Friday, September 23, 2011

Engraving the Emptiness

Two bits to share today...

For 100,000 Poets for Change, the poetry group I belong to handwrote poetry postcards for families staying at a local Ronald McDonald house.


It was a fun project. We could have written the same poems a bunch of times, which would have been quicker, but we (rather stubbornly?) made them almost all different.

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Today's poetry is by Amy Uyematsu:

from The Weight of Nothing
by Amy Uyematsu

without my friend Nothing
on the page, I’d never have to write
another poem. but Nothing waits
here, waving me on, inviting me
to rap and rant, pray sing, testify
what is, was, could, and always will be.
I greet all that’s coming,
contained as sheer breath
into word, born
to crave and engrave the emptiness
that Nothing can’t stop giving.

read the rest here.

Picture Book of the Day is hosting this week's Poetry Friday round-up.

7 comments:

Amy L V said...

Wow, Tabatha. What a beautiful poem, and what a beautiful thing to do. I didn't know it before today, but I think I may need a poetry group. Happy PF! A.

Author Amok said...

Amazing poem, Tabatha. The sections on learning meditation were breathtaking -- a beautiful complement to the section you posted.

Your 100 TPC project looks like fun. Great idea.

madelyn said...

What a great project! (And handwriting...)

Anastasia Suen said...

What a great project! Thanks for participating in Poetry Friday this week, Tabatha!

:-) Anastasia

GatheringBooks said...

Such sadness in these lines: "I’d never have to write
another poem." - heartbreaking. I wish I don't get to say that in my lifetime with the same finality as this one seems to have been written.

I've also been hearing about 100,000 Poets for a change and I've done my fair share in announcing and spreading it all over - I'm glad that you're actively participating - such beauty in the photographs you shared. My favorite is Poem Mittens. ;-)

jama said...

Love this poem, Tabatha. It's really turned my stale thinking on its ear. :)

david elzey said...

i wonder if her friend Nothing is related to my friend Nothing. that's a great poem.