Thursday, March 15, 2018

Let Forth the Pent-Up Melody

If I cannot fly, let me sing.
~Stephen Sondheim


Happy Friday, y'all! This week, I ran across a lovely poem by Amy Lowell and decided to write a golden shovel from the first line. I wrote my poem from the memory of the line, and what I thought it was wasn't quite right. Ah, well! Let's just say my poem was inspired by "Listening"!

an excerpt from
Listening
by Amy Lowell

'Tis you that are the music, not your song.
The song is but a door which, opening wide,
Lets forth the pent-up melody inside,
Your spirit's harmony, which clear and strong
Sings but of you. Throughout your whole life long
Your songs, your thoughts, your doings, each divide
This perfect beauty; waves within a tide,
Or single notes amid a glorious throng.

My poem:

On a day when light and breeze entwine like so, tis
easy to feel the rightness, the brightness of this world you
love like a child loves a rambunctious puppy who
chews on your fingers with wee teeth that are
too small to break the skin, that don't even make you pull away. The
laughter of children at play weaves into the sky like music
written on a staff of bird flight, lines you can not
see but reverberate in the air like the call of a finch to the
mate he is soon to find. You feel it still -- the day is not over for the song.

******

TeacherDance has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Linda!

16 comments:

Linda B said...

It's rather special what happens in those Golden Shovels, inspired by one poem, but then turning into something new from a few words. It's beautiful, Tabatha. I love this part about the laughter of children: "weaves into the sky like music /written on a staff of bird flight," The poem soars. . . Thanks!

Irene Latham said...

This is so beautiful, Tabatha! I love the source line... it makes me think of what I am constantly preaching about our lives being poetry.. and I adore that "staff of bird flight" ! Thank you! xo

jama said...

Oh, wow, what a beautiful poem, Tabatha! Especially love "music written on a staff of bird flight." Just lovely and puts me in the mood for spring. Thanks!

Brenda at FriendlyFairyTales said...

Lovely poem and I love the inspiration, too.

Carmela Martino said...

Love your golden shovel, Tabatha, especially the phrase others have already commented on: "staff of bird flight." What a terrific image!
I want to thank you for commenting on my sonnet last week--I've been offline and haven't had a chance to respond until today. Happy Poetry Friday!

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Beautiful, T! You've captured the mood and tone, as well as the line (well not quite the line, but good enough!) The light and breeze are swirling around so vividly in my imagination... like a murmuration.

Carol said...

Tabatha, this is so beautiful. I love how you have used such small images- the puppy's teeth, the call of the finch, and woven them together to create such a big and glorious message. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow! I love this! I tried golden shovel today too, and it wasn't pretty! I felt like when I was in third grade and the teacher made us write rhyming poetry-- I got so tangled up in using the words I didn't really even have a message. I would love to hear more about your process!

Kay said...

Both poems are breathtaking, Tabatha. Your poem continues the song of the first one with such glorious details. Now I want to sing--or at least listen deeply to the song of life that surrounds me.

Joyce Ray said...

Your Golden Shovel is just lovely. Like other comments, mine celebrates your phrase “staff of bird flight.” It evokes a beautiful scene and marries the details you chose-children’s laughter, Finch, etc. with the idea of song. Well done!

Ruth said...

So lovely! Thank you!

Michelle Kogan said...

Your poem feels fresh and airy like a child without inhibitions! I like the music coming through in Amy Lowell's poem and yours. Hers following the webbed flow of life, and yours weaving it in through, "children at play," the finch's, and what fills our day–"the song," thanks Tabatha!

Tara said...

You've captured the spirit of Lowell but with your voice intact. Just loved these lines:
The laughter of children at play weaves into the sky like music
written on a staff of bird flight...
So evocative!

Mary Lee said...

Such a happy poem!

Alice Nine said...

Beautiful shovel poem. Love the images you created. My favorite: your first two lines.

Catherine Flynn said...

Your poem is gorgeous, Tabatha! As others have mentioned, "written on a staff of bird flight" is a wonderful image, but I really love the whole poem. Lowell's poem is lovely, too. Thank you for sharing it with us!

Tabatha said...

Oh, Carol, I wrote this poem in a parking lot, waiting for my daughter, watching a group of kids tossing footballs back and forth. On the one hand, what can you say about a parking lot? But on the other, the air and breeze were just like I describe it :-) Good luck with your golden shovel! Maybe you just need the right moment, the right inspiration.