Writing a List Poem Based on "A Note"
Beginning with "Life is
the only way," write your own list poem using "A Note" as a
model. Your poem must use the same (with minor variations) number of words and
structure as Szymborska's. Use what you learned Wednesday to compose a stronger
poem.
Try to find a rhythm to the
words you choose (note the number of syllables as well as the number of words).
Be careful to punctuate exactly the
same way and be aware of how the poet has used punctuation to divide
and compare ideas. Post a copy of your poem to the blog before coming to
Wednesday's class.
Be prepared to do a recital
of your poem (please practice ahead of time!) and speak for one to two minutes
on the process you followed and any difficulties you experienced. Marks
will be assigned as follows: quality of poem—50%; recital—25%; remarks on
process—25%.
21 comments:
Note to Myself
Life is the only way
to hear whispers in trees,
hold your silence in forests,
rise on winds;
to be a man,
or fight his cold rage;
to tell friends
from everyone who’s not;
to hold your lover,
cuddle under sheets,
to seek the least of all potential misunderstandings.
An extraordinary time
to remember for a moment
the first breath
of a child born before you;
and if only once
to fall into a gutter,
end up broken by one mistake or another,
mislay your car in the lot;
and to witness raindrops perched on the end of your nose;
and to keep on not feeling
something important.
—Brad Hyde (original 2009; revised in 2012)
A Note to Someone
Life is the only way
to get lulled by sea breeze,
catch your glance through the crowd,
dive in light;
to be a cat,
or dream day and night;
to tell lack
from everything it's not;
to meet a pretty girl,
amble in streets,
to seek the best way of all opportunities.
An extraordinary gamble
to remember once again
your gently hug
when the time stopped ever;
and if only once
to break an expansive cap,
end up bought the same one on ebay,
miss the phone call to parents;
and to rush for their smiles by a plane;
and to keep on not having
something insignificant.
A Note
Life is the only way
to get smothered in kisses,
propose on bended knees,
laugh out loud;
to be a star,
or admire it’s fading brightness;
to uncover the truth
from everything it’s not;
to cradle a baby,
dawdle on smiles,
to seek the least of all possible worries.
An unexpected incident
to remember for a moment
the last time we shared together
before the unavoidable goodbye;
and if only once
to freely fall from the sky,
end up seeing nature in different angles,
Misplace your heart on open hands;
and to forget the lies that once shattered the world;
and to keep on searching for
something worthwhile.
Note to Myself
Life is the only way
to smell the fragrance of grass,
stroll hand in hand on streets,
bath in sunshine;
to be a philosopher,
or listen to abstruse speeches;
to share troubles
and distinguish when they’ re not;
to browse the internet,
read interesting stories,
to seek the best in life every day.
An extraordinary time
to recall even briefly
the excited feeling
of first landing here;
and if only once
to get drunk at home,
end up convinced by another deep slumber,
to catch the huge spring tide moon;
and to track Venus’ path in the evening sky;
and to keep believing in
infinite beauty.
A note about life
Life is the only way
To listen to bird songs
Share your emotions one night
Enjoy the moment
To be a superhero
Or have the same power;
To tell truth
From every-lies it's not;
To look after books,
Discover new worlds,
To seek the least of all significant deceptions.
An inexplicable fact
To wonder again and again
The burning fire
In the eyes of a child;
And if only once
To shout out all your strength,
End up misled by one love or another,
Forgot yourself into the wild landscape;
And to follow the sun rays reflecting on your house walls;
And to keep on not understanding
Life meaning.
A Note
Life is the only way
to snuggle in a blanket,
catch your dreams in the wind,
breathe out softly;
to be a dreamer,
or drink your hot coffee;
to share thoughts
from everything it’s not;
to embrace inner venture,
dawdle in sight,
to seek the highest good is to live well.
An extraordinary time,
to remember for a moment
and feel once more
the dream of happiness;
and if only once
to fall upon agitations,
catch your breath to make sense of the cards,
mislay your Rolex watch in the gym,
and to remember the value in your mind;
and to keep on scoping
something important.
A NOTE TO YOU
Life is the only way
To live full of happiness,
Help each other, love everyone,
Catch a glimpse of the universe;
To be quiet
Or to speak to your love;
To encouraged the good
To the person who wants to listen;
To look back on things,
Encouraged yourself,
To be love and help you speak the truth.
An extraordinary day
To remember a first love
And foreplay once again
The truth of you young love,
And if only once
You listen to yourself,
End up moving forward and unique,
Embrace your life;
And follow your heart;
As a flower needs water
A soul needs peace.
-Edna Diaz
A Note
Life is the only way
to explore the nature’s beauty,
hear the rustling of the leaves,
embrace the joy;
to be a kite,
or fly high in the sky;
to tell joke
from everything it’s not;
to scooch on a couch,
chat together spontaneously,
to seek the funniest moment of all time.
An extra ordinary vision
to remember for a moment
a simple girl
with all her big dreams;
and if only once
to slide in the snow,
ended up falling from one place or another,
misplace your purse in the house;
and to feel the rhythm of your heart with your eyes closed;
and to keep on learning from
many mistakes.
A Note
Life is the only way
to stroll around the park,
feel the sunshine on your skin,
inhale fresh air;
To be someone else,
or to pursuit your dreams;
To see everything
from my own perspective;
To spend time with family,
laughing all together,
to seek happy faces for a little while.
An extraordinary way
to remember for a moment
an amazing scenery
from the place I call home;
And if only once
to play under the rain,
end up with a fever for a week or two,
Appreciate life as if it's your last;
and to follow the path you believe is right;
And to keep on living
your life.
