For all of you Poetry Friday folks, I have to tell you about this retreat that I am SO excited about:Dive Into Poetry Retreat with Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Friday, June 10, 2011 - Sunday, June 12, 2011
Center for New Beginnings, Dahlonega, Georgia 30533
Sponsored by Southern Breeze SCBWI
and arranged by the lovely Robyn Hood Black
manuscript critique is included with registration! (Must be RECEIVED no later than April 25, 2011)
For more info, please see page 7 of this newsletter
REGISTER HERE
I hope some of you can make it -- it's going to be fantastic! And how fun would it be to meet some of you??
On the theme of invitations, I have two invitation poems to share. They have each had a huge impact on my life, albeit at very different times.
The first, from childhood:
Invitation
If you are a dreamer, come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er. a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...
If you're a pretender, come sit by the fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!
-Shel Silverstein
The second, as I entered adulthood. I still keep this one pinned to my bulletin board:
Invitation
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
rest of poem here
- Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Anyone else have an "invitation" poem to share? I'd love to hear about it. And don't forget to visit Doraine at Dori Reads for Roundup!
Thank you for the retreat shout-out, Irene! And I love both poems you shared above - thanks for those, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for inviting us to share these poems with you, Irene! The only other invitation poem I can remember right now is "Invitation to Love" by Paul Laurence Dunbar.
ReplyDeleteOh, the thought of meeting you and others in Georgia to write poetry fills me with warmth on this cold day. I wish it could be in the cards. Hopefully some other time...
ReplyDeletethanks for all the invitations -- also full of warmth!
I posted the newsletter workshop info on my blog, with links and such:
ReplyDeletehttp://robynhoodblack.com/blog.htm?post=770428
Would love to have you all!
Heavens. That last poem is shivery! Love it. Thanks so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteI also have to tell you that I would so love to go to a poetry retreat. What a dream. I am so early on in my dreaming that I am not sure I have the bravery to ask my husband what he thinks about the idea.
The second invitation poem is phenomenal. Thanks so much for sharing it! ♥
ReplyDeleteLots to ponder in that second poem.
ReplyDeleteNice invitations, Irene. I'm so excited about the poetry retreat. I look forward to being there with some of our Poetry Friday friends. And, thanks for your help with the link thing.
ReplyDeleteIrene, I've never read that second poem...but I love it. Thank you. I'm smiling too, because the first poem in my book (2012) is called "Invitation" too!
ReplyDeleteHaving been lucky enough to attend one of Rebecca's workshops at Highlights, I can't recommend this enough. I've linked to it as well...'wish it wasn't during county fair week! A.
Wow. I so rarely read poetry and yet was totally moved by those two poems. *must read more :)
ReplyDelete