a humble debut

I am pleased to be making my Poetry Thursday debut.

As I have alluded to in previous posts, I had the enormous pleasure of spending a Zen-like day in a Susan Wooldridge workshop.

One exercise she had us work through involved empty matchboxes, Susan asked us to collect items from outside that would fit in these tiny containers.

Fort Worden made for a fertile landscape of found treasures that we could tuck inside our cardboard niches.

Back inside after 30 minutes of roaming the grounds, Susan then prompted our poet spirit by offering key words and phrases to use in the construction of our verse.

I must admit that I have read my class notes and poetic prose from that day maybe 100 times or more. And, I can still remember so vividly each careful step I took with head tilted downward, concentrating intently on the grass, asphalt, concrete, whatever terrain my feet stumbled upon.

Looking... always searching for that one object that called out from among all the rest. The one pearl or even two perhaps that laid there patiently waiting for me to notice.

I spied several gems amidst the vast scenery. And, I knew... once I held them gently in the palm of my hand that they had a story just waiting for me to tell.



-seed pod, you look like a beach at low tide

you promised a peek at your treasures inside

i forgot you said you would give me the moon

then when will you bring me the stars.




-feather, you look like a ballerina en pointe

bring me grace, make me fluid

you told me to stand up straight

yet, i feel so fragile, what if i break

i had forgotten you said "remember to sway".