It is so much fun deconstructing poetry for Humanities.. :)  This week was no different.  

In other news, I will be singing and performing spoken word poetry at a Multicultural fair at Merced College on May 1st, from 10-11am, and from about 12:15-12:30pm!

Poem of the day: Failed Empathy

I have not forgotten about poetry month!  I have decided, however, to extend my personal celebration to the end of May, as I have not been able to write a poem daily (though I've written some that I have not featured here). =)  

Some poetry-related goings-on in the past few days are as follows..

- Yesterday I bought two (used) books of poetry at a street fair: Romantic and Victorian Poetry, and An Anthology of Elizabethan Poetry.  At 1$ each, they were quite the bargain!  I'm looking forward to reading the material, especially as the books include some of my favorite poets. 

- I am writing an essay for my Humanities class, comparing William Blake's The Lamb and The Tyger.

- It's funny how when you are purposing to devote your attention to something (such as poetry), references begin to stand out that might have not made quite as strong an impression otherwise.  The other day I was watching Me & Orson Welles, and it referenced Keats's Ode to a Grecian Urn.  Later I decided to browse through my new-found copy of Victorian poetry.  Upon opening it, what did the pages reveal.. but that very poem! 

- I found out that Bright Star is going to be available to watch on Amazon Instant starting May 1st!  I'm excited, because I've been waiting for the film to be available for renting through internet streaming for quite some time.

- I got into a discussion with a 12 year old that I tutor over some poem on women and education.. I wish I could remember the title.  The reason I want to remember this is that when I asked him what it meant, he said "I don't know", which was the catalyst to the interesting discussion.  I think that is one of the wonderful things about poetry.  It can start out so mysterious- and unlike other writing, you often have to read it several times to unlock its meaning.  Poetry isn't made so much for basic survival, but, many times, beautification (it has been said, it has more to do with the meaning behind that survival).  We need it not to satisfy an immediate need, but to serve a more soul-ish purpose.  Certainly not all understanding of poetry comes slowly- but I love the process and involvement of poetry.  

- I found a poem referenced in the Dead Poet's Society.. O Captain! My Captain!  It is by Walt Whitman, another poet mentioned in my Humanities class.  I love finding references and coming across quotations in multiple segments of life.  

- My Humanities teacher had us watch part of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (we saw a reading of it on YouTube).  I love the way it's written to tell a story, in the style of bards of old.  It is not the most exciting poem in my opinion (or maybe I'm biased because of the very dull YouTube reading), but there is something about it that is nonetheless compelling.

I shall leave you with some Blake: 

                       To Spring, by William Blake (1757 - 1827)

O THOU  with dewy locks, who lookest down

Through the clear windows of the morning, turn

Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,

Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!

The hills tell one another, and the listening

Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turn'd

Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth

And let thy holy feet visit our clime!

Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds

Kiss thy perfumèd garments; let us taste

Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls

Upon our lovesick land that mourns for thee.

O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour

Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put

Thy golden crown upon her languish'd head,

Whose modest tresses are bound up for thee.

Impatience holds grasp of the heart-
Iron-fisted, cantankerous,
Whispering:
Give a little, 
Wait a little, 
Balance on one foot- 
Always hoping, moping, 
Wishing, coping.
You will never be happy.
But you shall. 
Patience lets loose the pry
Of steel fingers etched into soul-fibers,
Gentle-handed, loving,
Coaxing: 
Give everything,
Fear nothing, 
Don't let go just yet- 
Always dreaming, 
Seeing, believing, 
You can be happy even now.
Patience will show you.
Patience will heal you. 
Seconds give room to the soul.

- Hannah Kingsley

Quote of the day: 
Help Lord, for godly men have took their flight,
And left the earth to be the wicked's den:
Not one that standeth fast to Truth and Right,
But fears, or seeks to please, the eyes of men.
- Sir Francis Bacon (excerpt: Help, Lord)

Video of the day: B by Sarah Kay.  If you haven't seen this yet, it's so worth watching, and very worth sharing for national poetry month. 

So.. I need to stop trying to write poetry late at night, when my brain is half dead!  However, I have been reading some lovely poetic things that I shall probably share in future posts for your mutual edification.  Meanwhile, I must get some rest so I have enough brain power to write something more meaningful. ;) 

Today on the advisement of a lovely book I have been reading, I wrote a short Haiku.  A Haiku is a verse made with 3 lines, with the syllables: 5, 7, and 5.

Some days prove so hard
Yet they are worth fighting for - 
I shall learn to try.

- Hannah Kingsley

Quote of the day: The following quote stood out to me in my reading today, because it validates the idea that art is messy, takes time and effort, and it's okay if you don't get it right the first time.  Sometimes worrying too much about having it perfect from the get-go can cause paralysis of growing that same perfection.  Patti Digh writes: "The book Art and Fear brings us the story of a pottery teacher who tells half his class they'll be graded solely on the quantity of the work they produce.  He'll even use a scale to weigh their output and determine their grade.  Fifty pounds of pots would rate an A, for example.  The other half would be graded on quality, and need only produce one pot- a perfect one- to get an A.  'The works of highest quality,' the authors reported, 'were all produced by the group being graded for quantity...  while they were busy churning out piles of work- and learning from their mistakes- the quality group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.' " - Life is a Verb

Video of the day: I Will Wait for You by P4CM.  I've seen this before, but I really like P4CM's videos, so I couldn't go without sharing a link during poetry month. =)

Old words speak fresh, anew,
To young minds
The words of truth. 
Teach not only knowledge, 
But wisdom and hope,
Not cardboard-box dreams - flimsy, 
But built of clay; 
Not granite, but gold. 

