Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure and visit Heidi at my juicy little universe for Roundup.
First, an Election Day poem (first published by Scholastic's Storyworks magazine in 2012) I like to share every voting cycle:
Election Day
Sift through promises,
replay interviews;
step inside the booth.
Forget scripted speeches
and candy-wrapped slogans.
Weigh again each pro
and con. Remember
the teeming world,
its people who dream
of freedom—
so many denied
the right to decide.
Read the names,
imagine a future;
make the best choice.
In the space between breaths
your voice is heard
without a word.
- Irene Latham
....and now, my latest—and final!—Picasso poem as part of my ArtSpeak: Animals project. (I'll be back next week with non-Picasso animal art-poetry. :)
Friends, I had a hard time with this one. Doves, peace, olive branches are all so cliche! How to make fresh?
I wrote a bunch of versions, and decided to share a yin/yang duo, as I did last week with Picasso's sweet, prancing pig.
This first (darker?) one makes me think of the fortunes we unfold from fortune cookies that are more like truisms than fortunes? See what you think.
Look, an olive branch!
For dove's wings are not enough
to sway the faithless
- Irene Latham
...and now, take 27! It too can be read quite darkly...hmmm....
Thanks so much for reading.
sun tattoos dove's wings
with a thousand words for peace
only sky can taste
- Irene Latham
Both are so thought provoking, definitely fresh takes on doves and olive branches :). Have enjoyed your Picasso animals poems, and thanks for sharing your Election Day poem again. *fingers crossed*
ReplyDeleteYour time with Picasso has been a joy to read (& see), Irene. I like that you've done a few doubles recently. The "skyward" idea is intriguing, a loss? And I love the election poem, so much worry during this one. Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteOooh! I like both dove poems! And hooray for voting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your Election Day poem, Irene. Both dove poems are thought-provoking, and fresh.
ReplyDeleteOoh, snap. Both of these poems have a little sting. None of us are paying attention to the message of the dove but the sky; those who ought to have minded are more convinced by the olive branch.
ReplyDeleteOh, we of little sense.
Both of these worked really well.
Irene, your yin yang thoughts make me ponder. I like your fresh perspectives and of course, your Election Poem. I am looking forward to voting. The ads are tiring. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not all sunshine and daisies this year, for sure. The doves know. Thoughtful poems, thank you - and your voting poem is timeless, so keep bringing it out as needed! xo
ReplyDeletePoor Dove gets a bad rap… Two probing poems and a good challenge! I really like the second even with the sting–tell that sky to scatter some of those peace-filled words below. And thanks for your rallying Vote poem too!
ReplyDeleteIrene, your voting poem encapsulates the vital necessity to enter the process informed and prepared. The very health of a democracy depends on the willingness of its citizens to participate in the voting process. Actions matter. Your Picasso poems provoke further thought. You have sparked much thought with your post. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI think you've found a next great title in your last lines...both beautiful and thought provoking. I want to be a dove, now.
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm enjoying about this post, Irene, is the reminder of your range as a poet. You've managed to address the beginners and the older-wisers in these three poems, all with a pointed deftness that carries respect for the reader and for the read-about. May I share your Election Day poem on Facebook? It just brings things down to the bare essential.
ReplyDeleteOof. That second one. Thank you for this incredible string of Picasso-poeming!
ReplyDeleteOh, that second one. Delectable. And your election poem is terrific. I'm so glad you share it every time!
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that by forcing yourself away from the cliche, you came upon deeper truths.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you share that election poem in every cycle. I think you found the fresh approach, for sure. Sometimes we need the darkness to wake up and work toward the light.
ReplyDeleteIrene, I'm so glad to see your voting poem! And that first dove poem ... oof. I felt that one. I love it. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDelete