Hello to All D’versians gathered here today at this site of pubtalk and poetry! Lisa here, hosting Open Link Night.

How many times have you traveled the same street and felt fairly confident, probably subconsciously, that you could name every object on it? At the same time how many times have you happened across something on a familiar pathway that you suddenly see? Is it because things near it were removed, changed, or faded? Have you been distracted by thoughts and feelings that made your eyes go on automatic? Or has this moment become the right time to validate the presence of what has been missed before?

One group of people in Boston were purposeful about revealing the hidden with their Raining Poetry Project.  They stencil poetry in locations in the city with a water-resistant paint (that wears away after a few weeks – hope it’s not toxic!) so it becomes visible in the rain.

 

At Writer’s Digest, I found a good short article by KM Barkley about how poetry is good for the soul, partly in how it helps reveal what was before hidden. Included are how reading and writing poems helps to “improve ideas,” is therapeutic for the reader and the writer of it through “understanding hindrances and blocks around their mind,” and “opening doors to feelings that are … suppressed.” By researching for the right words and how to use them, we can be liberated/enlightened.  Sharing the deepest parts of yourself in a poem or reading of the deepest parts of others reveals the beauty and depth of the human spirit. The author talks about how poetry is an exercise in distilling big ideas into manageable pieces that can feel like hidden treasures to share.

A Stone is Hidden in the Peach

A stone is hidden in the peach
A brittle core within the pear,
The apple, plum and cherry each
Inviolate bear

Deep in the soft, sweet-smelling fresh
Body of fruit a seed, a pit
Eternal in the delicate flesh
That cradles it.

Beyond the reach of human love
That longs to share each word and thought
Abides a hidden seed whereof
The heart knows naught;

Yet is the frail, the mortal breast
Aware of this immortal stone,
Its vital secret unpossessed,
Its name unknown.

–By Marjorie Allen Seiffert

And now we have come to the moment we’re here for: linking up our poems!

Just a reminder: Open Link Night means you can post ONE poem of your choosing (no specified form, length, word prompt etc.) Also, we request you either TAG dVerse or include a line at the end of your post that includes a link back to dVerse.

Those of you new to dVerse, here’s how to participate:
•Post any poem of your choosing on your blog or website.
•Click on Mr. Linky below to add your name and enter the direct URL to your poem
•On your blog, please provide a link back to dVerse. This enables others to enjoy our prompts, increases our readership and thus increases the responses to everyone’s poems.
•If you promote your poem on social media, use the tag #dverse poets
•And most importantly, please do read some of the other responses to the prompt and add a short comment or reaction. Everyone likes to be appreciated! The prompt is open and linkable for several days – as you’ll notice by the comments you’ll receive – so do stop by another day and read a few of the latecomers too!

Sources:
top image:  “Bird’s Nest 3,” by Jeelan Clark
raining poetry image link