This month's challenge was to write in the style of Wallace Stevens' poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. Since 13 stanzas is a lot, we gave ourselves some grace and decided to go for only seven ways of looking at something.
A small group of us met on Zoom Sunday to write and discuss the prompt. I left that session thoroughly confused about what my topic should be. I tried writing poems on the Statue of Liberty, sunflowers, the color blue, and clouds. None of those got me more than a few stanzas, and they weren't pretty. I wondered if following the mentor poem more closely might set me on the right track. I chose the bird I regularly see on my walk to work as my subject and ultimately found my way through the poem. I will return to this one because I may just have six more stanzas in me to get this poem to the magic number of thirteen.
Seven Ways of Looking at a Heron
I
The lake hosts a gaggle of geese
a paddling of ducks
and one unmoving heron
II
I relish the empty house
Like the pond
claimed by a solitary heron
III
In the gray light of dawn, heron waits
a fixture in the daily ebb and flow
IV
Heron knows
all things are difficult before they are easy
V
A wader and the water
are one
A wader, the water, and a fish
become one
VI
Heron glides across the water
breakfast in her belly
bloodstain on her neck
VII
I prefer the quiet of the heron
Ducks quack, geese honk
breaking the morning stillness
I understand the heron
You can find the poems shared by my Poetry Sisters at the links below.
Would you like to try the next challenge? In October, we are writing to a prompt from the book The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises from Poets Who Teach, edited by Robin Behn and Chase Twichell.
This week, Irene Latham of Live Your Poem is hosting Poetry Friday. I hope you'll take some time to check out all the poetic things being shared today. Happy Poetry Friday, friends!
Tricia, your poem and photo are a wonderful match with vivid descriptions. We have a heron visitor at the long entrance pond. When he comes, he has the same stance as the photo you share. There is something about a heron that is statuesque as he stands viewing the world. Stanza 3 and 4 resonate with me. I wrote about Autumn since I seem to be enamored of this season.
ReplyDeleteTricia, stanzas 4 & 5! Love! I'm adding this to my "Lake" notebook that Carol V. gave me years ago...we have lots of herons who are fixtures around here too. xo
ReplyDeleteYou got there in the end! This is elegant, like the heron. I love how you introduce the setting and characters in the first stanza---and then play off them as you go along. Well done, you.
ReplyDeleteTricia, I can feel this sentiment in my very breath: I relish the empty house, Like the pond claimed by a solitary heron. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteA wader, the water, and a fish become one!
ReplyDeleteI, too, understand the heron - it's just out there, alone, in the quiet. This is lovely, and I'm well impressed!!
Wow, Tricia, you really created something lovely here. I felt II in my bones, and III and VI told me everything I need to know about the heron. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAs a heron fan from way back, I really like this, Tricia. I read several truths here, including "A wader and the water
ReplyDeleteare one."
A wader and the water are one. Oh My Heart. I love this, Tricia. Also, funnily, it feels like a Mary Lee-Tricia poetic hybrid. Do you know what I mean?
ReplyDeleteI look for a special heron in a lake I visit, every year, now off to ? Like Tanita, number 5, "A wader and the water/are one
ReplyDeleteA wader, the water, and a fish/become one" is my memory, and view, too, Tricia! I love your view!