Friday, February 4, 2022

Try an Object-Inspired-Advice Poem


Spring Bulbs Peeking Up!
Photo by Amy LV



Students - I have this little basket pot of spring bulbs growing in my study window, and each hour they seem to peek up just a bit more. When the sun was shining so prettily on them the other day, I just had to take their picture. Later, I decided to write this small poem inspired by the bulbs. Remember this, you can always take or sketch pictures for someday-writing-inspiration. You need not always sit down and think of an idea on the spot. Like squirrels gathering acorns for winter, we can prepare ourselves for our writing times by filling our cheeks with thoughts, impressions, and wonderings.

Today's poem gives a little bit of advice and a hope for the reader. And it was inspired by the needs of a plant. This has me wondering what other things in and around me might hvae advice or hopes tucked inside of them. Maybe this old chair wants to tell people to be sure to make time to rest. And perhaps my warm socks and sturdy boots would advise me to stop and think about the places I have been. Or maybe they would tell me to keep going, keep seeking. It is possible they would wish me good journeys.

If you are looking for something to try this week, consider choosing an object or animal or natural living thing to inspire you. Look around you right now. Make a list of the most interesting or inspiring things that catch your eye at this moment (looking out of the window or into your mind's eye is allowed of course!) 

Now, sketch (or photograph if you wish) this thing. Listen to it and to yourself, "What advice or hope would this object or animal offer to me?" Make a list if you wish, thinking about these questions:
  • What advice would this object give to me?
  • What hope might this object have for people?
  • If this could talk, what might it teach me?
  • What does things object want me to know and understand?
Allow what you learn to find its way to the page and to your own object-inspired-advice-poem. You may choose to write this poem in your own voice as I did, or you may choose to write it in the voice of the object or animal itself. If I had done this, I might have written something like, I am a plant./I need these things...

Elisabeth is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup at Unexpected Intersections with a lovely acrostic that flows so naturally from line to line. If you are mostly familiar with acrostic poems that stop severely at the end of each line, do not miss her words about F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y. Please know that all are welcome each Friday as folks share poems, poem books, poetry ideas, and friendship.

We have a lot of snow where I live, but I will still tilt my face up to the sky for a bit today. I wish you sun rays on your face as well.

xo,
Amy

Afternoon Update: The bulbs are blooming! The bulbs are blooming! Just LOOK at these tiny irises.

Blooming Bulbs
Photo by Amy LV

Spring Close Up
Photo by Amy LV

Please share a comment below if you wish. 

12 comments:

  1. Your poetry always 'charms' my days, Amy. Thank you. :)

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  2. Ah wonderful, as always. You are a treasure. My husband was gifted an amaryllis by the grands and he started it and then brought it down for them to tend it and watch it blossom. It was growing so fast and there are three stalks. I think I could write something neat about sharing with those two helpers. A lovely little gift of discovery. No idea what color it will be. I am sending this to my daughter in law in hopes she will read it to them. Thanks and hugs to you! Janet Clare F.

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  3. "I will still tilt my face to the sky" -- THOSE are beautiful words of hope. I may have to print/post those words over my desk these days. Thank you!

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  4. What sweet irises! No beams of sun for me today, but I am enjoying the other three :)

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  5. I adore this poem and am going to use this post as inspiration to write today. I'm also going to try to find some bulbs to plant! Thank you!

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  6. "Tip your face up to our sky" I noticed the word "our" rather than "the". Such a small change that means so much.

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  7. Such a hopeful poem, Amy! I immediately wrote down all your words of advice. I happen to be at a writing retreat at Highlights and am staying in a cabin named for Nikki Grimes. I've been thinking about all the writers who have stayed here and what the desk, or chair, or bookcase might tell me. Now off to write! Later I will take a walk and "tip my face to our sky." Thanks you for updating with the besutiful irises.

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  8. Ahh...thank you so much for these sweet and wise iris. I can't wait to find out what my miniature iris bulbs have been up to under this snow...
    Thanks also for this inspiration. I'm on the lookout now for objects that can offer me advice!

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  9. Lovely, Amy. After this week's stormy days, maybe time to get some bulbs being forced, my pretend spring. Hope all is going well with you!

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  10. "If no one sings, sing to yourself." Wise advice, yet hard to follow sometimes. Irises help!

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  11. What an inspirational post! I now want to walk around my home, looking at the things around me and asking what they want to tell me. Thanks for sharing this poem and your inspiration with us as part of Poetry Friday this week!

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  12. Amy, I love your poem! These are some of my favorite lines "tip your face up to our sky", "If no one sings sing to yourself" and that beautiful ending " Let these four gifts charm all your days." I love your iris photos; they are one of my favorite flowers with the contrasting colors of dark purple and yellow. When I taught poetry enrichment classes your fun poetry collection book Read! Read! Read! was a favorite of mine to use! Thank you for your spring poem, iris photos and for inspiring me. I live near Saratoga Springs, NY and we don't have a lot of snow, but I wish we did. :)

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