
vivinfrance said:
That was a lovely introduction to OLN – the translated verse was everything better I could ever hope to emulate. Just Gorgeous!
Lucky you being in Berlin – I was there for only 36 hours, a great deal of which was taken up with a tutorial, but everything I saw told me that I must go back again – I had not expected such a beautiful city nor such a wonderful ambiance.
I’ll be back later to read.
karenfrommentor said:
“suddenly an urge to breathe deeper…” lovely thought.
Mary said:
Hope you are enjoying Berlin, Claudia. Thanks for tending the pub tonight.
claudia said:
enjoying it like a child mary…smiles
Pamela said:
Excellent post, Claudia. Thanks for hosting. I will be around to read off and on throughout the day.
Pamela
Liz Rice-Sosne said:
You know Claudia … it is not just your poetry that speaks volumes. It is every word you say. Thank you … so much.
claudia said:
hey you make me blush…smiles
claudia said:
nice..good to see you pamela
Heaven (@asweetlust) said:
Thank you for hosting tonight Claudia ~ Have fun in Berlin ~
Happy day to everyone ~
Grace
claudia said:
i had a wonderful first day…my legs are aching though…smiles
Laurie Kolp said:
Good to hear you made it safely to Berlin, Claudia… thanks so much for all you do. I love how you describe writing poetry. It really is a sudden urge isn’t it?
claudia said:
yes it is..and i also always wait for that urge before i start writing
Yousei Hime said:
Laurie, I could not get my comment to “take” on your site (something about a password). So here it is: Didn’t realize you reside under the trees of my youth. I’m off to East Texas as often as I can to visit family. Clear, strong and uncomfortable imagery in this writing. I like the idea of suede trickling. Enjoyed this.
Laurie Kolp said:
Thank you. Maybe we can meet some day…
Yousei Hime said:
Thank you for responding to my displaced comment. I would love to meet and talk some day. Until then, enjoy the fading bluebonnets.
wordsmithingimp said:
This should be a breath of fresh air after the media flurry surrounding the Boston tragedy. Happy reading/writing everyone.
claudia said:
it is a big tragedy and glad that some poets wrote about it.. already read two boston poems on the trail..
Madeleine Begun Kane said:
Beautiful post! Though I for one am having a tough time de-stressing after the Boston bombings. And I’m sure having a rough time writing limericks today. So here’s an old piece of mine that I hope might lighten some moods. It satirizes New Age de-stressing techniques:
De-Stress Or Distress?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Are you stressed out? A quivering blob of nerves? Are your muscles lodged in a permanent clench? Here’s what not to do:
1. Lie down on the floor with your knees bent and pointed upward. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale slowly. Take another deep breath. Wonder if that smell is gas.
2. Concentrate on your breathing, on releasing that stale, toxic, virulent energy trapped inside you. Feel your body begin to relax. Sense the tension seeping out of your shoulders and toes, your life force beginning to renew. Jump up to check the stove.
3. Resume the position. Resume breathing. Become obsessed by cobwebs on the ceiling.
4. Decide to play a relaxation CD. Your choices are “healing harps,” ocean waves, and whales. Wonder which best suits your persona. Whales remind you of sharks. Decide to go with the harps.
5. Lie down a third time, notice ceiling, slam eyelids shut. Breathe deeply, welcoming the return of your vital juices. I.n.h.a.l.e…t.w.o…t.h.r.e.e…f.o.u.r…E.x.h.a.l.e…t.w.o…t.h.r.e.e…f.o.u.r. Savor the rise and fall of your abdomen. Focus on the harps which remind you of angels which remind you of heaven which reminds you of hell which reminds you that maybe you should listen to something else.
6. Switch to ocean waves and return to floor. Wonder how many calories you’ve burned since you started to relax.
7. Listen to the primal sounds of the sea. Imagine yourself one with the ocean, gently floating, bobbing, drifting away from your troubles, away from the shore, floating away from…. Oh my God you’re drowning, you can’t breathe, you hear chimes. Could you be dead? No. A Jehovah’s Witness is at the door.
8. Decide what you really need is some herbal tea and aromatherapy. You’re all out, so you drive downtown to CHAKRAS “R” US.
9. Relish the shop’s soothing ambiance — crystals everywhere, scented candles and incense, the mellifluous sounds of sitar and flute. Take a slow, deep breath and cherish the knowledge that all is well with the world. Learn you’re allergic to patchouli.
10. Fill cart with eucalyptus oil, semi-wild ginseng, organic rice cakes, anti-radiation shields, a do-it-yourself-acupuncture kit, and a copy of the best-selling “Bliss Is From Solitude, Stress Is From Men.” While your purchases are being processed, grab a “Couple’s Massager,” just in case.
