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| "Wisdom – Seeds of Light" by Hartwig HKD |
At the beginning of this month, Joyce Sidman challenged us to try out a new verse form called a "Deeper Wisdom" poem. Based on "What Do the Trees Know?" from WINTER BEES & Other Poems of the Cold, the form invites poets to state six greater Truths that are known to any given object, animate or inanimate.
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| Photo: © Kathleen Wilke, used by permission |
Thank you, Joyce, for the opportunity to gather and celebrate so many Deeper Wisdom poems in one place.
All poems are copyright 2015, published with permission of the authors, who control all rights.
DEEPER WISDOM FROM THE SKY...
WHAT DOES THE SNOW KNOW?
by Buffy Silverman
What does the snow know?
To blanket the field with a whispery hush.
White’s the best backdrop for cardinal’s bright blush.
Secrets are spilled in the tracks by the brush.
What does the snow know?
Feeding a stream helps it ripple and rush.
Beauty will fade and transform into slush.
You’ve worn out your welcome when earth turns to mush.
WHAT DOES THE RAIN KNOW?
by Jone Rush MacCulloch
What does the rain know?
Sponge clouds gathering moisture
School children running between raindrops
The pop-up gardens of umbrellas.
What does the rain know?
The wind whispering secrets
School children with open mouths catching raindrops
The beginning and end of rainbows.
WHAT DOES THE WIND KNOW?
by Sydney O'Neill
What does the wind know?
That daunting peaks will weather low.
Roots resist the gusting snow.
Updrafts lead to vertigo.
What does the wind know?
To blow seeds off so they may grow.
Falling leaves still do-si-do.
Playful breezes make hearts glow.
THE SNOW CLOUDS KNOW
by Matt Forrest Esenwine
What’s born above will soon be gone
to comfort what it falls upon.
Beauty blooms before the dawn;
this the snow clouds know.
Limbs are weak; snow is strong.
Days are short; nights are long.
Coyote sings a lonesome song;
this the snow clouds know.
WHAT DO THE SUNBEAMS KNOW?
by Keri Collins Lewis
What do the sunbeams know?
To dance with the ocean at dawn,
and kiss a child’s nose with freckles,
then snuggle with a napping cat.
What do the sunbeams know?
To show themselves after the rain
and wrap the heavens in colorful ribbons
before trading places with the moon.
WHAT DOES A STAR KNOW?
by Peter Barnes
(I'm so proud of my poetic astronomer husband!)
What does a star know?
To gather tendrils strewn with might,
Richness, warming, sculpting light.
Nuclear messengers in flight.
What does a star know?
Grains and ices, planets growing,
Children forming, becoming, knowing,
Galactic seedlings for the sowing.
THE EARTH...
WHAT DO RIVERS KNOW?
by JoAnn Early Macken
What do rivers know?
To carve our paths through rock, through snow
To carry everything in tow
When ice forms, how to slip below
What do rivers know?
Dams are temporary, so
Whatever happens, we still flow
We find—or make—a way to go
What does a seed know?
I do not fear the ice and snow.
I trust the urge to rest and stow.
In the dead of winter, life only slows.
What does a seed know?
The day will come again to sow.
With earth and sun and rain I’ll grow
and everything I need, I know.
That daunting peaks will weather low.
Roots resist the gusting snow.
Updrafts lead to vertigo.
What does the wind know?
To blow seeds off so they may grow.
Falling leaves still do-si-do.
Playful breezes make hearts glow.
WHAT DO THE STARS KNOW?
by Jan Gars
What do the stars know?
To sprinkle stardust on dreamers below
The history of mankind long-ago
How to set the night aglow.
What do the stars know?
How to eulogize the hunter and his foe
How to course lost sailors as they go
To illuminate the canvas of Van Gogh.
To sprinkle stardust on dreamers below
The history of mankind long-ago
How to set the night aglow.
What do the stars know?
How to eulogize the hunter and his foe
How to course lost sailors as they go
To illuminate the canvas of Van Gogh.
WHAT DO THE CLOUDS KNOW?
by Jan Gars
What do the clouds know?
