Week Two
Monday, September 18th – Sunday, September 24th
It took me a bit to figure out how to create audio for my poems. After some trial and error, I managed to cobble together a process using a couple of programs (Audacity and Windows Movie Maker), after which, I uploaded the files to YouTube. I also bought a reasonably nice microphone, as well.
All that’s to say, I decided to skip week one in respect to my poetry requirements. But I’m up and running now!
So, without further ado, here are my poems for Week Two:
TODAY I SAW A HAWK
Today I saw a hawk
pluck a baby sparrow from its nest.
The tiny bird screeched
and the screech echoed through the hills
and filled my heart with sorrow.
God is sometimes like a hawk—
an inscrutable, pitiless predator.
God has given us law, morality, and justice,
but does not himself abide by them.
And yet there is love
even in surrender to the incomprehensible.
To admit helplessness
in the face of this terrible, yet beautiful world
is to be human
and mortal.
THE QUIET HOUR
This is the quiet hour,
when the moon casts
all that’s seemingly manifest,
into doubt and shadows.
This is the quiet hour
when all the world sleeps
except for the horned owl
perched upon a pine tree.
Be still, my friend.
Be fearless and listen.
This is the late, breathless hour
when the storm breaks
and the world stops spinning
and the moon freezes
turning the river into glass
over which you bend
to gaze at your reflection.
Be still, my friend,
confront yourself,
and wrestle with
who
you are.
The great horned owl
is not asking you a question,
but is asking you to question.
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 (my second one) on September 11th. Each week, I will write at least five hundred words of my novel. These words don’t necessarily have to be a polished product, but should, at least, be coherent and grammatically sound. I’ll also post two poems a week. These poems will be a bit more polished than first drafts. Most of the material will come from poetry that I wrote in my first 100 day project. In addition to writing the poems, I’m also going to read them, so that you may hear how they sound in my head. I’ve been told I have a pleasant voice, so I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Lastly, I’ll create one blog post where I read a famous poem written by a real poet! I will also include a little history and fun facts about the poet.