On Poetry

A friend of mine decided to do a poetry challenge on Facebook, which is that someone gives you a poet and you share a poem you love/like by them. She was given Silverstein, and posted “Hug O’ War.” I liked her post and so she gave me a poet to post. Now, I know some poetry, but nearly as much as I would like. I like some Thoreau, Cummings, Whitman, Dickinson. And I know Poe, Frost, and Shakespeare, of course, along with others we had to learn/read in school. And I love Shel Silverstein, as most who’ve been children in this recent era do.

I have a book of Dickinson and a book of Thoreau at home, and love occasionally taking time to just sit and slowly read through some of their pages, letting the words seep in. I have, of course, read much Shakespeare thanks to school and being part of drama departments.

For the challenge, I was given E.E. Cummings.

I thought it’d be hard to find one I liked, and I even started to search Google to read through some and pick one out. Then I remembered I keep this one on me most of the time. I saw it about a year ago somewhere online, and it is so perfect. It is a redirect, a prayer of thanksgiving, a recognition of the amazing world around me, and a reminder of how amazing each day is. It is my favorite by him. Even though I haven't read all there is from him, I find it hard to imagine this one being displaced.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Even if you don't love it like I do, don't you find it encouraging?

I think poetry is one of the best things for expressing emotion. Not that other types of writing can't or don't do that, but poetry seems to capture the way my mind thinks in lines that sometimes seem (or are) disconnected while still communicating an overall direction of emotion(s). I love that each line can be an independent thought, or that it can intersect with others to make a larger thought, depending on how it's written and how you're thinking. In the poem above I love the parenthetical phrases that are like the unspoken thoughts in the mind of the writer. I love how it flows and includes questions and an epiphany. The honesty, and wonder, and amazement.

Inspiring and uplifting.

I hate goals.

I don't really go in for Goals for the Year. The years I've thought about it, I only take on a couple and most of them deal with physical appearance, or personal Bible study. These are not bad things - but I put so much pressure on myself that I paralyze myself and the goal sputters out. I fail every time. I don't fail completely - I meet the goal for a while, or to a certain extent, but I never reach the entire goal I set for myself.

With that in mind, last year, I set NOT ONE GOAL. It was really nice. That's not to say I don't have goals in my life, but I didn't have a "new years resolution" or anything that resembled it.

This year, I'm part of a wonderful group of ladies who is setting goals for 3 months - Jan-Mar 2014 to stick by. Many of us are setting goals for the year, but knowing that the accountability is to see it through to March. Some are about activities, some are about not watching TV, some are about doing more things intentionally with their kids. It's seriously awesome to be part of this group - I've only met one of them IRL, and we are all in different life stages for one reason or another, but I feel like we are all on the same page. It's wonderful.

I have a few goals, but my number one goal is this: Bible reading/study. To be more diligent (much more). I plan to just READ the Word. To let God speak to me and not expect anything. My goal is to read (at minimum)15 minutes per day. I refuse to pressure myself into the goal of how much of the Bible to read this year, but ONLY because I know how it effects my sustainability and my focus, as well as the feeling that it's daunting. I've read the whole Bible in a year, and I think if I focus differently (at least 15 min per day), it'll get me further.

I read so much outside the Bible. Anyone who talks to me for very long at all knows that I LOVE books. They are more than an escape, they are... rejuvenating, educational, encouraging, an emotional outlet, friends. When I have free time, it's one of the very first things I can't wait to do. I will stay up far too late reading, easily, and often.

Why don't I read the stories God has given me the same way?

They are far more uplifting, educational, rejuvenating, emotional, and filled to the absolute top with the Love of my Creator.

That's why my main goal, which will inform and help the others succeed is to spend more time just reading the words my amazing God has given me freely.

Goal: set. Bring it on.