We are in the middle of seeding, and with the weather being less than optimal (I know, it’s NEVER perfect for farmers!) it has taken a week longer than we would have liked. Today should be the LAST day.
It got me thinking, as I was driving around feeding the guys on their air seeders, about our poetry. What if our poetry could be a ‘seed’. What would we want it to ‘grow’?
Words have power, poets have known this since the first people’s started sharing tales and teachings through song, and into the bardic tradition where the bard could tell the King what no one else could.
Words have power, but like seeds, we don’t often get to see what goes on beneath the surface and can only observe what is growing after it comes out of the soil.
For Poetics I would like you, my poets dear, to imagine your words as seeds.
Can we really grow change or awareness? Can our words be a warning or wake-up call? Maybe what we are growing is intimacy, a poem meant for an audience of one. Or perhaps it is prayerful and seeks the Divine?
I have a few poems that have gone around which shook people up and inspired others. Some were written with a degree of ‘in the moment’ heat and others were carefully crafted for a reaction from a certain audience.
Each one ‘seeded’ into ground – will it come up? Will it wither away? Be a bumper crop or a sticky weed?
I’d love to see something new, but if you have an older piece to add that was your first ‘seed’ poem please feel free to share as well.
Here is one of mine:
How Many Stand Silent?
How many stand silent,
Watching as you quietly die?
How many stand silent,
Watching as you are abused?
One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if no one spoke for any of us?
Would you speak if the hand raised,
was raised against you and yours?
How many stand silent,
Knowing who deals death
Just beyond their door?
How many stand slient,
Knowing cruelty lives and thrives
Just beyond their door?
One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if no one looked at any of us?
Would you cry out or would you cower away,
if the cruelty was coming through your door?
How many stand silent,
Waiting for someone to speak?
How many stand silent,
Believing the lies, “I’ve changed”?
One, a dozen, the whole world.
What if we stopped believing them?
How many stand silent…
How many stand silent waiting for…
Just one person to say, “Stop! Enough!”?
How many stand silent…
How many stand silent waiting for…
Someone else to make the world change?
copyright Shanyn Silinski 2010
The photo I took yesterday could have been a ‘fail’ but I really like the rainbow through the rain spotted glass…we just don’t know when something can become more. Sometimes we just need to give it a chance to grow!
If you are new, let me tell you how this works:
- Write a poem to the prompt and post it to your website/blog
- Click the Mr. Linky button below and enter your name and direct URL to the poem
- There you will find others that have joined in with a poem…the prompt stays open 33 hours, so check back often to catch up with other poets.
- If you use social media, add the tag #dversepoets or @dversepoets so we can find you and help promote you.
- Mingle…plant a seed…have fun
dVerse 
i was telling someone just the other day, i think it was victoria, that there is little more spiritual to me than putting your hands to creation and planting seed…this was fun shanyn…hope your own seeding goes well…look forward to seeing what pops up, out of peoples planted words today…
Oh I do love that connection with the earth, and life, through working in the soil. This should be fun! 🙂
in your verse as well i like the warning to use our words where need and not stand silent by knowing death is being dealt….
Thanks Brian. That is one thing I cannot abide by is that silent assent. There is nothing worse than knowing someone knows and that they would rather be safe themselves in silence than offer you hope of help. You know that too I’m sure!
i always find sowing something so magical.. and then to see how the seeds sprout and flowers, plants or trees are growing.. sowing words has its own magic as well and we will never exactly know what grows from our poetry…smiles
i think that is where the magic is…we never know the full extent of where our words will touch….
The mystery of seeding when you don’t have a package – what grows is as much a surprise as anything! 🙂
What a great prompt, I suppose, in a way, every poem sows a seed from our heart, and then we just have to sit back and watch it grow.
Looking forward to seeing what others have planted!
it is that patience the seeds are always teaching me…ha…
That’s the thing about seeds – you can’t dig them up to see what they are doing. You have to just let them grow and watch as they emerge!
sometimes they could hurry up a bit…ha…. smiles
I really like the prompt … and I will come back to comment later… I’m currently in a workshop in Silicon Valley… quite different from seeding. So the pacific timezone is so different.
Oh, you’re just over the mountain, Bjorn. Come on over!