To drift on summer’s breezes to-and-fro
To cry the rain of springtime making flowers grow
In winter how to blanket earth with falling snow.
To drift on summer’s breezes to-and-fro
To cry the rain of springtime making flowers grow
In winter how to blanket earth with falling snow.
What do the clouds know?
To stratify the heavens drifting high and low
To shelter from the blazing sun the fawn and doe
That morphing shapes paint sky’s portfolio.
To stratify the heavens drifting high and low
To shelter from the blazing sun the fawn and doe
That morphing shapes paint sky’s portfolio.
THE SNOW CLOUDS KNOW
by Matt Forrest Esenwine
What’s born above will soon be gone
to comfort what it falls upon.
Beauty blooms before the dawn;
this the snow clouds know.
Limbs are weak; snow is strong.
Days are short; nights are long.
Coyote sings a lonesome song;
this the snow clouds know.
WHAT DO THE SUNBEAMS KNOW?
by Keri Collins Lewis
What do the sunbeams know?
To dance with the ocean at dawn,
and kiss a child’s nose with freckles,
then snuggle with a napping cat.
What do the sunbeams know?
To show themselves after the rain
and wrap the heavens in colorful ribbons
before trading places with the moon.
WHAT DOES A STAR KNOW?
by Peter Barnes
(I'm so proud of my poetic astronomer husband!)
What does a star know?
To gather tendrils strewn with might,
Richness, warming, sculpting light.
Nuclear messengers in flight.
What does a star know?
Grains and ices, planets growing,
Children forming, becoming, knowing,
Galactic seedlings for the sowing.
WHAT DO RIVERS KNOW?
by JoAnn Early Macken
What do rivers know?
To carve our paths through rock, through snow
To carry everything in tow
When ice forms, how to slip below
What do rivers know?
Dams are temporary, so
Whatever happens, we still flow
We find—or make—a way to go
WHAT DOES A SEED KNOW?
by Loree Griffin Burns
What does a seed know?
I do not fear the ice and snow.
I trust the urge to rest and stow.
In the dead of winter, life only slows.
What does a seed know?
The day will come again to sow.
With earth and sun and rain I’ll grow
and everything I need, I know.
WHAT DOES A SEED KNOW?
by Tricia Stohr-Hunt
What does a seed know?
To reach for sun, the warmth and light
to wait until the time is right
to send shoots through the earth.
What does a seed know?
That germination takes some time
that soon enough the stem will climb
that flowers mark rebirth.
WHAT DO ICICLES KNOW?
by Tabatha Yeatts
What do icicles know?
Harden fast inside the cold.
Night rejuvenates your hold.
Sharp points don't always wound.
Dissolution is presumed.
Draw new drops into the fold.
Fragility can still be bold.
WHAT A ROCK KNOWS
by Maria Gianferrari
What A Rock Knows:
A rock
Gray and unglamorous
Take a closer look:
Sitting on the sand
Polished by waves
Bleached by the sun
Smooth and rough
It’s heaven in my hand
A rock
Skimming the water’s surface
And sinking
Enveloped in mud
Accepting algae
A rock
Kicked on the road
Rolling sideways
A pocket rock
Gray and unglamorous
But it endures,
And just is.
AND THE OCEANS.
WHAT DOES A SEASHELL KNOW?by Matthew, 5th grade
What does a seashell know?
It doesn’t know the Pythagorean Theorem
Or how to count by fives,
But it knows the ocean’s feelings.
It’s felt the sea god’s cries.
It knows it has an owner.
It knows that it’s a shield.
It has one life purpose—
to make the sea assassins yield.
WHAT DO SEASHELLS KNOW?
by Catherine Flynn
What Do Seashells Know?
To turn their bones inside out,
and spin a swirling castle,
armed with turrets and spikes.
What Do Seashells Know?
To nestle within lustrous walls,
tinged pink, like the sky at dawn,
safe inside their sea-borne home.
WHAT DO THE WAVES KNOW?
by Jan Gars
What do the waves know?
That creatures lurk in the depths below
The raging fury of the gales that blow
The fate of captured pirate ships in tow.
