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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

DMC: "The Opposite of Mindful" by Diane Mayr




THE OPPOSITE OF MINDFUL

 She turns off the news
and streams a mix of oldies.
Maybe it's the timbre
of his voice, raw yet tender,
but a long forgotten song
catches her off guard.
The tears come in a surprising
gush, lasting a moment.
Then she lifts her head,
drags a sleeve across her eyes
and joins in on the chorus.

 © 2020 Diane Mayr. All rights reserved.


TLD reader Margaret Simon has challenged us to write a mindful poem about the present moment. Click HERE for more details and to add your poem to the padlet. While some poems will be shared as daily ditties this month, all contributions will be included in a wrap-up celebration on Friday, May 29th.
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17 comments:

  1. TabathaMay 13, 2020 at 7:37 AM

    Very nice, Diane. Enjoyed this.

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  2. Michelle Heidenrich BarnesMay 13, 2020 at 8:36 AM

    I love the way you've turned mindfulness on its head in this poem, Diane. You've got me caught up in the oldies until that one drag of the sleeve brings me right back again. Thank you for keeping me on my toes.

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  3. Diane MayrMay 13, 2020 at 10:02 AM

    Thanks, Michelle, for featuring my poem today. I needed a little lift!

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    1. Linda MitchellMay 13, 2020 at 10:10 AM

      gosh, poetry fits the bill, doesn't it? This is great...because music has really been helping me in ways that I haven't felt so much before. Hugging you in the low moment and thank you for this poem.

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  4. Linda BMay 13, 2020 at 10:25 AM

    Old memories keep us going, until that moment when it's too much. You've shown that so poignantly, Diane. Thank you!

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  5. AnonymousMay 13, 2020 at 12:53 PM

    Love it.

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  6. skanny17May 13, 2020 at 1:38 PM

    So much that brings us back, brings us inward, touches our pain, our heart, our hope. I think the tears we shed some days even in a brief moment of perceived weakness are talking to our heart about what matters. And then, of course, forging ahead. Thank God for that need to wipe the slate clean and forge on. I am glad that is a choice for almost all of us. I know these kinds of moments. Some run so deep. Thanks, Diane. I really love your capture. And in most moments I try to be strong, but then......glad this brought you a life. Glad I could let you know how much I liked it. Highlights someday? Janet Clare F.

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  7. Rebekah HoeftMay 13, 2020 at 1:38 PM

    Love this. I di this exactly. ♡

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  8. KeriMay 13, 2020 at 3:50 PM

    My first thought was "ELVIS!" but I've been conditioned by a colleague who is a huge fan. ;-) Very sweet and well written!

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  9. Margaret SimonMay 13, 2020 at 8:00 PM

    I love listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter on Instagram. She’s someone I forgot I loved to listen to. Your poem captured how I am feeling about my brother and niece singing. Their harmonies and the fact that I love them make me cry every time. Thanks for this poem.

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  10. PAMELA ROSSMay 13, 2020 at 10:10 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. PAMELA ROSSMay 13, 2020 at 10:11 PM

    I don’t know what I did wrong but I sent a response to this poem and whooooshhhh... lost to cyberspace!
    Diane: Just wanted to tell you how moved I was with your work.
    To go from the lonely “she” to the mingling of voices, the harsh noises of news to the healing, joyful noise of music.
    I was so in your moment.

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  12. Heidi MordhorstMay 14, 2020 at 1:06 PM

    This happens to me all the time, sometimes tears, sometimes bounding joy, and I'm often surprised by which songs do it. Mysterious alchemy of weather, mood and song...lovely poem.

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  13. Diane MayrMay 14, 2020 at 4:55 PM

    Thank you everyone for your loving comments. Without the music and the musicians, this pandemic would have been totally unbearable.

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