I’ve noticed a trend in popular music of today involving a reverie for the younger years in life. Every song tells a story of its writer, who was inspired by any variation of emotional situations. The Lumineers tell us to keep our heads up and remember when we were young in “Stubborn Love.” Fun. suggests we are young “so let’s set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.” Lyrics like these bring to poetry to life.
Every now and then it happens to me too. I’ll be going about my day sleeping in my doggie bed, monitoring the neighborhood from my perch in the bay window, or playing with my forever people and BAM! Poetry comes to life before me. I blame author and poet Susan G. Wooldridge for this (dare I say) habit of mine. It’s no secret I’m a lover of words, but I’m also a believer in the theory that sometimes it takes a little crazy to create a unique masterpiece.
So today, I embraced my inner “crazy” by opening to a random page of Wooldridge’s “Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words,” and vowing to write a blog post about the words that followed.
“When I saw my son, Daniel, shaking our new lilac bush the spring he was three, I managed to keep myself from shrieking ‘Stop it, you’re going to kill the bush!’ Instead I asked him what he was doing,” Wooldridge writes. “‘I’m stirring the sky, Mama,’ he told me. I only asked that he stir it gently. How can you tell a child to stop stirring the sky?”
I’ve said before that little people are wise beyond their years. They are also poets. They are honest. They love unconditionally. They are wise. I’ve learned many important lessons from the little people in my life, but one of the most meaningful is their perspective on the world. Like me, they see joy from the ground up. Unlike most adults, who look down on life…in more ways than one.
Wooldridge suggests a solution to this that aligns very well with the popular lyrics of the Lumineers and Fun. “Seek out children. Jot down what they say,” Wooldridge writes. “We can find poems just by listening, being a scribe and catching the words.”
Poetry is life dreaming out loud. Let’s dream in verse…let’s look up.
Such a refreshing and positively lovely read for the end of the day. Inspirational.
Thank you!!! That’s always my goal in blogging – to bring positivity to the lives of others! Come back and visit me again soon!
I will, thank you
If our politicians had the heart of a child, we’d be in a lot less trouble. Children are wonderfully wise and full of love. I should know; I have 8 grandchildren 🙂
You have eight grandchildren!? Forgive me if you’ve mentioned that before, but goodness gracious have you been blessed! You could write a book with all that knowledge! And maybe turn the country around. 😉
LOL I do sometimes write about my grandchildren. One story was about my oldest granddaughter when she was just three (she’ll be 18 in July) in a post called “and a little child shall lead them.” Children have an uncanny ability of hitting the nail on the head sometimes.
They sure do! What a fabulous blessing you have with all of those blossoming poets in your life! 🙂
You’re so right, Wiley, we can learn so much of the little ones, we only have to let go of our restrictions an DOL 🙂
You have been nominated for a few awards and I hope you’ll join the Family 😉
Dear friend! My apologies – did I miss an award nomination from you? 😦
No problem, Wiley. We’re just posted 😉
Children do know a lot. Mom learned tons of stuff from them when she was a teacher. Plus I think they taste delicious – a wonderful combination of candy, sweat, dirt, and peanut butter. I love those little guys.
Hugs and cuddles,
Cupcake
I think they taste delicious – a wonderful combination of candy, sweat, dirt, and peanut butter LOL Cupcake, you’re funny 😀
Laugh out loud indeed! They do taste like all kinds of goodness, and they smell amazing too! Not to mention all the treats they drop for me while they’re eating together at the “kid’s table.” Hugs and cuddles to both of you!
Reblogged this on Wiley's Wisdom and commented:
I miss my buddy Indy since he left for Minnesota.