What do the waves know?
That drops of spray in sunlight glow
The truth of tales that sailors sew
How the shoreline’s etched by ebb and flow.
DEEPER WISDOM FROM ANIMALS...
WHAT DO HENS KNOW?
by Katie Gast
What do hens know?
Morning call is one cock’s crow.
Their feed is scattered to and fro
and all their eggs go to gateau.
What do hens know?
To find a spot far from the flow,
to hide their nests so chicks can grow
to brood, to cluck, to let them go.
WHAT DO CUTTLEFISH KNOW?
by Susannah Buhrman-Deever
What do cuttlefish know?
We wear our wishes on our skin
Truth and lies are tales we spin
Sometimes we hide so we can win
What do cuttlefish know?
Passions rise and then they dim
We feel the world and take it in
And show its colors in our skin
WHAT DO THE HAWKS KNOW?
by Keri Collins Lewis
What do the hawks know?
To wait and watch, then zoom and munch.
Talons pack a one-two punch.
Not all prey has the same crisp crunch.
What do the hawks know?
When spring winds blow, act on a hunch.
Feathers may ruffle, wings bunch.
Not every effort results in lunch.
WHAT DO GEESE KNOW?
by Joy Acey
What do geese know?
To fly south before they smell snow.
To eat grubs from lakes down below.
To listen for hunter's guns as they blow.
What do geese know?
Flying a "V" makes a good show.
Honking formation as they go.
To feel the river as it flows.
WHAT DO HUMMINGBIRDS KNOW?
by Maria Marshall
What do hummingbirds know?
To zip and zoom thru the skies.
The irrelevance of size.
And life’s ephemeral disguise.
What do hummingbirds know?
To sing regardless of your tone.
Be prepared to defend one’s own.
And treasure sunny moments alone.
WHAT DO THE SQUIRRELS KNOW?
by Michelle Kogan
What do the squirrels know?
Self-reliant survival all on their own,
Rambunctious escapades above and below
Tenacious memories for treats that they stow.
What do the squirrels know?
Danger alert alarms spread fast and then slow,
Detecting leads to environments unknowns,
We encroach on their homes without quid pro quo.
AND FROM THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
WHAT DOES A CHILD KNOW?
by Linda Baie
What does a child know?
At school, you line up in a row.
A ball’s to bounce and catch and throw,
and most things happened long ago.
What does a child know?
Of whispers saying ‘grow, grow’,
but yearns to learn the facts that show
why minutes travel awful slow.
WHAT DO MOTHERS KNOW?
by Kristi Dee Veitenheimer
What do mothers know?
The sweet scent of baby shampoo after bathtime.
Soft breaths tickling the neck.
The rhythmic rocking of baby nodding off to sleep.
That creatures lurk in the depths below
The raging fury of the gales that blow
The fate of captured pirate ships in tow.
What do the waves know?
That drops of spray in sunlight glow
The truth of tales that sailors sew
How the shoreline’s etched by ebb and flow.
DEEPER WISDOM FROM ANIMALS...
WHAT DO HENS KNOW?
by Katie Gast
What do hens know?
Morning call is one cock’s crow.
Their feed is scattered to and fro
and all their eggs go to gateau.
What do hens know?
To find a spot far from the flow,
to hide their nests so chicks can grow
to brood, to cluck, to let them go.
WHAT DO CUTTLEFISH KNOW?
by Susannah Buhrman-Deever
What do cuttlefish know?
We wear our wishes on our skin
Truth and lies are tales we spin
Sometimes we hide so we can win
What do cuttlefish know?
Passions rise and then they dim
We feel the world and take it in
And show its colors in our skin
WHAT DO THE HAWKS KNOW?
by Keri Collins Lewis
What do the hawks know?
To wait and watch, then zoom and munch.
Talons pack a one-two punch.
Not all prey has the same crisp crunch.
What do the hawks know?
When spring winds blow, act on a hunch.
Feathers may ruffle, wings bunch.
Not every effort results in lunch.
WHAT DO GEESE KNOW?
by Joy Acey
What do geese know?
