Hello poets and welcome to Poetics…
As another year approaches, it is sometimes difficult to maintain hope for what lies ahead, though hope defined is really something of our own making. We can always have hope. We can always have dreams. This world we live in has progressed in countless ways but has also taken regressive steps, in my opinion regarding humanity. Often my poetry tends to dip into the dark. For me, the words flow from what I see as an obvious truth, a direction that our society has taken, without hesitation or contemplation.
I am moved by Rumi as he strongly portrays us as universal, as one life breath.
Only Breath
Rumi
Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
Buddhist, Sufi, or Zen.
Not any religion
or cultural system.
I am not from the East
or the West, not out of the ocean or up
from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
composed of elements at all.
I do not exist,
am not an entity in this world or in the next,
did not descend from Adam and Eve or any
origin story.
My place is placeless, a trace
of the traceless. Neither body or soul.
I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
worlds as one and that one call to and know,
first, last, outer, inner, only that
breath breathing human being.
I would also like to share this poem written by Joy Harjo, recently appointed the honour of being the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate. A beautiful rendering as she draws from her indigenous culture with vivid imagery.
Once the World Was Perfect
Joy Harjo
Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world.
Then we took it for granted.
Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind.
Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head.
And once Doubt ruptured the web,
All manner of demon thoughts
Jumped through—
We destroyed the world we had been given
For inspiration, for life—
Each stone of jealousy, each stone
Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light.
No one was without a stone in his or her hand.
There we were,
Right back where we had started.
We were bumping into each other
In the dark.
And now we had no place to live, since we didn’t know
How to live with each other.
Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another
And shared a blanket.
A spark of kindness made a light.
The light made an opening in the darkness.
Everyone worked together to make a ladder.
A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world,
And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children,
And their children, all the way through time—
To now, into this morning light to you.
Joy Harjo wikipedia.com
Do you ever wish you could just wave a magic wand, eliminate everything that creates havoc, unrest, uncertainty, injustice? I do.
Today I am asking you to do the same. Dream with me. For this prompt, create and describe a “new world” as you envision it. You can write from a general perspective or focus on one particular scene in your new world. Try, if you can to avoid a specific political view. This ol’ world has been a bit lost for awhile now. The sky’s the limit. Maybe your world doesn’t have a sky. Maybe we live in the sky. Keep it simple or take us to Utopia.
Here’s how to join in:
-
- Write a poem in response to the prompt and post it on your blog/website.
- Click on Mr. Linky. Enter your name and direct url to your poem.
- Provide a link to dverse so that others can locate us.
- Leave a comment here to say hello.
- Read and comment on others work. Check back later for more.
- Share via social media if you’d like.
- Have fun!
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) said:
Hello all… I was really caught in the fact that we lost our selves when we took the world for granted which inspired my own poem.
Mish said:
We do take the world for granted, then wonder what we’ve done to it.
As always, I appreciate you opening the pub up for me. 🙂
lillian said:
Love this prompt! Currently down in the laundry room (which is not utopia) so will read here and glow more when done!
Mish said:
Hi Lillian. My laundry room is far from utopia too. Sipping on tea, finally home from work. Looking forward to reading your poem.
kim881 said:
God evening all! Thank you for hosting and for a prompt that took me by the hand and led me somewhere – and I had no idea where it would end up! I’m posting and running again, and will be back tomorrow to read and comment.
Mish said:
Love it when that happens! Thanks for joining in, Kim. 🙂
kim881 said:
🙂
msjadeli said:
Hello Mish and All. I love the poem by Joy Harjo and how it deconstructs the world to the place before the discontent and its ilk entered our paradise. Dreams bring hope so thank you for the prompt, Mish. A cup of hot rooibos tea with unsweetened almond milk please if you have any behind the bar today.
Frank Hubeny said:
Thanks for hosting, Mish. I submitted one hoping it fits the theme.
Mish said:
I’m sure it does, Frank. Will be by soon. 🙂
Xan said:
Thanks for the lovely prompt, Mish! I hope mine answers it. When someone says “utopia” and “hope” my brain goes immediately to my garden.
Mish said:
I think all the answers to life are in the garden. 🙂
calmkate said:
lol you’ve been reading my fictional series, I’ve been mapping out a utopia in an ongoing way with team work and community connection! A bit like the one happening here on d’Verse, even your name lends itself … may have to weave you into it.
See if I can do a poem but it wont do justice to your examples above 🙂
Mish said:
Oh my goodness, you have me intrigued!! 🙂
calmkate said:
the Justice Jedi series … but my poem inspired by your prompt is very different 🙂
Mish said:
Hello everyone, home from the grind and happy to enter the world of poetry. Can’t wait to read about your worlds or wherever this prompt takes you. 🙂
Roslyn Ross said:
I am an avid reader of history and one thing is certain, humans have been bemoaning the state of the world for millennia, and indeed, fearing the worst.
Generally though, things work out and we need to hold in mind that at this point in history, for all of its flaws, more people live with greater freedom and a better quality of life than ever before in recorded history.
Rob Kistner said:
Thank you for hosting Mish. Wrote a little SciFi love poem for the prompt.
Linda Lee Lyberg said:
Hello Mish- Thank you for hosting. Joining in this morning.
pvcann said:
Many thanks for hosting Mish, a great invitation.
Frank J. Tassone said:
Good Evening, Poets! Thanks, Mish, for this contemplative prompt!