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Summer Wind: Variation of a line

6/27/2018

8 Comments

 
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Happy Poetry Friday! It's great to be back in the round-up again after a short break. I have missed my PF friends! For more offerings, Carol is hosting this week at her space HERE. 

A few evenings ago, I was listening to a song and a particular line stuck with me. It went something like this, "Can't you see your world won't end, it's just a summer wind." It seemed like an interesting line to me. I began to think about the connection between the feeling of hopelessness and the ever changing natural element of wind.  

After pondering over this line, I knew I wanted to write about the way I connected it to life.  First, I asked myself, What is a summer wind? How would I describe it? How would a summer wind be different than any other wind? You'll get a sense of my response to these questions in my poem. Next, I pushed myself to think more deeply about how it applied to changes in life and feeling overpowered by the strong forces that often come our way.  I asked more questions like, How might a summer wind relate to the challenges we often face in life? As I searched for the deeper meaning in this line, I settled upon these thoughts.

First, the wind is always changing. So can we. If we just hold on to hope, the winds of change will come. Things might seem very hard at times. We may feel like giving up. Yet even in the darkest despair, there is hope. In life, our challenges are like a summer wind, blowing fierce, overwhelming us with its powerful gusts, and then gone.

Second, the wind is strong, but so are we. So what if we harnessed it instead? What if we channeled that warm pressure and let its energy take us closer to our goal? In life our challenges are like a summer wind, full of potential to move us, propelling us forward, growing us, until we are stronger.

In the end, we choose how to deal with our challenges. What will you do with a summer wind when it blows your way? 
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Invitation to Write:

Poem ideas can sometimes blow in from some of the most unlikely places, and they can take us to a place of wonder and possibility. The idea for my poem came from a lyric of a song. It led me to all sorts of thoughts and questions. I pushed myself to think about the topic from different angles. You can try this too! Take a line from a song, book, poem, quote, conversation-wherever you choose, and push yourself to evaluate the topic from different lenses of thinking. Don't be afraid to be a bit wishy-washy in this process. Use sentence stems to vary your thoughts about the topic such as, "This makes me think... But, on the other hand..." Pretty soon, you'll end up with many different poem variations from that one line! 
8 Comments
Kathryn Apel link
6/28/2018 11:30:12 pm

Set your sails / Steady your course - indeed. I love how you've pivoted the poem, so that you're no longer hanging in there, but going places.

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Linda Baie link
6/29/2018 07:04:28 am

I enjoyed reading about your thinking, Kiesha, and then the way you captured the usefulness of the wind, not allowing it to sway, but harnessing it. We do have that "Summer Wind" surrounding us, don't we? Thanks!

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Ruth link
6/29/2018 12:56:51 pm

It's fun to see your process! Thanks for sharing it!

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Carol Wilcox link
6/29/2018 03:08:12 pm

I always love hearing about the genesis of poems. It's interesting to me that this started with a line from a song, then grew into a whole lovely poem. So many lines I love: Hold on/brace yourself/it'll lie down when the sun sets. Important reminders for these times.

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Kay Jernigan McGriff link
6/30/2018 01:32:32 pm

I enjoyed reading about your process behind the poem and I love the result you end up with--especially the movement from being overwhelmed by the summer wind to using it to go in the direction you want.

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Carol Varsalona link
6/30/2018 06:53:38 pm

Kiesha, starting with a line from a poem was an interesting way to create your poem. Relating the summer wind to life allowed you to reflect deeply, then write your poem. I was intrigued with your process and the way hope evolved.

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Tabatha link
7/1/2018 12:27:22 am

Fun hearing about you following your wandering thoughts about a song lyric and harnessing those thoughts to anchor the creation of a poem!

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Michelle Kogan link
7/1/2018 12:35:33 pm

Hope we can harness and employ some to the "Summer Wind" your've offered us Kiesha, refreshing poem, thanks!

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    Welcome! 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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