To fly south before they smell snow.
To eat grubs from lakes down below.
To listen for hunter's guns as they blow.
What do geese know?
Flying a "V" makes a good show.
Honking formation as they go.
To feel the river as it flows.
WHAT DO HUMMINGBIRDS KNOW?
by Maria Marshall
What do hummingbirds know?
To zip and zoom thru the skies.
The irrelevance of size.
And life’s ephemeral disguise.
What do hummingbirds know?
To sing regardless of your tone.
Be prepared to defend one’s own.
And treasure sunny moments alone.
WHAT DO THE SQUIRRELS KNOW?
by Michelle Kogan
What do the squirrels know?
Self-reliant survival all on their own,
Rambunctious escapades above and below
Tenacious memories for treats that they stow.
What do the squirrels know?
Danger alert alarms spread fast and then slow,
Detecting leads to environments unknowns,
We encroach on their homes without quid pro quo.
AND FROM THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
WHAT DOES A CHILD KNOW?
by Linda Baie
What does a child know?
At school, you line up in a row.
A ball’s to bounce and catch and throw,
and most things happened long ago.
What does a child know?
Of whispers saying ‘grow, grow’,
but yearns to learn the facts that show
why minutes travel awful slow.
WHAT DO MOTHERS KNOW?
by Kristi Dee Veitenheimer
What do mothers know?
The sweet scent of baby shampoo after bathtime.
Soft breaths tickling the neck.
The rhythmic rocking of baby nodding off to sleep.
What do mothers know?
The belly-laugh of a happy child.
Sticky kisses smack on the lips.
Handprints on the window panes that will be gone way too soon.
What do Moms know?
For all their persistence
Plus all of our resistance
They happened to be right –
You can get further in life
By being polite.
What do Moms know?
When you finish your business
There’s a kindness that can’t be beat,
Every time a boy puts down
The toilet seat.
What do Moms know?
Being cool doesn’t mean
Making rude gestures,
Acting obscene.
By studying hard,
Doing our chores,
We’re transformed
Into coolness, plus,
Close friends and family
Will start to believe in us.
What do Moms know?
The way we treat women
Is a reflection
Of how we view our mother.
I would never disrespect my queen,
Neither would any true brother.
What do Moms know?
Be polite, be aware,
Study hard, never stare,
Respect all women,
Do the best you can,
Then you might have a shot
At being a man.
WHAT DO FAIRY TALES KNOW?
by LeeAnn Blankenship
What do Fairy Tales Know?
That each person’s a prince with his own charming ways,
Or a beautiful princess whose talents amaze,
And that stories can teach for the length of our days.
What do Fairy Tales Know?
That the good are rewarded, and pure love is true,
That courage and kindness are traits to pursue,
And that fairy-tale endings can happen to you.
WHAT THE CAT LADY KNOWS
by Diane Mayr
What the cat lady knows...
About clocks:
A cat is a morning's best alarm;
ignore its meow at risk of harm.
About feline food:
They love it, love it, love it
'til they hate it, hate it, hate it.
About stuff:
Never place it near an edge,
be it coffee cup, keys, phone, or veg.
About herself:
She knows that the term, "cat lady,"
will always be preceded by "crazy."
What the cat knows...
About the cat lady:
She's sometimes cranky if I clean my butt all spanky.
You refuse my kiss? What's up with this, you crazy lady?
DEEPER WISDOM FROM FOOD...
WHAT DO POTATO CHIPS KNOW?
by Mary Lee Hahn
What do potato chips know?
You can't resist us.
There's power in crispness.
Grease is delicious.
What do potato chips know?
Our stay is brief.
Life needs treats.
Occasionally, salty conquers sweet.
WHAT DO THE BEANS KNOW?
by Joy Acey
What do the beans know?
Lima, Kidney, Navy, Pinto
When they grow, they're not slow.
Vines reach high, stay down low
Where they grasp is where they go.
What do the beans know?
Wrapped in the blanket of a burrito
Or nestled inside of a taco.
Music plays wherever they go.
And oh, the smell when we blow.
