Welcome to our Poetry Party #41!
I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your poems or other reflections. Add them in the comments section and a link to your blog (if you have one). Make sure to check the comments for new poems added and I encourage you to leave encouraging comments for each other either here or at the poet’s own blog.
Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog if you have one and encourage others to come join the party! (permission is granted to reprint the image if a link is provided back to this post and full credit is given – © Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts)
Book Giveaway!
As a special Thanksgiving to you, my wonderful readers, I also have several books to give away this week – books which somehow I ended up with two copies of each (please look up the titles online for more details). If you'd like one of the books, please post your gratitude poem or list in the comments (see theme below) plus a note of which title you'd like to have. I will cross the titles off this list as they're claimed, but please look through previous comments in case I haven't gotten back to my computer since someone claimed one. These are first-come, first-served. All I ask is that in the coming days you extend the generosity to someone else in your life.
The Everday Work of Art by Eric Booth
Living the Creative Life: Ideas and Inspirations from Working Artists by Rice Freeman-Zachery
Creative Awakenings: Envisioning the Life of Your Dreams Through Art by Sheri Gaynor
Entering the Temple of Dreams: Jewish Prayers, Movements, and Meditations for the End of Day by Tamar Frankiel & Judy Greenfeld
Praying with the Body by Roy DeLeon
The Inferno of Dante translated by Robert Pinsky
All the books have now been claimed – but please keep contributing your wonderful poems!
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Poetry Party Theme: Expanding the Heart in Gratitude
In the United States, this is of course the week of our Thanksgiving feasts. I decided to host a Poetry Party here even though I anticipate smaller numbers attending as people travel and cook and clean and prepare. But I am keeping the invitation simple so that you might be able to stop by even briefly to express your gratitude through the beauty of poetic language.
So my invitation this week has two simple suggestions:
1) write a haiku (or several) that captures the essence of a heart-expanding moment for you, something in the course of ordinary, everyday life
or
2) make a list of 5 simple, everday things for which you are grateful.
You are, of course, welcome to write a longer poem as well about the ordinary things which make your heart sing and overflow.
(Photo taken at a fountain in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City)
** The February 22-April 4, 2010 session of Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Contemplative Practice is now FULL! I will be adding a second session later today to run concurrently with the second session of Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist from April 12-May 23, 2010. **
© Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts:
Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts
