80s51 More Poems and Prayers

As I have said before, my journals are sprinkled with poems and prayers and other strange musings. Most of the time they were just ideas and I never returned to them. There are a few that were eventually revised several times. Most were in the former category.

After a early morning trip to work at Yarmouth I wrote the following:

On the road to Yarmouth
Early in the morning
Squinting through the haze
Searching the prairie
For the buffalo
Wallow in the dust
Shake, snort, stamp
Like a clouds shadow
Thousands slide across the landscape

Are you there, buffalo?
Was that you?
The pavement whines me
Back to reality
But for a moment I
Touched the thoughts
Of an ancient hunter.
9/20/89

I was often trying to think of poems I could use with kids. I think I used this one once and never got back to it.

Get up in the morning
Make your bed
Brush your teeth
Comb your head
Eat your breakfast
Off to school
Don’t forget your books
Don’t be a fool
Keep a smile on your face
Do your best
Work hard and
You’ll pass every test.

* * *

Write a poem about Christmas
Write a poem about fall
Write a poem about anything
Anything at all.

Write a poem about ceilings
Write a poem about walls
Write a poem about anything,
Anything at all.
11/19/89

The advantage of using your own poems with students is that you don’t have to worry about copyright issues. I don’t recall ever using this one with kids but might sometime.

Come on! Let’s go on a journey
Come on! Get into the boat
You take an oar and I’ll take an oar
We’ll paddle awhile, and then float.

Come on! Let’s go on a journey
Come on! Get into the boat
You bring a book; I’ll bring a book
We’ll read awhile as we float.

Come on! Let’s go on a journey
Come on! Get into the boat
You bring a pencil; I’ll bring some paper
We’ll write awhile as we float.
12/14/89

In 1989 the Berlin Wall came down in Germany. I have often tried to write about current events. I wrote about it in my journal and then followed with this poem.

Walls fall,
Gates open,
The world turns
A new face
Away from
The arms race.
12/19/89

I don’t know how many poems you have to write before you hit on a good one? My guess is, for me, it is not even as often as one in ten. Some would say I have never written a good one. Maybe I should say a poem that I am pleased with doesn’t come often. It doesn’t seem to be something I can force to happen. I just keep trying and when you least expect it, it happens. I would say that is another reason to write as much as you can as often as you can and see what happens.