AND OTHER UNCOMMONLY COMMON OBJECTS.
THE WISDOM OF A TEACUP
by Elizabeth Steinglass
What does a teacup know?
One fine dress is all you need.
Waiting gives you time to dream.
You are your best company.
What does a teacup know?
A steaming cup draws people in,
slows down time, and warms a chill.
Those well-loved bear a well-loved chip.
WHAT DOES THE MAGIC 8 BALL KNOW?
by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
What does the Magic 8 Ball know?
Without a doubt
Cannot predict now.
Reply hazy, try again.
What does the Magic 8 Ball know?
My sources say…
Don’t count on it.
It is decidedly so.
WHAT DOES THE KNIFE KNOW?
by Heidi Mordhorst
What does the knife know?
Red tautness of tomato's skin.
Garlic's shallot's onion's kin.
Juicy slick of vitamin.
Jolt of pit or stone within.
What does the knife know?
Tender coarseness of the crumb.
Whack of steel on boarden drum.
Whorl and loop don't armor thumb.
Better bleeding cut than numb.
The belly-laugh of a happy child.
Sticky kisses smack on the lips.
Handprints on the window panes that will be gone way too soon.
WHAT DO MOMS KNOW?
by Charles Waters
by Charles Waters
What do Moms know?
For all their persistence
Plus all of our resistance
They happened to be right –
You can get further in life
By being polite.
What do Moms know?
When you finish your business
There’s a kindness that can’t be beat,
Every time a boy puts down
The toilet seat.
What do Moms know?
Being cool doesn’t mean
Making rude gestures,
Acting obscene.
By studying hard,
Doing our chores,
We’re transformed
Into coolness, plus,
Close friends and family
Will start to believe in us.
What do Moms know?
The way we treat women
Is a reflection
Of how we view our mother.
I would never disrespect my queen,
Neither would any true brother.
What do Moms know?
Be polite, be aware,
Study hard, never stare,
Respect all women,
Do the best you can,
Then you might have a shot
At being a man.
WHAT DO FAIRY TALES KNOW?
by LeeAnn Blankenship
What do Fairy Tales Know?
That each person’s a prince with his own charming ways,
Or a beautiful princess whose talents amaze,
And that stories can teach for the length of our days.
What do Fairy Tales Know?
That the good are rewarded, and pure love is true,
That courage and kindness are traits to pursue,
And that fairy-tale endings can happen to you.
WHAT THE CAT LADY KNOWS
by Diane Mayr
What the cat lady knows...
About clocks:
A cat is a morning's best alarm;
ignore its meow at risk of harm.
About feline food:
They love it, love it, love it
'til they hate it, hate it, hate it.
About stuff:
Never place it near an edge,
be it coffee cup, keys, phone, or veg.
About herself:
She knows that the term, "cat lady,"
will always be preceded by "crazy."
What the cat knows...
About the cat lady:
She's sometimes cranky if I clean my butt all spanky.
You refuse my kiss? What's up with this, you crazy lady?
DEEPER WISDOM FROM FOOD...
WHAT DO POTATO CHIPS KNOW?
by Mary Lee Hahn
What do potato chips know?
You can't resist us.
There's power in crispness.
Grease is delicious.
What do potato chips know?
Our stay is brief.
Life needs treats.
Occasionally, salty conquers sweet.
WHAT DO THE BEANS KNOW?
by Joy Acey
What do the beans know?
Lima, Kidney, Navy, Pinto
When they grow, they're not slow.
Vines reach high, stay down low
Where they grasp is where they go.
What do the beans know?
Wrapped in the blanket of a burrito
Or nestled inside of a taco.
Music plays wherever they go.
And oh, the smell when we blow.
AND OTHER UNCOMMONLY COMMON OBJECTS.
THE WISDOM OF A TEACUP
by Elizabeth Steinglass
What does a teacup know?
One fine dress is all you need.
Waiting gives you time to dream.
You are your best company.
What does a teacup know?
A steaming cup draws people in,
slows down time, and warms a chill.
Those well-loved bear a well-loved chip.
