Well, it’s close to Monday. Seems like Monday came a little too soon for me to make my usual deadline, so I guess this is technically Tuesday Miscellany.
The most important news is that I’ll probably be doing more workshops in the near future. The people liked what happened in the last one and they are asking for more. I may even be doing one for foster care kids and that’s one I’m really thrilled about.
I visit Daisy Day Writer’s blog SunnyRoomStudio a lot because it’s so lovely and thought provoking. On one visit I posted about the synergy of art and the written word, and that made me remember E.E. Cummings who made some of his poetry into pictures. Here’s one of my favorites where the childlike attitude toward spring is capture not only in the words, but also in the way he lets those words skip onto the page.
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame baloonman
whistles far and wee
and eddieanbill com
running from marbles and
piracies and it’s
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old baloonman whistles
far and wee
and abettyandisbelcom dancing
from hop-scotch and jum-rope and
it’s spring
and
the
goat-footed
BaloonMan
far
and
wee
Feel like playing a bit? Try creating some poetry-pictures.
Here’s an old one, more charm than poetry, but still with the rhythm of a poem and the written words in a magical form.
The word gradually expands and becomes complete, the sound of the word unfolding like a bit of magic.
C. Lee McKenzie says
What a sweetheart you are, LisaGail! I'm coming over to say hi on your blog.
Lisa Gail Green says
Your post the other day inspired me so much I wrote my own blog entry on poetry and writing and linked back to you. ;D It's because you're so awesome.
C. Lee McKenzie says
That's very sweet of you, Zaira. Really appreciate your stopping in and leaving a comment. Hope to see you again.
Zaira Rahman says
Wow this is quite an interesting blog you are running. You have the art in your writing style that grabs attention quickly and sustains it too 🙂
Lovely works…keep writing 🙂
And thanks for visiting my blog.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Does Hopkins ring a bell, Marcia? I think that was his name.
Marcia says
I used to not like poetry much, and I still struggle with some of it because it's such a compressed form. And as a child I remember being exposed to mostly doggerel. But I've developed more appreciation, especially for Wordsworth and — oh, I forget his name. The author of "Pied Beauty," which begins something like, "Glory be to God for dappled things."
C. Lee McKenzie says
As far as I know, nobody speaks Sanskrit anymore–well, an occasional word during yoga, but it's not a language of common communication. Therefore, it's pretty stable in vocabulary and syntax. If you can read the Vedas, you've pretty much got Sanskrit down. Not so with English. It's an evolving form of communication.
So I guess I should say it has more words than any language used by individuals for daily communication.
Beverly Stowe McClure says
I like that. So much fun. The workshops sound like fun too.
http://athursdayschild.wordpress.com says
Hiking and yoga are also my interests. Writing – well, I try. My husband encourages.
http://athursdayschild.wordpress.com says
I'm looking at the comment by cleemckenzie and wondering if maybe Sanskrit might have more words than English. They have twice the alphabet.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Aren't words wonderful? Did you know that English has more words than any other language? We add a staggering number every year. Pity the poor second language learner.
MG Higgins says
"When the world is puddle wonderful."
What a wonderful line. And what wonderful work you're doing!
Beth says
Awesome post and good luck w/ the workshops.
bethfred.com
DazyDayWriter says
Glad you stayed with the poetry theme, Lee, because I wanted to leave a favorite quote of mine from Tennyson (see your prior blog post for details 🙂
I am a part of all that I have met. — Alfred Lord Tennyson
Through your workshops and your book readers … just think of all the lives you touch. It's a wonderful sense of connection, and in the end, we are all blessed by the "others" in our lives. The sunshine on cloudy days … 🙂
Darby Karchut says
I so love your playful spirit with words – what a delightful way to begin the day!
Bish Denham says
Love e e cummings. One of my favorites of his is about Buffalo Bill.
Catherine Stine says
Okay, how about the first four lines from a book I teach, Canterbury Tales, that has breathtaking, lyrical lines:
"When in April the sweet showers fall
And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all
The veins are bathed in liquor of such power
As brings the engendering of the flower"
-Chaucer
Kelly says
I love poetry! Always glad to see it featured!
Sounds like your workshops are in demand! As they should be! Congrats!