- Hannah Kingsley

Quote of the day: "I hope you will find yourself in the margins, between and beneath the words and perhaps if I've done my job, in them... what if our lives are books?  What is the sign of our presence?  Are we pressing into the margins our interpretations and questions?" - Life is a Verb; Patti Digh

Video of the day: Dead Poets Society.  I watched this movie today.  It was moving, quotable, and reminded me of the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles.  I also thought the naming of the teacher was clever (John Keating, playing off of the title of famous poet John Keats).  My favorite quote from the film comes from a speech given by the fictional professor:   "We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?" 

Storytellers

Words are tools given 
Made for spelling out more than sounds and syllables, 
Not just for rhymes or riddles, 
We were given speech to say the things that looks cannot say alone.
To communicate is our unique ability
A gift: or when we abuse it, a curse- 
Made to build up, able to break,
Here to lift up, there to take. 
Words are built of heart and soul, 
Reflective of what's inside- not two parts but the whole. 
Storytellers: don't be afraid to stand before a crowd,
To speak the words aloud -
Not hide in corners with cremated scripts,
But breathe words, living words, on moving lips.
We need not more silence, 
But resonant sound:
Meaning-filled and purpose-bound,
Not to impress others to think better of story-givers,
But impress on their hearts that they are each story-livers: 
This is the job of poets, writers, actors, you: 
Speech-givers, hope-livers, and the I-feel-so-ordinary, too. 
To understand that everyone is needed.
None unwanted: hearts able to heal though they may feel defeated,
And each story meshed together in one, 
Each life desired, designed, and given freedom when one said "It is done":
That you would tell the story of all the stories, the story, 
Not another tale of searching and worry:
But instead words like stars in the skies,
Spelling out love in place of emptiness and lies-
This is the job of storytellers: to restore, recover, reclaim-
To help, build up, and heal the lame. 
Words are tools given not to keep but to give,
Words not to harm, but words to help live.

- Hannah Kingsley 

Quote of the day: “… if that particular story of yours is not told- if storytelling is your medium- or if that certain song is not sung- if you are meant to sing- and even if there is almost no one to hear it at the end, then it is not just the artist who has sustained a quiet tragedy; the world has, too.” - The Treehouse; Naomi Wolf

Video of the day: I Believe in the Scriptures by David Bowden (spoken word poetry) - Spoken word poetry may not be everyone's style, but this is a really beautiful video.  David has several others also worth watching. 

The first of April is not only Palm Sunday and April Fool's day.. it also marks the start of National Poetry month!  I am a personal fan of poetry, and I decided that this year, along with many other poets across the United States, I will be celebrating by attempting to write a poem a day.  You can watch for something along those lines later this evening. =)

My Goals for National Poetry Month - 

1. Attempt to write at least 1 new poem a day. 
2. Share some of my older poetry. 
3. Share some poems from a few of my favourite poets, as well as a few quotes on art, poetry and feeling.
4. Watch Bright Star and The Dead Poet's Society.
5. Share some spoken word poetry videos. 
6. & etc.

I will also be performing spoken word poetry in about a month, and possibly attending part of the poetry events going on in my town, if I have time. :)  I hope fellow poets and poetry-appreciators enjoy reading!

~ Hannah

If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator.

- W. Beran Wolfe

Once upon a time I began this blog as a portfolio of some of my writing projects.  I have since deleted most of the entries, as I am returning to this blog not to continue those particular chronicles, but to write about F I N I S H   Y E A R and blog other random things that don't quite fit elsewhere. 

I'm hoping that blogging about Finish Year will help to provide motivation as well as keeping an "account" of sorts. :) 

Most posts will be private, so if you would like to read them, please feel free to send a friend request. :) 

~ Hannah K. 

A couple days ago, I was commissioned to do a really a neat project.  I am creating a supplemental "Art with a Biology focus" program for a homeschooling high-schooler, because she was really struggling with her current Biology program.  It is the same program that I took in high school and, though I'm sure it works great for some people, it can be frustrating for others!  I actually used to hate (*ahem* strongly dislike.. no, maybe hate ;) ) Biology when I was her age.  Since then, I took Biology in college, I had a great teacher, and I grew to like it a whole lot!  I got an "A" in the class and came to understand concepts in a way I never did before, thanks to my Professor's great teaching skills.  If I can pass along that knowledge and make Biology fun, all the better. =]  I have never been asked to do this sort of thing, but I'm finding I enjoy making it a lot, and the family likes what I have done so far, so that's great! 

It has been affirmed by Elisa Stanford that my story is, indeed, featured in Alex and Brett Harris's book "Start Here- Your Field Guide to Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are".  I was contacted last year about the possibility of including my writing in the book, which is a sequel to the book Do Hard Things.  A follow-up on where the authors chose to feature my story will be featured at this site after I receive my contributer's copy of the new book.