Hello, blog friends ~
I've another poem and reflection to share. This week, Melissa Lemay is the host of Tanka Tuesday, and she asks that interested folks create a Hautt poem, which she describes as:
My contribution is inspired by an experience I had fifteen years ago. I'll explain:
I've another poem and reflection to share. This week, Melissa Lemay is the host of Tanka Tuesday, and she asks that interested folks create a Hautt poem, which she describes as:
- content-driven, pursuing “wisdom and eternal truth”;
- a hexastich poem of six lines;
- syllabic with 4-5-2-2-5-4 syllables; and
- unrhymed.
My contribution is inspired by an experience I had fifteen years ago. I'll explain:
In 2011, I was working at a college located near Camp Pendleton in California. At that time, large numbers of Marines and Soldiers were returning from service in the Middle East, and many enrolled in classes at the college. Almost all of these Veterans dealt with post-traumatic stress, but many also had physical injuries. Their world contrasted starkly with that of the other students.
I transformed my office complex into a Veterans Center for these young men to congregate. Then, on May 2, 2011, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed. I walked into the complex that morning, saw the disillusion, and was told, "No one cares!" These brave men had imagined that their fellow students would thank them or at least acknowledge this pivotal event. No one did.
I share this personal story as a reminder that we see through our own experience. On campus that fateful day, students had organized to complain that the coffee cart didn't have the flavors they wanted. The Veterans were right -- their classmates didn't know or care about Osama bin Laden.
Harper Lee powerfully wrote, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
With Lee's words in mind, I've created my short Hautt poem. I hope you like it.
I transformed my office complex into a Veterans Center for these young men to congregate. Then, on May 2, 2011, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was killed. I walked into the complex that morning, saw the disillusion, and was told, "No one cares!" These brave men had imagined that their fellow students would thank them or at least acknowledge this pivotal event. No one did.
I share this personal story as a reminder that we see through our own experience. On campus that fateful day, students had organized to complain that the coffee cart didn't have the flavors they wanted. The Veterans were right -- their classmates didn't know or care about Osama bin Laden.
Harper Lee powerfully wrote, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
With Lee's words in mind, I've created my short Hautt poem. I hope you like it.
May your week be filled with laughter, and may your crossroads be simple ones. 😊 I'm heading to Phoenix for several days, where my husband has multiple appointments related to his accident. It's a dreaded drive, but I'm hoping we'll be surprised by a miracle. ❤️
RSS Feed