Day 12: Soft Secrets

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My sister Patty is visiting! As usual, we’ve made enormous lists of what we might do while she’s here. Things that are useful and practical, fun things, family things, obligatory things. WAY too much for any one visit! Yesterday, we spent some time scraping old paint off my deck. Exciting, right? But it’s just so fun to hang out together, doing things we’d help each other with if we lived near each other…Sometimes I get caught up trying to find ALL the things in these magnetic poems. As many possible connections between words as I can. And then I remember that poetry is about compression, and my favorite poems are very short.

Secret and whisper seemed destined to be together. I wrote about lovely secrets, not harmful ones. Maybe something like the secrets Mary Lee hahn wrote about here

 

What words will we be digging through today?

And here’s the card that we might pull our topic from:

So some possible topics are:

  1. wolf
  2. money
  3. trapdoor
  4. widow
  5. spiders

Will you join in? Would love to see what you come up with!

 

11 Responses

  1. Love that soft feeling in your poem, Laura.
    Mine has humor (and chocolate!) This was fun, and quick today.
    Love the composing moments that seem to gel quickly. Thanks again!

    Ruining Rules

    Finally I surrender.
    Chocolate whispers.
    Yes, I sing.
    Quiet! Surrender!
    Be happy.
    Perfect.

    1. Janet, oh, I ruin rules all the time for chocolate. How can we not! This one is well done. Love: “Quiet! Surrender!” like imperatives shouted at your conscience.

      Diane, “quiet whisper” is a beautiful image.

      Linda, that is a great secret to keep. Chocolate is something I surrender to.

    2. Hehehe–I love it when the poem pours out like melted chocolate. That’s such a valuable lesson for writers. Show up, and sometimes it will be difficult, but other times–woohoo! The ease :>)

  2. Have a great time with your sister!
    Laura, Soft as petals adds the perfect touch to a secret poem.
    And chocolate does whisper. I surrender, too.

    Here’s my little secret poem:

    Secret

    Dream?
    Yes
    Quiet whisper
    Happy!

  3. Wonderful that you have the sister visit! Hope you have a lot of fun, Laura. I’m going to see my brother in June, first time since before the lockdown! I couldn’t resist this one, seeing the word “chocolate”!

    Secret

    dream away
    chocolate crunch
    happy woman surrender(s)

    1. Hahahaha–love this. And how wonderful that you’re going to see your brother before too long. That long pause on visits during the lockdown was tough.

  4. Oh, Laura, what a beautiful secret poem, soft as petals. It seems a lot of us wrote about secrets.

    Secret
    Whisper no surrender
    explore answer as
    perfect companion
    Sing quiet

    1. Sing quiet…I love the contradictions that emerge and are amplified in these highly compressed poems. That one’s a beauty!

  5. This brought us peace and joy. And oh the perfect chocolate. I have to have a really good kind these days in order to “allow” the surrender, but it is so worth it!!! Yes to sing quiet, Denise and thanks for your kind words above, and yes to Laura’s soft petals, sometimes I want to caress my face with their velvety-ness (but resist) and oh those happy dreams, when they come true or almost get there, Diane and dear Linda, we are indeed happy women. Oh how I wish you (all) could come to Highlights for an “unworkshop” time perhaps for dreaming and surrendering and writing and sharing and being and of course if Laura could teach a little.…well. I just feel I need a retreat. I am also thinking of trying to investigate a retreat in NJ near to the Princeton area (ample hotels or maybe VRBO spot) and use the Grounds for Sculpture as a go-to place for inspiration, meditation and relaxation. I cannot say enough about how glorious it is and how all I want to do is bring along my notebook and write away but I am with a 7 and 4 yo who are on the run (and their mom). This is an enjoyable treat, Laura. Thank you again. You have been such a joy for me on my poetic-ing journey.!

    1. I’ve always wanted to teach at Highlights, Janet. Or lead a guided retreat. But it hasn’t come to pass. Maybe someday. Feel free to recommend me! :>D Enjoy your time with the grands–YOU are a joy.

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