WHAT DOES THE MAGIC 8 BALL KNOW?
by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes
What does the Magic 8 Ball know?
Without a doubt
Cannot predict now.
Reply hazy, try again.
What does the Magic 8 Ball know?
My sources say…
Don’t count on it.
It is decidedly so.
WHAT DOES THE KNIFE KNOW?
by Heidi Mordhorst
What does the knife know?
Red tautness of tomato's skin.
Garlic's shallot's onion's kin.
Juicy slick of vitamin.
Jolt of pit or stone within.
What does the knife know?
Tender coarseness of the crumb.
Whack of steel on boarden drum.
Whorl and loop don't armor thumb.
Better bleeding cut than numb.
WHAT DOES THE PEN KNOW?
by Jan Gars
What does the pen know?
Rhymes that are absurd
The still unspoken word
Stories never heard.
What does the pen know?
Poetry unwritten
Odes of heart that’s smitten
Prose that makes love grow.
Rhymes that are absurd
The still unspoken word
Stories never heard.
What does the pen know?
Poetry unwritten
Odes of heart that’s smitten
Prose that makes love grow.
HOW DOES THE CLOCK FEEL?
by Joy Acey
How does the clock feel?
To tick and tock and then to peal.
Being watched 'til the next meal.
Time is something that's not real.
How does the clock feel?
At his tolling, people kneel.
Wounds are things time can heal.
Moments are what people steal.
HOW DOES THE BOOK FEEL AT NIGHT?
by Joy Acey
How does the book feel at night?
Knows his reader needs a light
Turns each page, hoping for white.
Dog-ears corners out of sight.
How does the book feel at night?
Does anyone care about his plight?
Knows the e-reader can cause blight.
There's something to learn here, if you might.
WHAT DO WINTER SHOVELS KNOW?
by Carol Varsalona
What do winter shovels know?
To slice the new-fallen, glistening snow-
Creating mounds away to go-
Protecting humans from what nature bestows.
What do winter shovels know?
That children enjoy making tracks-
Undoing parents' diligent acts-
Creating wonders of icy packs.
Well. That's probably enough enlightenment for one day, don't you think?
by Joy Acey
How does the clock feel?
To tick and tock and then to peal.
Being watched 'til the next meal.
Time is something that's not real.
How does the clock feel?
At his tolling, people kneel.
Wounds are things time can heal.
Moments are what people steal.
HOW DOES THE BOOK FEEL AT NIGHT?
by Joy Acey
How does the book feel at night?
Knows his reader needs a light
Turns each page, hoping for white.
Dog-ears corners out of sight.
How does the book feel at night?
Does anyone care about his plight?
Knows the e-reader can cause blight.
There's something to learn here, if you might.
WHAT DO WINTER SHOVELS KNOW?
by Carol Varsalona
What do winter shovels know?
To slice the new-fallen, glistening snow-
Creating mounds away to go-
Protecting humans from what nature bestows.
What do winter shovels know?
That children enjoy making tracks-
Undoing parents' diligent acts-
Creating wonders of icy packs.
Well. That's probably enough enlightenment for one day, don't you think?
If you're feeling inspired, you have until tomorrow, January 31st, to send your Deeper Wisdom poem to TodaysLittleDitty (at) gmail (dot) com or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right.
Participants in this month's challenge will be automatically entered to
win an autographed copy of Joyce Sidman's newest collection of children's poetry, WINTER BEES & Other Poems of the Cold. (One entry
per participant, not per poem.)Alternatively, you may enter the giveaway by commenting below. If you contribute a poem and comment below you will earn two entries in total. Comments must be received by Tuesday, February 3rd.
The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, February 6th, when we reveal our new Spotlight ON interview and ditty challenge. Good luck!
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Hey, have you seen this little beauty floating around social media? I'm honored to be one of 115 poets whose work will be included in the upcoming Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations, due out this spring. 156 poems in English and Spanish– that's a lot of reasons to celebrate! Pre-order your copy now over at PomeloBooks.com.
Today's Poetry Friday roundup is being hosted by Paul at These 4 Corners.