dVersepoets dVerse Poetics–Sculpting a Poem, “The Shape of Gratitude”

Everyday Gratitude Vol 1

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Pictured, “Everyday Gratitude Vol 1

Small gratitudes found in the day to day living of daily life.

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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

This post was updated May 03, 2019


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the shape of gratitude : original inspirational poetry

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if the words endure, they do so because they link the links –

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i’ve selected this work for dVersePoets’ prompt : Meeting the Bar: The Best of…

in this particular prompt we are asked by Brian Miller & Claudia Schoenfeld, co-founders, to “pick one poem you wrote throughout the year… — an encore performance” in honor of the site’s one year anniversary

i don’t know if this is my best, or even my favorite, no one poem for either category immediately comes to mind, other this this one 😉

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The Prompt, “Sculpting a Poem” from dVersepoets

victoria c slotto, hosts dversepoets’ prompt, “sculpting a poem” and gives a brief overview of sculpture’s uses and forms, with many nice links to both 3D and 2D artists known for their work in sculpture

i also happened to pick up a new word, when victoria asked for an “ekphrastic poem” –

ie, a poem that comments upon another art form

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Tips

among the several tips victoria suggests, i centered on two :

• Create a poem that is multi-dimensional, that is, one that can be read on more than one level.

• Choose one of the above “tools” such as texture or shape and allow it to shine in your poem.

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dVersepoets

from a few months exposure and experience, i can say that as a group, and individually, the quality of interactions with other poets, both in the content of commentary and in the tone of those critiques, this is a supportive imaginative entertaining group with a lot of creative talent

if you’ve had a hankering to be involved with other writers, esp poetry, i feel i can say this has worked for me 😉

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The Shape of Gratitude

the form, the shape, is

inside the stone

i’ve heard, a famous sculptor

once said –

if gratitude is in

the stone of life

how is it found, discovered

in the mix of crumbly and diamond

hard

molecules packed like stone?

does gratitude find the fissure and

split what needs shedding revealing

the expectant-waiting, now

let loose to

breathe?

does

gratitude

softly cloth-scrub the knobby grains and

accept the wave and weave of daily

living

set in stone?

will gratitude

learn

it may be

the real mix is the mesh

of what’s desired and what’s available?

can even angels claim soul’s rights

into any birth?

or is sculpted stone

simply

fluid grace set to rest?

the shape of gratitude is

both

the question, and the answer…

© 2012 felipe adan lerma

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[ material added 041212 ]

this poem, “the shape of gratitude,” is also featured in a new ebook, “Art Poems” –

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The Arts, Dance Yoga Music Art Writing +

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and on a new site, Imperfect Prose, recommended by brian miller, one of the founders of dVersepoets, and a part of a new team at imperfect prose

it will be interesting to see how this new site will develop 😉

g’nite everyone 😉

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

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Other Yoga-Adan Links You Might Like

Yoga Poetry Series

dVersepoets Prompts Series – on yoga-adan.com

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Adan’s Amazon Books Page

FREE eBook : Nice Thing ‘Bout Getting Old(er)


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This post was updated May 03, 2019

21 responses to “dVersepoets dVerse Poetics–Sculpting a Poem, “The Shape of Gratitude””

  1. Reblogged this on © Felipe Adan Lerma – All Rights Reserved and commented:

    Adan’s Gratitudes – The Shape of Gratitude

    Originally posted Feb 25, 2012 – one of my own favorite poems on the “shape” of gratitude via a prompt from poet group dVersePoets – excerpt:

    “can even angels claim soul’s rights
    into any birth?
    or is sculpted stone
    simply
    fluid grace set to rest?”

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    Adan

    Twitter / Instagram / FB @FelipeAdanLerma
    Amazon Author Page – http://author.to/Adans_Amazon_Author_Page
    Fine Art America (FAA) – https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/felipeadan-lerma.html

    Like

  2. A beautiful conceit that you expand so well. I’m sorry that I missed this the first time around and what sounds like one of Victoria’s great prompts.

    Like

    1. thanks anna, and am very glad to have found your work as well, quite intriguing 😉

      Like

  3. i love this adan. i had always thought of gratitude as a soft thing, but here, you infuse it with such strength… a beautiful, tender, yet powerful piece. i hope you’ll continue to join us at imperfect. so glad to have you with us! e.

    Like

    1. emily, thank you so much for your thoughts! and i apologize for not seeing your post, as it was inadvertently placed in my spam folder by wp

      yes, i hope to continue participating with ya’ll at imperfect 😉

      sincerely,

      adan

      Like

  4. tara pohlkotte Avatar

    really great approach, the lines read in a beautiful flow. I really liked this –

    “can even angels claim soul’s rights

    into any birth?” – – glad to have you with us!!

    Like

    1. tara, thank you so much for the kind words 😉

      yea, really like ya’ll’s refrain on the new site (imperfect prose) :

      “‘We’re all just walking each other home.’ – – Ram Dass”

      thanks tara!

      Like

  5. I really like this Adan, idea and execution. Very original in identifying gratitude as your object of inspiration. Very few write about it these days, though it is worthy of more than simple praise or lip service. And so you have done here, bringing our imaginations and emotions to bear on gratitude. Excellent. Thank you.

    Like

    1. thank you charles, sincerely, your comment means a lot 😉

      Like

  6. the shape of gratitude is

    both

    the question, and the answer……very nice..i like the whole idea of giving something abstract a concrete and visible shape…much enjoyed..

    Like

    1. yea, it’s like somethings aren’t complete with the two halves, or maybe not so much not-complete, but create another other wonderful thing, in this case, gratitude; thanks claudia 😉

      Like

  7. Nice meditation on sculpture and relating it to a philosophy of life. I think the repetition of forms of gratitude worked well. I also liked the flow of words here–

    softly cloth-scrub the knobby grains and
    accept the wave and weave of daily
    living
    set in stone?

    Like

    1. thanks blue! yea, i was kinda worried ’bout the repetition at first, and even more so as i saw it was questions beginning to roll, but it felt right; glad you liked it and felt the flow, the latter being something i like to feel as i write, or re-write 😉 thanks again

      Like

  8. This is multilayered and beautiful. Gratefulness sculpts our lives.

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    1. thanks oceangirl! gratefulness, yes i’m beginning find, is a real shaper of our lives 😉

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  9. I really like where you took the prompt, Filipe. There is, indeed, much to reflect upon. My mother, at 91, is the personification of what it means to lead a grateful life. Remind me to be like her!

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    1. wow, 91! yes, if we grow with grace into old age, what a wonderful thing; may we both! remember that 😉

      Like

  10. wow adan you have my head spinning just a bit in thinking this one through…the shape of gratitude alone is enough to ponder but i like that the question and the answer are found one in the same…def will be thinking on this still come morning…smiles.

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    1. i was just shutting down, saw your note, thanks brian

      i’ll take it as a compliment that you’ll still be thinking on this for a bit, that’ll at least make two of us 😉

      it’s something about what i want to discover and what is there, in the stone (life) to be discovered, that together, is where the shape of that day’s moment of gratitude is

      something like that…i think 😉

      g’nite brian 😉

      i’ll catch up on stuff tomorrow too, too tired tonight right now, take care

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      1. nice…it amazes me sometimes what they see in the stone and how they get to it…but they do…and we do as well…sir, i have loved having you on this journey with us…thank you from the bottom of my heart….

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        1. it’s been a pleasure my friend, you and claudia are opening doors and lines of relationships that wouldn’t be otherwise, thank you much, and see you again along the trail 😉

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