11. On your way out, collide with a shopping cart piled high with meditation tapes. Exchange choice words with “mellow” New-Ager.
12. Return home, hunt for matches, light lemon-scented candles, and start a John Tesh CD. Brew chamomile tea. Scald tongue with tea.
13. Peruse course catalogue from Holistic Vital Force Renewal and Emerging Spiritual Consciousness Learning and Humanistic Wellness Center.
14. Try to decide which course would be most helpful — Awakening Your True Transformational Self Within Through Toenail Therapy and Micro-Cranial Stimulation? Self-Care, Self-Help, Self-Awareness, Self-Visualization And The Angelic I? Decide to enroll in The Tao Of Conga Drumming On The Far Side Of Ecstasy … until you see the price.
15. Conclude that what you really need is a mantra. Something like: NoooooooooooooooooooMooooooooooooooooreNewAge.
claudia said:
haha…so good madeleine…almost rolling on the floor with laughing…thanks for this… it’s just terrible what happened in boston…. just said in a comment that i haven’t had yet the heart to watch the news cause i was afraid they would show pictures and i just couldn’t stand it..
Madeleine Begun Kane said:
Thanks so much, Claudia. I’m really glad to hear it made you laugh.
charityv said:
cracked me up!
tigerbrite said:
Sometimes satire says more about the writer than that which they criticise:)
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Nice to hear from Berlin. Here in the far north we have still not seen to much spring. Still there is some dirty snow left… but spring is on it’s way.
claudia said:
ugh…snow even… hope that spring will soon reach norway as well
charlesmashburn said:
Spring is well sprung in east central Texas, and I already have half a dozen (or more) tomatoes on the vine, and jalapenos are getting bigger every day.
As you will see by my entry, love is also in the air, but it never goes out of season around our house.
The poem is an older one, and I actually turned it into a story for Kellie Elmore’s Free Write Friday last week. That’s the first time I’ve done that; normally, I turn stories into poems.
There’s a link to the story version at the bottom of the page for those who might like to read it.
Happy spring to all, and happy travels to you, Claudia! Enjoy!
claudia said:
tomatoes already…oh wow…over here spring is so late that i’m still waiting for the cherry trees to blossom… the whole vegetation is like 3-4 weeks behind… today was a wonderful spring day though… enjoyed every single second..
charlesmashburn said:
Yes’m. I planted early this year and got away with it. Had a few cold nights, but it never froze, and I’m way ahead of the game this year!
claudia said:
hmmm…is there something better than a still sun-warm, fresh plucked tomato…
charlesmashburn said:
Nope!
Tony Maude said:
Hi folks, and thanks Claudia for tending the bar this week. No link from me again this week; my muse isn’t co-operating. Spring looks like it might be just around the corner in my part of Scotland: there’s only a little snow left on the hills and the daffodils are finally coming out. Everything seems to be 4-6 weeks later than last year.
Speaking of last year; this time last year I was lying in a hospital bead fighting for my life after a brain haemorrhage. Events like that, and yesterday’s news from Boston, tend to put things into perspective.
claudia said:
yes, they definitely do put things into perspective…and help us to re-think priorities as well
Tony Maude said:
Seems very quiet around here today. Was it something we said?
Hope you are enjoying Berlin … smiles
claudia said:
maybe it’s grace because my muscles ache so much and i can’t run around too quickly..so enjoying the slow pace tonite..smiles
Mary said:
Ha, Tony, my muse didn’t co-operate today either. Those muses can be annoying sometime.
Victoria C. Slotto said:
So glad you are finally getting a taste of spring, Claudia. Have fun in Berlin. I’m looking forward to visiting some great poems later in the day…tomorrow for those of you in many other time zones!
claudia said:
just coming from your place, enjoyed your sestina
PoppySilver said:
Have a lovely time!
claudia said:
thanks poppy
Robbie Pruitt said:
Excited to join you all today on National Poetry Month!
claudia said:
smiles…yes… a whole month of poetry, i wished they’d make it international
Martin Shone said:
Hello and thank you 🙂 Only a haiku tonight, sleep time soon… zzzzzzz
claudia said:
smiles…sleep well…bedtime for me as well now..
Felipe Adan Lerma said:
looks like i’m in, thanks ya’ll 😉
claudia said:
great! will visit tomorrow as i can’t keep my eyes open any more..got up at 4 this morning to catch the flight and now 11 something pm here but feels like after midnite…smiles…see you tomorrow poets..have fun out on the trail..