I’m leaving tomorrow evening again… these business trips tend to be short.
have a safe trip back björn
You are almost close enough for a visit! 🙂 Well closer than when you are home I guess – ha ha Glad you are on this side of the pond, will look for you later!
ha. used to have to travel to the pacific coast…dont envy the traffic that is for sure…when you need traffic lights on the entrance ramps to the interstate, you have a problem…smiles.
yes – i had those on my way to work when i stayed in california and like 6-8 lanes in one direction… freaked me out a bit…oy… smiles
The traffic is one reason we moved out of the Bay Area.
Such a great prompt, Shanyn. My last few days have been consumed with gardening and writing garden poems, but this is a new one!
I miss having a garden! Maybe do some containers this weekend. 🙂
smiles.. at the moment i just have a balcony that isn’t even my own…though i do lots and lots of sowing….smiles
Hi, Shanyn and friends. I was inspired by Shanyn’s prompt, but came up with one of my dark, gritty city poems. Thank you, netootam. 🙂
Hmmmmm. now i’m curious Joe, gotta go see what you came up with!
smiles… my brain has this over-night thing at times.. looking forward to what you’re coming up with
Despite my lack of green fingers, I do love seeding and watching things take root, germinate and grow. I may have taken your prompt a little too literally, though…
I’m sure it is awesome! 🙂
Excellent post and poem–I may have a go at it.
Please do! Would love to see what you sow!
I think mine’s a bit off track–sort of forgot about “seeding”, and got caught up by what you wrote, Shanyn….may have to refocus, write a new one. I get so nervous about dVerse–color me neurotic!
will be looking for you, if you do…smiles.
Thank you so much–I really liked your entry!
Hmmmm love it when you let things steep over night! Can’t wait to see what you share!
I am peeking in on you all at work here, and I’ll be back later to see, read and comment. If I’m late getting to you it is because I am feeding the crew in the fields for what should be their last night of seeding – if we don’t get rain! Thanks in advance for your patience – I may be late but I WILL get to each one!
Great prompt, Shanyn and I loved your poem. Sometimes, we act as if our lips have been sewn together. Fear of standing out, fear of speaking our mind, fear of being different – it’s a terrible/great motivator. Thank you for being our kindly and inspiring host this evening!
hola freya…there can def be fear in standing out…or being the one to draw attention…and it often comes with pain too…those that wont like it…
lot of sad truth in yours…verbal abuse…
I won’t say I have ever been verbally abused, but manipulated (when I was young and very insecure) – yes.
Awww Freya you are so sweet – thank you! 🙂 And I’m glad you liked the poem. Standing up, or standing out has dangers to be sure, but staying silent I believe can wear at the soul like acid. Especially when someone knows they should speak!
I agree with you there, Shanyn. And you’re welcome 🙂
I love the prompt! Our words certainly are seeds that can be used to grow flowers or weeds. Lately I haven’t been planting many new seeds, just too busy it seems. And my goal this summer is to refine and cultivate some of the ones I’ve already written (planted) to get them ready to publish in a book of poetry. 🙂 I’ve been missing dVerse and am glad I was able to stop by today. Peace, Linda
hope you enjoy your visit linda…
fixed your link..
Thank you. I didn’t know my link was bad. I copied and pasted but must not have gotten the whole URL. Linda
i tend to like sowing new ones more than working on what’s already planted… oy… wishing you the best for the cultivating..smiles
ok – time for some beauty sleep over here…. will catch up during breakfastd tomorrow morning…
sleep well claudia…sweet dreams…
I enjoyed the prompt, Shanyn. There is such much that can be said about seeds.
good afternoon mary….smiles.
Thanks Mary! It is true, isn’t it?
A good New England farmer plans many seeds in greenhouses, while the ground is still frozen outside. I never professed to be a good New England farmer though 🙂
Many thanks for the prompt. My challenge is always to walk the line between planting seeds and hitting my reader over the head with my own agenda. Poetry is supposed to get at the truth behind the truth, IMHO. And yet poetry can be a powerful voice for change.
🙂 oh yes poetry can be that voice – loud or quiet 🙂
And yes to starting seeds! It is a great way to anticipate spring.
about to head out to my sons baseball game….be back in a bit to read others that join in the fun….
A wonderful prompt, Shanyns…glad your seeding’s soon finished…in the fields anyway. i’m not entirely happy with my post so invite all you fellow “gardeners” to help me pull weeds, prune, or re-pot my draft (in comments on blog)…if you so desire, thanks!
gardening in comments, I like it! 🙂
Thank you for a lovely prompt Shanyn ~ I also don’t have green thumbs but I love the metaphor of seeding and our words growing as seeds ~ Happy Tuesday to all ~
🙂 Thanks Grace! Happy Tuesday to you too!
happy tuesday grace….smiles.
