The Moon's hiding
In night's black cave,
The darkest hour,
Seconds before You surrender,
The moment when
Hope has devoured
Your weary dreams,
Open your eyes,
Look up to sky,
The cloud has passed,
The moon is always there,
However dark the night.
@LucciaGray
Being almost 62, I’ve had a few dark days and the advantages of having so much experience is that I have some strategies to overcome some of those bleak moments we all have, now and again, sometimes for a reason, but often for none at all.
Here’s what I do. I have my WAM, or water and music therapy, described in this post, where I remind myself that I’m invincible. Other times I give in to my melancholy and write a poem. I love writing poems, and it comes fairly easily, but a proper poem to show the world takes at least two hours, plus sometimes I just leave it to rest in my mind and come back later or another day to revise or finish.
5 Steps to writing a poem when you’re feeling blue.
This is what works for me. You need pen and paper or your journal, that’s it. Optional: music, favourite poems, films etc.
First I just freewrite, stream-of-consciousness style. I get it all off my chest, but I put a time and length limit (I don’t want to (over)wallow in my misery), of about ten minutes or one page in my notebook or sheet of paper. This is really helpful, because it helps me understand how I’m feeling. That in itself will make you feel much better, but let’s continue.
Secondly, I look at the words and expressions I’ve used. In this case I had darkest hour, dark night, no hope, pitch black, dark cave, loss, sentences such as ‘the darkest moment is just before dawn’ came to mind, etc. . On another, clean page, write the main words or short phrases, taken from what you’ve written, each on a separate line. At this point You can think of song lyrics and poems or even film or book titles that align with your feelings and add the lines or words, or any other words and short phrases which come to mind.
Thirdly. Congratulations, your poem is there, but now you have to give your words a rhythm. I like to work with syllables, which is why I love haikus 5-7-5 or tankas 5-7-5-7-7. It’s simple, and it works. Order your words into the syllables and lines. You should be able to come up with a few short poems. You don’t need to use all the words, you wrote, just a few to highlight your feelings, and you can add synonyms for rhyming purposes.
Fourthly, Great! We’re nearly there. I play around with syllables and sounds, this time I’m paying closer attention to the meaning or feelings I wish to transmit. Here I often change the syllables and rhythm to suit my words and feelings. Today’s poem above is not a haiku or tanka, it’s mostly four syllable lines, except the last two which have six syllables.
This is how my poem started off this morning,
Finally, because fifthly sounds funny, you need a new sheet of paper and write out your rough version or versions, you may have more than one. You add the final touches and if you’re happy, type it out and show it to the world, and if it doesn’t sound quite right and your inspiration is in tatters, put it in a drawer and come back later to finish.
Whatever you’ve written, I bet you feel better already. I always do! And, of course, I don’t publish them all. Some never get properly polished, they’re just for me and my journal.
Do you write poems when you’re feeling blue?
All pictures from pixabay and all thoughts my own, although I’m sure someone has already expressed some of them.
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 24 poem, The Meeting Place, was inspired by a bronze sculpture that stands at the south end of the upper level of St Pancras railway station in London. Designed by the British artist Paul Day and unveiled in 2007.
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
For Day 23, I’m joining in with Sue Vincent’s weekly #Writephoto prompt. Writers and bloggers are invited to use the image as inspiration to post on their own blogs, poetry, prose, humour… light or dark, or whatever you choose.
Click on the banner for more information about this fun weekly writing prompt!
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
For Day 22, 22nd April, Earth Day, my poem is an acrostic combination of a tanka (Earth) and a haiku (Day).
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
For Day 21 poem, Sleepless City, I’ve decided to follow the optional daily prompt‘Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that, like The Color of Pomegranates and “City That Does Not Sleep,” incorporates wild, surreal images. Try to play around with writing that doesn’t make formal sense, but which engages all the senses and involves dream-logic. Happy (and perhaps weird) writing!
I’ve incorporated free photos from Pixabay to illustrate my surreal tanka for today.
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 19 poem, Madonna of Pain was inspired by a church float, for Holy Friday Parade, I took this morning in the church of The Holy Spirit (Espiritu Santo) in Cordoba, Spain.
Madonna of Pain
Lady of Sorrows,
Witnessed son suffer and perish.
Madonna of Pain,
Crowned and draped in rich, gold cloth,
Lit up, displayed, on parade.
****
Today commemorates a sad event in the Christian calendar, Jesus Christ’s death by crucifixion.
This float represents Christ’s Descent from the Cross.
His mother, Mary’s, sorrow is vividly represented in many symbolic rituals, such as the famous church parades which take place all over Spain. Everybody can identify with a mother’s pain at the loss of her son which is why the paintings, statues and floats of Our Lady of Sorrows (Virgen de los Dolores) are so popular in religious art and especially Holy Week celebrations.
****
Are there any special, religious rituals where you live?
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 4 poem, Doors, was inspired by Norm 2.0’s weekly challenge, Thursday Doors. Check out his challenge and blog with plenty of inspiring and fabulous doors every week!
Worn not Dead
Worn not Dead,
Weathered not destroyed,
Weary not deceased,
Weak not derelict,
Wounded not defeated,
Will guard sacred entry,
For months, seasons, years,
And generations to come.
****
Writing poetry is like walking through a doorway into your mind and soul. It’s the place where conscious and subconscious images and thoughts melt into rhythmic words and suggestive lines…
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 16 poem, Fading Light was inspired by a photo I took recently as evening fell over my garden, coinciding with the deteriorating health of an elderly relative. Day 17 took me to a Spring Day…
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 14 poem, ‘Don’t You Dare’, was inspired by a photograph of John Malkovich by Sandro Miller I recently saw at an exhibition. The original photograph, on the right, is Smoke and Veil, Paris Vogue (1958) by William Klein.More information here