It is Tuesday and time to write a 'Slice of Life."
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My slice today is a response to a “mixtape” prompt by the poet Monica Rico, offered by Suleika Jaouad in her Feb 4, 2024 newsletter on Substack, Prompt 281 Butterfly, Flying Home. Monica Rico suggests spreading the lyrics of a favorite song across a page and writing in and around the individual words.
What I find valuable is the ability to speak through something else. It feels like a prayer. It feels like an offering.
Monica Rico, describing this writing process
This mixtape prompt reminded me of found poetry, which Shawndo Fukano told us about back in April 2023.
I wrote a ‘mixtape’ poem about my morning walk. I had a lot of fun, thinking deeply about the walk alongside and in the midst of one of my favorite songs – Joni Mitchell, singing “Clouds.”
(Did you happen to see Joni Mitchell sing this at the Grammys this past Sunday? Just fabulous!)
I am SO smitten with lenten roses, which are in MANY different stages of bloom these days, and one of several THINGS that catch my eye as I wander the neighborhood. Walks WOULD be so much peppier if not for these beauties. Oh, and trees. I HAVE to pause for winter trees and search the sky through their bare branches. Winter is far from DONE yet there are glimpses of spring everywhere. See the gardeners are working in the dirt again. The sun is bright BUT you still need to bundle up. The air is so clear, it CLOUDS my mind a bit, leaving me wondering what I was just thinking about. All those to-dos and want-to-dos and must-dos that I’ve GOT to do - oh bother, no! Not IN this moment, not on this day. MY goodness, listen to the birds! This precious day, I’m outside, watching the seasons change, yes, I’m outside, trying to find my WAY . . .
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Maureen, what a fun form–the mixtape. Your poem is beautiful. Now, I am on my way to listen to Joni Mitchell. (I didn’t see any of the Grammy show, yet.)
These lines–I’m saying AMEN to…
“Not IN this moment, not on this day.
MY goodness, listen to the birds!”
Thank you, Denise! We didn’t watch the Grammys live, but have enjoyed looking up highlights from the evening. So many wonderful songs – I especially loved seeing Tracy Chapman.
Maureen,
I love this found poem idea. I love the song but did not see the Grammys (travel excuse). I have it recorded. Like you, I love looking at the trees. We saw an Autograph Tree in a botanical garden, and I’m going g to write a poem about it. I have a long list of poem ideas. Love your photos, too and the way you’ve bolted the song’s words. Brilliant and inspiring post today. Are you collecting and sharing your poems? I’m posting mine on my blog once a week as a group of seven.
I had to play around with fonts a good bit, to get the song words to pop out, lol. I probably should have spent more time on the poem – hahaha – but laying it out and playing with the words was really fun. I will attempt more ‘mixtape’ poems. Great fun! Thanks, Glenda.
Maureen, the idea of a mixtape of poetry is intriguing and makes me want to start my own….what a beautiful way to walk, with eyes wide open to see what others don’t – – like angels in buds. It’s a perfect way to find the unexpected. They say a lot of what we see depends on what we’re looking for…..and it makes perfect sense to look closely at the world for new discoveries! I love the poem and, as always, your inspiration.
Thank you, Kim! This was a lot of fun to write. I’m glad that you saw the angel in the bud – it is such a delightful time of year, when things are transitioning. Truly, it is unexpected. So precious.
That is really good. I am reading about this form of poetry. It is new to me . Thank you.
Thank you so much! This was a brand new kind of writing for me, today. I thought it was a unique way to write about my walk.
So lovely – the poem, the music, the walk, the flower. What more could a girl ask for?
Thank you, Marilyn! I enjoyed this bit of writing very much.
Wow, so creative!! I want to try this in my notebook as soon as possible. Could this be the cousin to a golden shovel? Anyway, found poems are magnificent; thank you for sharing!
Also, the Joni’s Grammy performance was stellar. Did you see Suleika in the audience with her husband, Jon? I first learned of her through Isolation Journals, so it’s fun to see her in Jon’s circles, too!
I’m glad you like this form – I am having fun with it still, writing additional mixtape lyric poems. A ‘cousin’ to the golden shovel – I love that, Britt! It was wonderful to see Suleika in the audience with her husband, Jon at the Grammys – so great to see her so healthy.