Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A Farewell and an Explanation


Does that sound ominous enough? Sheesh! Once again I find myself writing a post after 100 days of poetry. Oh I exaggerate. Just a bit. But does the poem that wasn't part of a meme count? I guess it does - sorry!

Well, you'll be safe from poetry & other assorted memes for a few days at least - Dr. M & I are headed to NC on Friday to visit the family (it's his parents' wedding anniversary). We're coming back next Tuesday. I may or may not post while we're gone - depends on how rude I think I can get away with being. Heh. Ooh – maybe I'll get Daddy to write the Wordzzle!


Senior Picture

I wanted to talk a little bit about the poem from yesterday. When I was a senior in college I took a January mini course which involved a trip to the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati (little did I know then that I would be working in Cincinnati 11 years later). We were visiting the "inner city" and helping with various projects - cleaning out apartments, working in soup kitchens, and helping with the Free Store Food Bank. I kept a journal as part of the class & mostly wrote poems. Yesterday's poem was about my experience of working intake at the Free Store. One of the workers was telling a mother to make her baby shut up. My 21 year old idealistic self was aghast.

So I just wrote what I was feeling.

Some of the other poems from that journal may show up elsewhere on the interwebs in the next few days. I'll definitely point you in the right direction if they do. I think that personally I'm done with them for now. I ache for that girl's naïve belief that she could fix the world & that the world wanted to be fixed. I didn't really turn into a real bleeding heart liberal until much later. But in January, in Over-the-Rhine, the seed was planted.

14 comments:

  1. where would the world be without the idealism of youth?

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  2. Have a terrific time, beautiful lady/clever girl!

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  3. Well it was still just as effecive and still stands up to today
    Have a great trip to NC

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  4. Can I just personally slap the above poster for you? Even with comment moderation, the idiots still try to post to my blog.

    Have a wonderful time in NC! Safe journeys. ;c)

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  5. Love your picture!! And your poetry.

    Have a nice drive to N.C. xx

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  6. Enjoy your trip and return safely.

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  7. Dana, I'm just now reading the poem, and thank you for your explanation. I can identify with the mother in your poem.

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  8. I'm trying to catch up--been awol. Have a great trip to NC, and hope the celebration is a smash. You will be missed!

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  9. If we have nothing else, we have our hopes, our dreams, and our ideals. And what better to way to understand them than to express them in poetry. I hope you have a great time in NC :)

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  10. Dear The Bug,
    They're up! The first three, today (friday) and the last three (saturday) And they are so wonderful. Thank you for letting me post them.

    I think they add a lot to the discussion I have been having, mostly because they are so fine on their own.

    http://auntiehathaway.blogspot.com/2010/07/volunteer-charity-poems-from-point-of.html

    Very truly yours,
    Ann T.

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  11. A long, long time ago, I was that idealistic too! Hoep you have a lovely time in NC.

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  12. There's something for you to seehere today, if you check in...

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  13. I think we'd all be better off if we could maintain some healthy idealism!

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Thanks for stopping by - I'd love to hear what you have to say!

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