DAY 19 (May 29th, 2017)
From the Book of Hours
The hour is striking so close above me,
so clear and sharp,
that all my senses ring with it.
I feel it now: there’s a power in me
to grasp and give shape to my world.
I know that nothing has ever been real
without my beholding it.
All becoming has needed me.
My looking ripens things
and they come toward me, to meet and be met.
My Commentary
There …
inside the wordless moment,
my blood recites the verses inscribed in my veins.
It is my birthright to have it sung to me thus
and my heart gives voice to longing.
DAY 20 (May 30th, 2017)
From the Book of Hours
I live my life in widening circles
that reach out across the world.
I may not complete this last one
but I give myself to it.
I circle around God, around the primordial tower.
I’ve been circling for thousands of years
and I still don’t know: am I a falcon,
a storm, or a great song?
My Commentary
These are your names and forms.
I walk among them as a child among flowers
in a neighbor’s garden.
At times a petal will flutter and fall
and a name behind a name
or a form within a form
is revealed.
Could I but lift all the thousand veils at once.
The 100 Day Project is a creativity excavation. It’s about unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity by committing to a daily practice everyday for 100 days.
Creativity is a skill. The more we practice, the more skilled we become. Practice takes time. Practice takes commitment. Practice is a radical act in this speeded up world. Through practice, we develop a creative habit. Through habit, we reconnect with and know ourselves again as a creative being.
I started this 100 Day Project on May 11th. My project is to read a poem, and write at least one first-draft stanza inspired by that poem. I’ll post the results at www.bradseverance.com/category/100-day-project/
Enjoy!
This! These two poems are so good Brad. They convey such complex ideas in simple language and visual images. They are on my list of favorites now. Maybe I told you this… I can’t remember but I also really enjoy reading the other poems and your responses at the same time
Oh thx, Addie! Most of these are just off the cuff, so to speak–stream of consciousness, first drafty words. I will do more of these, since you like them so much. They’ll be a bit raw … sometimes that’s a good thing. And it’s also nice to read and re-read verses from the great poets.