SPRINGTIME WITH MAGNETIC POETRY
Earlier this week I decided to play around with words using the online Magnetic Nature Poetry Kit. It went pretty well at first, but then I couldn’t seem to find the right words. I wanted to write about springtime but also about how each day is new. Finally, since it was late I copied what I had into a document and shut down my computer.
Then, the next day I tried writing my own words but kept getting stuck. The words would not come. Later, a friend reminded me that I could put words together in the magnetic kit to make new words. So I decided to try that. It worked pretty well at first. In fact I even went to all the trouble to copy it and overlay it on a photo. Actually, I tried a couple of different photos and filters so it took quite awhile.
In the meantime I went back to the partial poem I had saved. Then I finished it up using my own words, not worrying about whether or not I could form them with the kit.
Which One is Best?
Even though I had done all the work to put the magnetic poem on a photo, I wasn’t satisfied. It didn’t flow as well as I would have liked, and some of the words just didn’t feel right. I would like to share both here to give you a chance to pick which one you like the most. The first will be from the magnetic kit where words are limited. You can see where I had to combine words to get one to fit. The second one only partially used words from the kit. All the stanzas in both poems begin with the same line. Also each stanza is a haiku.
Springtime Poem #1
Fingers of light stretch
As dawn comes to a moist earth
Spring is beautiful
Flower blossoms thrive
Beneath the bright warm sunshine
Fresh breezes rustle
Forest trees give shade
Sweet bird songs between the boughs
Make my spirit soar
Springtime Poem #2
Fingers of light stretch
While morning dew soaks the earth
I wake up refreshed
Flower blossoms thrive
Beneath the golden sun rays
Gentle breezes blow
Forest trees give shade
As sweet bird songs fill the air
My heart beats with joy
I asked my husband which he liked best. So we compared them stanza by stanza. He liked the first two best in poem # 2, but the last stanzas of each he liked equally. I tended to agree with him.
I’m glad God gives us the ability to create. Even when things don’t turn out like we want, there is so much we can learn from the process. God can take our failures and use them for good in our lives. There is always hope.
No matter which poem you choose, I hope you are encouraged to enjoy the beauty in each day no matter what the season. May you find joy in even the small things.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the poems and about your own creative processes. Feel free to share in the comments section.
I’m linking up with #CoffeeforYourHeart, #TestimonyTuesday, #TellHisStory, #TeaAndWord, #porchstories, #LMMLinkup, #HeartEncouragement, #TuneInThursday, #FreshMarketFriday, #DanceWithJesus, #Glimpses, #MomentsofHope
I had a hard time choosing my favorite, but lean more to #2. It is so frustrating when those words just wont come. Thanks for sharing your words with us friend. Blessed to be your neighbor at Three Word Wednesday this week.
So glad you stopped by, Tara! Yes, I like the first one okay, and I almost used its last stanza for both, but decided to keep them as two separate but similar poems.
Blessings to you! xo
I haven’t done a lot of poetry and when i write for my blog it is often just what comes to mind, but i have started re-editing and noticing it helps make me a better a writer. I love reading your poems. I liked the second one just a little more than the first. 🙂
I often just write what comes to mind, too, Amanda. It’s only recently that I’ve been writing more and more poems. And it is true that writing more often and editing does help us improve.
I’m so glad you love reading my poems. That’s so encouraging to me. Thanks for stopping by. Blessings to you!
Another beautiful post, my friend. God bless you!
Thank you so much, Cheryl! Blessings to you!
Loved peeking into your world and creative processes! I so respect and admire you (and others) who can and do write poetry. It has never been in my wheelhouse so I cn just relax and enjoy the delight yours brings!
Thank you so much, Pam! I’m glad you enjoy my poetry. 🙂 I’ll bet you could write some, too. 🙂 Many blessings to you!
Dear Gayl,
I love both poems! And I cannot choose between them, because for me it’s like comparing apples and oranges–I like each one for its own unique style. 🙂 I still haven’t been brave enough to try out the magnetic poetry, but I am so glad that you and Joy continue to offer it for us to read. So far, it’s been enough for me to pare down my words for the Haiku challenge, and it’s a lesson in itself for more stillness for me! Thank you for opening the window into your creative process, Dear Friend! You are a blessing to me! xoxo
Thank you, Bettie! I waited awhile before I tried the magnetic poetry. It was kind of intimidating to me, but Joy and Kat gave me some pointers and I jumped in. 🙂 Sometimes I still struggle with it, but I do enjoy the challenge.
