Who Has Seen the Wind?
by Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
Only about 5% of the universe is visible matter. There are many things that we cannot see but that exist nonetheless. Dark matter, radio waves, emotions, gravity, magnetism, love, time, thoughts. There are magical things that we cannot see, yet we believe they exist, like souls and the realm of spirits and fairies.
Welcome to Poetics, my friends! I am Jilly, your host for this edition of Poetics. Imagine with me now that you can see those unseen things. Let your poetic muse (another of those unseen things) inspire your writing. What would you discover if you could see time, the workings of angels, or a child’s imagination? Consider the things whose existence is certain but that we cannot see.
Write a poem that explores what you would see and experience.
Enjoy this haunting version of “Over the Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy and Happy Writing!
New to dVerse? Here’s the way to join us!
* Write a poem based on the prompt.
* Click on Mr. Linky below. Enter your name and direct URL to your poem.
* Provide a link to dVerse so that your readers can find us and participate. Feel free to share on social media sites as well.
* Leave a comment here.
* Read and comment on other poets’ work. Be sure to check back later for more, as the prompt will be open until Thursday, August 9, 3 pm EST.
Have fun, y’all!
“I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” Psalm 57:1 NIV
dVerse 
Welcome to Poetics! I trust you are all having a great week and I look forward to reading your brilliant words! The bar is open and the ice-cold drinks are flowing, my friends.
Oh hand me some ice-cold beer… I really feel like that despite the fact it’s tuesday…
Sliding a cold one your way! Think I’ll join you 🙂
Afternoon, Jilly! I’m down for red sangria! You can have your weather back, by the way! 🙂
I took a different twist with the prompt. Enjoy!
Looking forward to reading while I mix up a cool sangria for you!
My car thermometer registered a cool 100 when I left work today 🙂
I love all the ways you can give abstract or invisible matters a form… I think this is at its core what poets try to do…
How very true!
Good evening, Jill and dVerse poets! The evenings have already started to draw in and we are expecting thunderstorms tonight with a temperature drop tomorrow, although it is very humid at the moment. Thank you for the interesting prompt, Jill – I can’t wait to see what everyone has made of it..
Looking forward to reading what you’ve shared, Kim. I would be glad to send some extra heat in your direction!
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Hi Jilly! A COLD gin and tonic here, please as my pre-dinner libation. About 95 degrees and humid here. Boston is in the midst of a heat wave☹️😜
Company coming to dinner – will hit the reading trail tomorrow AM😊
One ice cold G&T and allow me to slide that AC down a couple of degrees for you. Enjoy your evening!
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Ah, that is a very interesting prompt. Let me see if I can brew something up.
And that Eva Cassidy’s rendition is one of the most beautiful things in the universe. Her Autumn Leaves, in particular, leaves me breathless. 🙂
Look forward to what you brew 🙂 I agree about Eva Cassidy – Autumn Leaves is my favorite song and I love her rendering, too.
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Great prompt, Jilly! I had a little clunkiness with the execution of this one but that’s all the time I could give it. Can’t wait to read the other entries later tonight! ~NS
So glad you joined in!
Thanks for posting this rendition of over the rainbow, next level interpretation. So sad to hear she died so young.
Glad to introduce you to the songbird of Cassidy.
Nice prompt, though I may have been a little concrete. It’s been a long day…
Look forward to it! (Long day here, too.)
Thank you for posting Christina Rossetti. We were taught some of her poetry in primary school, Remember being my favourite of all.
I still have the children’s book with my first version of it. It smells of innocence and wildness.
Barkeep! Hail and greetings and all that medieval jargon! (No reason; just felt the need to be poetic.) A Scotch if you will, non-buttered. I love the prompt. Dropped something in a while ago. Now to read (clapping his hands and rubbing them together as if he’d just ridden from London through a frosty, misty morn)!
I have a nice 15 year Balvenie that you’re going to love!
Almost legal age! Lol It sounds wonderful.