A NOTE
Life is the only way
to get what you want,
enjoy time and watch it pass,
hope for best;
to be a bird,
or fly around the earth;
to tell mind
nothing impossible so be hard;
to squeeze into memories,
revise mistakes,
to seek the best solution from the past.
An extraordinary time
to remember for a moment
to meet again
the person who went away;
and if only once
to climb on the tree,
end up scratched elbows by shaking knees,
misplace your wedding ring under the bed;
and to feel the peak its diamonds’ on furry
carpet;
and to keep on holding relations
something special.
Note to Myself
Life is the only way
To start a new beginning,
Accomplish your goals without hesitation,
Smile at life;
To be a man,
Or admit the truth;
To tell regret
From everything that’s happened;
To hold someone,
For the first time,
To wish yourself all the happiness.
An extraordinary time
To remember for a moment
The destiny
That you have faced was in your own hands;
And if only once
To fall in a hole,
Changes your path into a different direction,
Lose yourself in your dreams;
And everything you see is not all true;
And to keep on believing
That’s a fact.
Life is the only way
To face ups and downs,
Catch a glimpse of Jesus Christ,
rise from death ;
To be the King,
or to enjoy his hello ;
To define real
from everything is fake ;
To squeeze into the fresh ideas,
as time flys,
To seek the greatest of all possible chances.
An extraordinary event
to recall for a while
an embrace hied
before the plan took off ;
And if only once
To fall in hot water,
end up soaked in one catastrophe or another,
Hold on in to your dreams;
and to follow the courage like a diamond in the sky;
and to keep on hoping for brighter day.
A Note
Life is the only way
to get covered in leaves,
catch your breath on the sand,
rise on wings;
to be a dog,
or stroke its warm fur;
to tell pain
from everything it’s not;
to squeeze inside events,
dawdle in views,
to seek the least of all possible mistakes.
An extraordinary chance
to remember for a moment
a conversation held
with the lamp switch off;
and if only once
to stumble upon a stone,
end up soaked in one downpour os another,
mislay your keys in the grass;
and to follow a spark on the wind with your eyes;
and to keep on not knowing
something important.
---by Wislawa Szymborska
Not to advance is to go back.
A Note Li Chen
Life is the only way
to get about your fate,
catch in a stone on the trail,
rise up going ahead;
to be an eagle,
or soar up with wings ;
to make sense
from success and fail;
to squeeze inside pains,
pursue after dreams,
to do the best as you may.
An extraordinary second
to pause for a moment
a commemoration stilled
with the flash switch off;
and if only once
to stumble upon happiness,
end up soaked in to advance,
lost your way in someplace;
and to follow the call of your faith;
and to keep on not complaining
something important.
A Little Note
Life is the only way
to get lost in ideas,
rest your head on the oak,
rise on dreams;
to be a child,
or take your first step;
to tell tale
from everything is not;
to hike between the mountains,
looking for adventure,
to think the least of all possible dangers.
An extraordinary moment
to remember for a second
the first kiss
of an innocent young child;
and if only once
to kneel over a flower,
end up torn in one cry or another,
mislay your things on the scene;
and to remember a picture long forgotten in your mind;
and to keep on not caring
something significant.
A Note to Myself
Life is the only way
to cherish your parents’ love,
laugh to their none-fanny jokes,
make them feel special;
to be a men,
or act like one;
to tell love
from everything that is not;
to call a stranger, sister,
make her feel safe,
to seek good in everyone.
An extraordinary chance
to remember for a moment
a single smile that you
brought to someone’s lips;
and if only once
to loss focus
end up hurt by one thing or another,
mislay your goals on earthly matters;
and to pay no attention to the clock’s tic-tocs;
and to keep on not knowing
one day we will be gone.
A note
Life is the only way
To capture the best moments,
See what is not expected,
Not to choke;
To be a success,
Or see glimpse of what to come;
To be free of yourself,
And step out of the shadows of life;
To get lost in your head,
Day dreaming,
To miss what the present offering.
An extraordinary sound
To hear laughter of a child,
Moment of pure joy
With the accomplishment of life;
And if only once
To give in to temptations,
End up conquering all my fears,
Mislay your laptop in the wild;
And remember the world without entertainment;
And to keep on not knowing
Something significant.
A note
Life is the only way
To capture the best moments,
See what is not expected,
Not to choke;
To be a success,
Or see glimpse of what to come;
To be free of yourself,
And step out of the shadows of life;
To get lost in your head,
Day dreaming,
To miss what the present offering.
An extraordinary sound
To hear laughter of a child,
Moment of pure joy
With the accomplishment of life;
And if only once
To give in to temptations,
End up conquering all my fears,
Mislay your laptop in the wild;
And remember the world without entertainment;
And to keep on not knowing
Something significant.
Life is the only way
to see dreams come true,
write your destination on a special note,
Aiming for a lot;
To be a leader;
or fall and try harder;
to tell success
from everything that’s less;
to squeeze glorious stories,
swim in fantasies,
to seek the joy of all beautiful memories.
An extraordinary event
to remember a great achievement
a self anointment
deserved life time golden monument;
and if only once
to get second chance
and re write yesterday’s history of loss
embarace every fall of today;
and to learn from failures of yesterday for a better day;
and to keep on trying
something different.
Life is the only way
To be surrounded by sea
Smell salt air around you
Feel the breeze.
To reach a goal
Or watch it vanish.
To see friends
Move forward with their lives.
To look back on old days
Relive moments
To seek acceptance for who you are today
An unexpected goodbye
To part separate paths in life
A young love
Who you cherished so much.
And if only once
To get back in the saddle
Rekindle the flame of broken relations.
Withdraw yourself from the world
And to have high hopes for what the future holds
And to keep pushing for
Something exceptional.
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