Prompt 500

Hello poets,

Barbara’s Day 9 prompt is to write a poem using special knowledge. Do you have special knowledge? Or knowledge special to you? It’s easier to go with the latter, I feel. Here’s the link.

9) What Do You Know?

If you’re feeling bleary eyed already about this daily writing habit, you don’t really have to write daily. Just one in a couple of days would be fine too. That’s what I tell myself. You should smell the flowers first then write about them. Conversely you could also read about the flowers first and then go find them to smell. That means when you read you’re sent on a quest. And when you write, then the quest is related to poetry. Bingo!

Of Azaleas, Rhododendrons and Magnolias

Delving deeper, into azaleas,
rhododendrons and magnolias—
learning what my Chinese name meant
so late in life, romantic and passionate—
you would have knowledge special to you;
knowledge imbued you with something
to hold on to in a fragmented world,
might lead you to think,
isn’t the universe meant to teach you
something; as you learned more
wouldn’t you be more steeped
in the world you find yourself in,
wouldn’t you have thoughts
like a beacon shining a light
on your consciousness, and
wouldn’t you, steadily reading, long
to smell their perfumed notes?