Grace, I loved your entry–but still can’t figure out how to comment at your blog and have it accepted….
Thank you, thank you! You have planted the seeds in me and brought forth something that I really Like. And I quite love the poem you embedded in the prompt too, Shanyn. or is it Shanyns? This poet wants to know.
yep, last name starts with S…
Shanyn with an S starting last name 🙂 And I’m so pleased this grew on you Susan! 🙂
Tripple thanks. I always prefer seeds to mold. Grin.
This sounds interesting. oh! I just posted up my new poem about this topic. “Seeds”. 🙂 Enjoy!
ha. be over in a few….smiles.
Excellent! I shall be reading, and commenting, today during lunch hour and this evening. We are DONE seeding today! Pizza party tonight! ha ha
Hurray!
Such heart warming and lovely thought Shanyn – I just finished writing and I admit it has always been an inspiration for me, probably I have written similar pieces before – but it is such a strong message that there is no harm in saying it again and again til it reaches every sphere of life.
there are def some topics and issues that resonate with us that we will talk about forever it seems abhra…
Sometimes I think we need to just keep saying it! 🙂 Glad you joined in with us.
Hey Shanyn–sweet prompt. k.
hiya k…smiles.
Thanks! 😀
good morning… coffee to my right and off to read…
good morning c…
we are passing ships…heading to bed…smiles
see you manana
Well..a seed of extreme controversy..perhaps in my Red State home of evangelical ways..might be a way to describe my post..Redeeming Power of Musick..as such..but ‘IT’316 i believe divides much of the world..so i write on..and on ..and on..;)Love the Prompt and look forward to reading and commenting more after sleep..sometime tomorrow..!
Can’t wait to see what you shared!
good morning…glad you made it back jo-hanna…ugh, what a stomach turning you woke up to today….
Thank you so much for the prompt you hosted Shanyns. Now that I’ve come to both your blog and the Dverse space,I know entirely we were meant to connect in some destiny kind of way. I have this process I’ve been working on to use poetry as an evocation to affect change in the world. (check out a recent series on my blog in the month of May in my poetic laboratory experiment #1002.) It fascinates me that the opportunity to write a chant on this topic came out of left field from your prompt, (I’ve never written or shown the poetry to any group before) I had been working on a different piece yesterday when I got an email about writing on the theme of poetry as a word-seed. I gave one link to Dverse, but then set to writing a chant (the second link I gave Dverse) specifically for the prompt because it was so perfect of a setup for me.
Your prompt, for me at least, feels like a response to that poetic evocation I wrote around the topic of Sacred Mountain a week or so ago I feel like it moved/is moving some energy that has rippled into the manifestation of both the prompt and this piece.
The experimentation I was doing before your prompt on the topic of “Sacred Mountain” was specifically targeting manifesting a powerful-force-for-Earth iteration of Monsanto. My process was this: I deliberately hooked personal emotional fuel up to three poetic articulations engaged to swing (like a pendulum) a conversation from a place/space something stands now to where I desire to be. I believe engaging emotional power in this manner with words sends some kind of toning that is recognized and animates things at a subtle level. I don’t think its magic, I do think synchronicity is heightened because I have deliberately engaged subtle level energies in the first place. I also believe ANYONE can do what I’m doing if they are clear on how the infrastructure is built and understand how to tap their own emotion effectively. That bit there, the tapping one’s own emotion effectively is at the heart of all creation to my way knowing – it’s also what I found to be the most complex to get clear on how to do – because it is so custom to each individual. When I say it’s all about following your inspiration like it is the God that it is…I mean that times a million.
I take your prompt as evidence of one way energy is being focused and funneled from far flung I wouldn’t even know to reach out and touch til they reached out and touch me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.
Love this prompt and sorry to post an older poem… but it just seemed so right! Thank you ~ happy to be back!
It fit very well! Thanks!
That was a wonderful prompt Shanyns:)…It gave me a lot to think..Hope you will enjoy it:)
Thanks for joining in!
Mine is something I wrote a while ago… sort of a poem, definitely a seed.
Very good! 🙂
Okay poets, I’ve read all and left some love. BUT my internet is being erratic – if the comment did not show up, let me know and I’ll come back with some more love! 🙂
This is a new one for me. The prompt really intrigued me.
Mine is up at: https://purplepeninportland.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/planting-words/