I love how you’ve taken on the haiku challenge. Your poems are beautiful! One day maybe you’ll get the desire to try the magnetic. 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement to me. You’re a blessings to me, too! Love and hugs! xoxo
I think I like #2 as well, although both are nice. 🙂 My first picture book came out as a rhyming poem even though I really didn’t mean for it to. Sometimes rhyme can be pleasing to the ear.
Thanks for sharing at Literacy Musing Mondays.
Thank you, Brandi. Yes, there is a time for rhyming, and picture books are perfect for rhyming poems!
Thanks for hosting at #LMMLinkup! I appreciate all your work.
Have a great weekend! Blessings!
Hi Gayl, you poems are always beautiful. Both are nice but I like the second more.
How are you?
Hugs
Thank you so much, Ifeoma. I am well and spending time to help out my daughter again this week. Hope you are well!
Love and hugs! xo
Hi, Gayl:
I love to create too! I enjoy the IPPCY program, free, and I take my nature photos and use the text link to place Scriptures on it. I use often for Facebook to encourage others. It’s fun because I created it instead of posting someone else’s work, although I do that too! I like the second example and I like the way the poem goes with the picture!
Hi saleslady371! I’ve never heard of the IPPCY program, but it must be nice to use. I use GIMP and Picmonkey mostly when I need to add poem or scriptures to a photo. It sounds like you and I are similar in that we like to use our work for encouraging others. ?
Thanks so much for your encouragement. Nice to “meet” you today!
Blessings and have a great weekend!
#2 is really nice. I like the idea of shade. I looked out the window yesterday and saw our crabapple in full bloom in the sun and it had shade. I thought, wow, shade under the tree. It looked so weird when all of the rest of the trees haven’t bloomed yet. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, I’m sure your crabapple tree looked beautiful with the sun and shade! A bright spot among those that haven’t bloomed. 🙂 Years ago, when we live in Plainfield, NJ, we had a crabapple tree. The blossoms are so pretty.
Thanks for visiting. Blessings to you!
Gayl,methinks you’ve been a bit hard on yourself here. Both poems are lovely in their own right, just as Bettie says. The creative process can be challenging at times, especially when we’re relying on the unknown choices thrown up by playing magnetic poetry online. And you’ve added the art of making haiku into the mix, thus adding to the thrill and frustration in equal measure! Well done on achieving your goal with verve and flow, particularly with the second poem. Images help tremendously, don’t they? I find they take me longer to source and edit than the poems take to write! I admire your drive, determination, perseverance and patience, as well as your creative skill. Keep up the good work, my friend! xoxo
Joy, you and Bettie are always so encouraging to me. Maybe you’re right about being a little too hard on myself. 🙂 I still need to let go of some perfectionist tendencies. Thank you for confirming the creative process can be challenging at times. Images definitely help, and you are right about them sometimes taking longer than writing the poem!
Thank you so much for your encouragement and compliments. It means a lot coming from you. Many blessings to you with love and hugs! xo
Gayl – I love how you share your creative process – I have always been a show me or walk me through it type learner. I like both poems for different reasons, but my favorite is #2 Thank you for linking up this week at #TuneInThursday
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Debbie. I appreciate your encouragement. I’m pretty much a show or walk me through learner, too. It’s just easier to see things demonstrated rather than just read words.
Glad you like both poems. Thanks for hosting your link up! Blessings to you!
Gayl these are lovely! I love both almost equally yikes! I like the word boughs for some reason. I think I veer toward words that aren’t used as much? I like the uniqueness of them. Also the word refreshed especially stands out to me. It is part of my new relaunch tagline!
Thank you Meghan. I’m glad you enjoyed the poems. I also like to find words that aren’t used as often, but sometimes I just use familiar words. I love the word refreshed, too, because it’s so calming and full of hope.
Thanks for visiting and may God bless! xo