Thursday, September 21, 2006

Poetry Thursday- Your Own Voice

As someone just taking baby steps into the world of writing, and particularly the world of poetry, this week's Poetry Thursday prompt made me throw up my hands (metaphorically speaking) and cry WHOA! Voice? I don't think I have a "voice" yet, at least not in the poetic sense. Not in the way that Mary Oliver has a voice, or Jane Kenyon, or Naomi Shihab Nye, some of the poets whose work I've been reading and enjoying. I spent most of the week wandering around thinking, "where is my voice?" and "how do I find it?" I had just about decided to post a poem from one of the poets mentioned above, as if to say, "I don't have a voice of my own, but how I wish I had one like this!"

But then, I heard something. Not a voice, really, but a tiny whisper. So, I have a poem of my own to offer after all.

You must know ~
I've been searching endlessly
for this voice of mine.
Perhaps it hides
beneath loads of laundry
and lists of chores,
notes from various people
(not friends)
who beg money or time from me.
Perhaps it's injured or frightened,
remembering a moment in the past
when it ventured cautiously
from behind it's safest shelter,
only to have me ~it's protector~
shove it hastily aside,
discount its worth,
continue blithely with
the truly important tasks
that fill my day ~
the dusting, the driving, the tidying up
of all the cobwebby corners
of my world.
I tell myself now
to sit quietly
and gently call its name,
coax it to me
with a promise
of fresh ink, blank paper
and
a full measure of my devotion.
There is more poetry here

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8 Comments:

Blogger Susannah Conway said...

perfect. i think your voice wants to be let out more- and i'm so glad it got a chance this week... more please! x

9/21/2006  
Blogger susanlavonne said...

Admittedly, this is juvenile (but please don't let that lessen the truth of it) but what immediately came to mind after reading your heartfelt poem was the scene in The Little Mermaid, when Ariel gets her voice back and her singing is soft but clear and begins to crescendo to something strong, powerful, and a spirit to be reckoned with ....your voice may have been muted for a time but now that it is "singing"...look out world!

9/21/2006  
Blogger Tammy Brierly said...

Oh this was perfect! You do have a great voice and we all hear it!!!

9/21/2006  
Blogger claireylove said...

does your voice sometimes hide between a beautiful rainbow array of post-it notes? ;-)

seems like your horoscope of abundant creativity was a couple of days out...well done!

9/21/2006  
Blogger jzr said...

Great work, Rebecca! Let that girl out more!!

9/21/2006  
Blogger Deirdre said...

Oh, this made me smile. I like the idea of coaxing the voice with promises. Very good.

9/21/2006  
Blogger paris parfait said...

I think your voice is becoming louder and louder - a real gift for those of us who are listening!

9/22/2006  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

your words are so beautiful, they flow.
lovely.

9/22/2006  

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