the poetry practice - writing your way to hope and healing
POEM AND EXERCISE OF THE MONTH

First, take a look at the poem.
Read it silently to yourself.
Then read it aloud one or two times.

Here is the poem:

VARIATION ON A THEME BY RILKE : DENISE LEVERTOV
A certain day became a presence to me;
there it was, confronting me--a sky, air, light:
a being. And before it started to descend
from the height of noon, it leaned over
and struck my shoulder as if with
the flat of a sword, granting me
honor and a task. The day's blow
rang out, metallic--or it was I, a bell awakened,
and what I heard was my whole self
saying and singing what it knew: I can
QUESTIONS FOR WRITING:

Ask yourself the following questions in relation to the poem, and write about the ones that call out to you.

-Can you describe a day in your life when everything felt just right? Perhaps an "aha" moment when you were "struck on the shoulder?"

-What does it mean to be, as the poem says, "a bell-awakened?" How could you become more "bell-awakened" in your own life?

-Begin a piece of writing with the words, "I can," and go from there. If you get stuck, start with the words "I can" once again.

These are some simple writing prompts to get you started. The poem may inspire other ideas; there are no wrong ways to write.

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