One of my absolutely favorite renditions of “Over the Rainbow.” It did make me wonder, this evening’s recording having been relatively close to her passing, whether she knew by then that she was dying. Her loss, beyond the personal devastation to her loved ones, was an immense loss to the music world. Now I’ll go do some prompt-responding … ‘See’ you soon! Na’ama
Her voice does have such a touch of melancholy in the recordings from that evening. Look forward to reading your work!
Thank you! Yes, that’s very true about the recordings of that evening — it was, I believe, her last recorded live show. Just left my little contribution. Check comments (had some technical glitches with Mr. Linky for whatever reason, though maybe it went through there, too). Na’ama
I just tried to leave my contribution to this prompt with Mr. Linky but for some reason in froze and I’m not sure if it worked out. When I refreshed my name wasn’t there but when I tried it gave an error message and said it’s ‘processing.’ In any event, let me know, and I’m attaching it here, too, just in case.
Lovely prompt idea!
https://naamayehuda.com/2018/08/07/long-unseen/
There’s been several tech glitches today, but no worries, your link is in place. I’ll be stopping by in just a bit; can’t wait!!
🙂 I figured it was one of those mercury-in-retrograde things … 🙂 Did not take it personally, no worries!
I enjoyed this opportunity to write of deeper experiences of seen and unseen realities. Thank you for the inspiration.
So glad you joined in! I’ll be swinging by in just a bit.
Happy to join in today. I went with something a little different. What a fun prompt, Jilly! Will be linking soon and reading this week.
Hugs!
Welcome Bekkie! So glad you are joining in 🙂
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Fun prompt tonight, thanks Jilly! Fit with my mood today – cloudy, teetering on full force storms.
Glad it worked with your mood. We have hot, hot, hot and a much needed break from summer storms. Look forward to reading!
Wow, Jilly you hit the nail on the head with this popular prompt. Mine has a naughty little story to it. I’ve gotta have an ultra sound. Nop, I’m past the age of childbearing but my cheeky doctor pointed out one of it’s uses. To which I was quick to reply with more ordinary words than the poem. But hey, I take my poems from everywhere. Enjoy.
https://benitakape.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/phantom-lover/
Great story!
I’m doing a course out of IOWA at the moment on writing on the margins. And that is exactly what I have done, extended it into a 5/600 word story for that 😉
This was a great prompt to jump back into dVerse with, thanks Jilly!
Glad to see you here, my friend!
+1 on the prompt Jilly. Lots of fun. Look to forward to a good read later this evening.
Glad you enjoy the prompt. I’ll be by to read later; off to work this morning. 🙂
I’m always late with these. 🙂 Great prompt, Jilly. I love that Eva Cassidy version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Honestly, I love every version of that song, but this is haunting. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you’ve joined in! I’ll be by to read soon 🙂
Did not have time to write a poem in response to this prompt, so I decided to manipulate time in order to play. Beautiful prompt Jilly, it overpowered all my previous plans. Never saw it coming. Will be back to read on Thursday. Thank you. Lona.
Intriguing! Must read before times runs out! 🙂
Like Merril I am always late with these prompts because no matter how often I sign up the notifications never land in my inbox – that aside this is such a thought-provoking prompt it took me quite a while to concretise so hats off to all the preceding writers and thank you Jilly for provoking my imagination
If I have provoked your imagination, then my work is done! I’ll be by to read shortly.
Hello Jill- Thanks for the wonderful prompt! Will be posting very soon…
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Hello dear poets, I am late linking up. I’ll be around to read.
Welcome!
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Better late than never.
Really great prompt btw. For me, a definite keeper for future use.
Glad you are here! I’ll be by to read this evening 🙂
My goodness, Jilly! You hit the jackpot in terms of responses to your wonderful prompt! I have only 2+ hours until I’m on board hosting OLN (which always has a lot of posts just by it’s nature) and I am almost done reading posts to this prompt. I fear I must stop about 5 short as I need to get some things done before 3 today! LOVEd this prompt and enjoyed so so many of the responses to it.
See you as we change shifts! 🙂
Will hand the reins over at 3. I will finish reading these wonderful poems late tonight. This is Meet the Teacher Night at my school. 150 hs seniors coming my way! Whew!