Sunday’s Whirligig: Wordle #50
http://sundayswhirligig.blogspot.com/
empty, shade, echoes, bent, birds, crown,
mirrors, softness, blind, scent, body, snare
The Sunday Whirl: Wordle #242
http://sundaywhirl.wordpress.com
present, flower, other, dream, object, water,
words, ease, shine, full, transform, listen
Poets United: Poetry Pantry #293
http://poetryblogroll.blogspot.com/
Breathing Lesson
Listen. These words came softly, in a dream.
Said they would ease my aging process.
Become water in a pond, reflecting my truth.
Like a mirror, they would echo deep meaning.
Would fill my emptiness, transform it, make
it to shine like a jeweled crown. Give me
scent of fresh flowers of wisdom, put an end
to my blind, and often shaded ignorance.
Promised to snare my unknowing, bend its
body to that of a bird, teach me to fly toward
other places without this constant rebellious
objection. All I had to do, they said, was to be
still. Learn to breathe in this present moment.
Elizabeth Crawford 3/13/2016
Notes: I used to tell my students, when you can’t think of anything to write about, write about writing. That wasn’t the case here. I saw the word words and promptly heard that first line. The word inspire originally meant to breathe in. When we write we exhale (express) that inspiration. Writing, for me, is breathing lessons.
April is just around the corner. Although fighting a cold at the present, I am seriously considering doing the poem a day challenge. Please make a note if you are doing likewise, and tell us where you intend to get your daily prompts. I haven’t done it for a while and would really like some feedback.
The image is a digital painting done several years ago. I did use all of the words in one form or another.
Soul's Music 
Well the advice in italics is quite true. Be still/ solve the current problem and worry about tomorrow later.
LikeLike
Absolutely true, Elizabeth. Each of us should need to relax, take a deep breath and say everything is actually fine at all.
LikeLike
Wonderful advice, Elizabeth. Our breath is our connection to the world. Attending to it can bring focus and also ease to a scattered mind. I lifted the Sunday Whirl words from Thich Nhat Hanh’s work, so this piece is particularly fitting.
LikeLike
This is wisdom… Relaxing, and seeing all that’s fine is a great advice.
LikeLike
Keep breathing and writing! Well wordled.
LikeLike
Makes me think everything we truly need is inside us – although it’s hard to feel that or acknowledge it..believe it’s true.. when we need a place to live and things we need to do and then the worry about the bills – just being is hard but can be inspirational if we draw back to an elemental level every now and again..(thank you for that word lesson – and hope you feel better soon)
LikeLike
Such deep and profound advice in your poem 🙂
LikeLike
I like the serene flow of your words… gentle and caressing.
Wise and true. 🙂
-HA
LikeLike
to chose to be here , right now !
LikeLike
Sounds so simple…listen, breathe…but so difficult with all of the noise of this world… well done
LikeLike
I love your first line. The powerful command of “Listen” captures the reader’s attention and curiosity. I’m also toying with doing the poem-a-day in April but have no idea where to find the prompts either and am short on inspiration these days so would love to know where other people are going for that, too.
LikeLike
I adore “writing for me is breathing lessons.” That is a quotable! Our words do reflect our truth, and become our purpose for being in these later years. Our bodies slow, as our minds quicken to say what we need to while there is still time. Loved this poem, my friend, and your note as well. I am battling germs this weekend too, so annoying. I plan to write a poem a day in April, for the same reason I did last year – towards the end of winter I am so fatigued my writing slows to a trickle. I do the poem a day to kick my muse into gear. It worked last year. At Imaginary Garden With Real Toads they do a prompt a day in April. That’s the one I follow. Last year the level of writing in the Garden was spectacular, we wrote like maniacs.
LikeLike
This is lovely and equally transforming
Have a nice Sunday
Much love…
LikeLike
This is definitely up there with one of my favorite poems you’ve written. It’s filled with so much mystery and quiet longing. Especially that beginning. The call to listen and then the announcement that it comes out of a dream. Stark, real, and very alluring. Thank you so much for this.
LikeLike
Oh my Elizabeth…..this was indeed balm for my writing soul….’learn to breathe in this present moment.’ Yes I do this daily, and I loved how you said writing is like breathing….it is ins’t it!
LikeLike
I really like the opening line and the last stanza. Sage advice.
LikeLike
Your poem makes me want to breathe IN and OUT. And yes, all we have IS the present moment.
LikeLike
“Promised to snare my unknowing” … I also really like this phrase.
LikeLike
Brillian piece, and a briliant lesson!
LikeLike
Wonderful words of advice, love the poem.
LikeLike
This is rich with images and the feel of Eastern philsophy; as others have said, it’s calming. And it is.
http://soundofthewordnight.blogspot.ca/2016/03/dont-you-just.html
LikeLike
This is beautiful, a meditation leading to meditation. Hope you feel better soon.
LikeLike
Another wonderful piece!!! Can’t wait for April, I like to write to Robert’s prompts.
LikeLike
I tried to go to my site, from here, and found what you have isn’t me?
But right now, my site is messed up?
http://somethingsithinkabout-annell-annell.blogspot.com
LikeLike
Yup! Forget one day at a time’ it’s on breath at a time… well done!
LikeLike