Happy Poetry Friday! I am excited to be back in the roundup this week. Thanks for visiting the ridge. You can find lots more of the poetry fun happening at Sally's space HERE!
From now on, I choose brave. It was the one word destined to be my focus for the new year. It kept bubbling up in poems and books that I had been reading. Many of my friends and colleagues even started calling me brave. It's interesting because I never would have described myself as brave. I would call myself a risk-taker. I often seek out opportunities to stretch beyond my comfort level. But to me, being brave goes even deeper than that. The dictionary defines brave as: ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage
By that definition, I realize I really am brave. I have had to show courage, and I have had to endure many emotional hardships this past year. But somehow, I found my voice. I found my brave. It comes from a deep urge inside of me to speak, to share, to witness, and to question. I am better for it. I will always choose brave.
Now is the time to be brave for ourselves, for each other, for our world. We must be brave together. As I gaze up at the full January Wolf moon, I am reminded of the courage that it takes to be truly brave.
Listen to my poem:Invitation to Write-
What is your brave? How would you define it? What does it look like, feel like, sound like? Brave heart, write! You have a courageous story to tell.
14 Comments
1/10/2020 04:44:49 am
Oh, Keisha, your poem is lovely. It unfolds beautifully and has a sense of timelessness to it. I love the first three lines, and the final stanza is perfect. Wishing you the choice of bravery this year. 1/10/2020 06:28:42 am
"Brave" is a strong, hopeful choice for the year. I love the thought that we are all bound together. 1/10/2020 06:35:10 am
I love the word brave and have thought about it a lot, have had to be brave at times. The word is a call to action. Thanks for the inspiring poem, "we are all one tribe,/we are rock and tree and sky." 1/10/2020 07:40:34 am
There are so many ways to be brave, & I like to think of people I know & meet are exhibiting courage in ways we might never know. Your poem links us all, Kiesha! Happy New Year!
Linda Mitchell
1/10/2020 03:09:13 pm
Hooray! It's so nice to see you here. I've missed you, friend. And, what a wonderful poem to show brave. Yes, we need to show up, speak up, stand up for each other. My fingers are snapping here.
Kay Jernigan McGriff
1/11/2020 05:01:15 pm
It's good to see you back! I've missed your poems, especially the ones inspired by the moon. This one is lovely and wise. I wish you much bravery this year. I suspect we will all need to be brave. 1/11/2020 06:12:52 pm
'We are one tribe'! So very trues. Beautiful poetry and a perfect word. Bravery comes in so many forms. 1/12/2020 05:32:34 am
"This life is something," indeed, this life is all there is--Wolf Moon is wise, and what does she say we must do? Good to have you and your brave self back, Kiesha! 1/12/2020 10:55:04 pm
Beautiful, heartfelt poem Kiesha, I especially like your last stanza, it's very powerful–and a wolf moon is new to me. All the best while you travel through your year with "Brave, thanks!" 1/14/2020 12:20:14 pm
Wow, Kiesha - First I was intrigued at a masculine voice for the moon, and then the last two lines slayed me. Beautiful; thanks for sharing. And thanks for being brave in the world! 4/25/2020 08:26:46 am
Beautiful, Kiesha. I love 'so they all made a boat'! Happy to see you back & glad you are doing well, taking care of you along with everyone else!
Kay Jernigan McGriff
4/25/2020 08:33:18 am
I'm so glad to see you back! I've missed your poems, especially those moon poems. This one is lovely and brims with hope. I'm glad you are taking care of yourself. This time is so stressful for teachers and their students. Writing and poetry and baking and walks with my daughter are getting me through these days. 4/26/2020 07:43:09 pm
Keisha, I am so sorry that I missed this blog of yours. It is full of honesty. You barerd your soul. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWelcome! I'm Kiesha Shepard, and I have a love for writing and the teaching of writing. Whispers From the Ridge is a place where I can share my words and ideas for teaching writing. It's also a place for you to find inspiration for writing the words inside of you. I invite you into my world of writing as I capture the whispers from the ridge. 
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2 Laura at Laura Shovan 9 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche 16 Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone 23 Kat at Kathryn Apel 30 Becky at Sloth Reads August 6 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading 13 Christie at Wondering and Wandering 20 Carol at The Apples in My Orchard 27 Elisabeth at Unexpected Intersections September 3 Heidi at my juicy little universe 10 Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect 17 Denise at Dare to Care 24 Laura at Laura Purdie Salas October 1 Catherine at Reading to the Core 8 Irene at Live Your Poem 15 Bridget at wee words for wee ones 22 Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup 29 Linda at TeacherDance November 5 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference 12 Matt at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme 19 Carol at Beyond LiteracyLink 26 Ruth at there is no such thing as a God-forsaken town December 3 Michelle at Michelle Kogan 10 Cathy at Merely Day by Day 17 Jone at Jone Rush MacCulloch 24 Buffy at Buffy Silverman 31 Carol at Carol's Corner |
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