Mary said:
Claudia, you have done well to be here this long. Sleep well, my friend.
heidi said:
Particularly nice intro tonight, Claudia.
claudia said:
thanks heidi…
Yousei Hime said:
Woohoo! Found my way back and left a link. 😀
claudia said:
hey, good to see you…
Yousei Hime said:
Very good to be back.
brian miller said:
hullo….
smiles.
have a good evening friends.
and glad all is well in berlin.
run into any talking swans?
ha
smiles.
Heaven (@asweetlust) said:
Have a good evening Brian ~ Smiles ~
Beth Winter said:
Smiles
claudia said:
smiles…oh he had quite a lot to tell you know…
festivalking said:
Hi Brian! what’s up? Don’t see your link on blenza…
Cheers!
darkangelwrites said:
Greetings Claudia and happy OLN everyone. I like this idea of connecting. I just realized that my poetry connects me with myself. The stuff shoved to the back, tucked away and brushed off comes front and center when pen hits paper. Thanks for the mini self realization session. 😀
Mary said:
Hi Everyone, so glad to see people here tonight. I had intended to pop in, but I was out and about on one of the few good days we have had here lately.
I too like the idea of connecting, with each other and with ourselves as well. Poetry does that.
Tino said:
A massive thankyou for tending the bar, even when away from home. I am not sure I could be that conscientious, its a credit to you and your commitment to this place and those who frequent it is to be commended.
Mary said:
I agree, Tino. That takes a lot of dedication, I think, when one should perhaps be simply enjoying one’s travels.
Sabio Lantz said:
I have always been looking forward to you sharing German poems, Claudia. And perhaps having you educate us in them. I so wished this had been YOUR translation, however. I would have been fascinating to read your approach.
I wondered how it would be to translate Eichendorff: so I made 3 attempts here. If you have time (maybe on returning from Berlin) you could correct my mistakes. (I shan’t be posting on Mr. Linky)
Thank you for introducing Eichendorff. I’d love to see more on German poetry should you ever care to post on it. Have you written many poems in German, or have you ever written on this site why you choose to write in English? (which you do superbly)
claudia said:
when i started my blog, i didn’t think about poetry at all, then discovered some poets on the web, all writing in english, so that was the reason why i started writing in english as well…i’ve written a few german poems for friends that i performed at their birthday parties though…smiles
tigerbrite said:
Thank you Claudia
Beth Winter said:
Happy OLN! I’m a bit late but I have to have my time here to wind down and read.
marilyncavicchia said:
Happy OLN to all! A nonsensical poem for NaPoWriMo, Day 16.
Mary said:
I haven’t had time to write anything for this week. This has been an extremely busy time for me. First time in ages I have missed Open Link. I will try to read some tomorrow anyway just because I enjoy…
claudia said:
i was already wondering…hope things calm down soon for you mary
myrthryn said:
Good evening to all the little things and the grand poets…
Ravenblack said:
I haven’t got any poem, but I’ll visit some people’s blogs anyway since apparently readers are always in demand.
claudia said:
this is so nice raven…thank you…
festivalking said:
Hi guys! Glad I could be here tonight..
Cheers!
Susan said:
I could listen to you ruminate and recite poetry all night. Mine is a little uncomfortable, streaming through a remote moment, thinking about the seeming equality of moments appearing on Facebook, etc.
charityv said:
I miss Berlin. I was there a few years back. The flower filled window boxes, the wine, and the people were wonderful.
Enjoy!
Mary said:
Oh, I would LOVE to see Berlin. I will put it on my ‘bucket list.’
Samuel Peralta / Semaphore said:
Happy OLN, Claudia, and to all!
….My contribution is a new poem, “Noir”, just published today in the literary arts magazine (print and digital) ‘Poets & Artists’. It’s a collaborative poem with the artist Josephine Lipuma, who included an image of me as a voodoo priest / shaman in her artwork. 😉
Thus, my link is to that magazine page – no comments needed, I hope the poem works for you!
claudia said:
good morning… slept like a bear and about to catch up in a bit…smiles
Mary said:
I hope you have a good day, Claudia.
heidi said:
The first night that my sweetie-pies have let me sleep in a week and i have insomnia. Thought I would link a little lasagna history this early morning. It will be repeat for some of you. Have a great day!
Sleepshort Thailand said:
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks.
Thanks for hosting too.
Imelda said:
Happy lovely spring day. 🙂
claudia said:
smiles…happy lovely spring day to you as well.. just about to close the pub doors and hand the keys to anna for mtb