Friday, July 17, 2015

quiet your mind

BigTime Blogging Challenge, day 17! We've come so far! Today we're trying our hands at poetry. Write a poem, share one of your favorites, share a poetry lesson... the choice is yours, writers!

How often do you stop
in the moments
to listen
to the world around you,
to make that buzzing
in your mind

How often do you investigate noises
in nature, take in a full breath
of fresh air
away from the noise
of the city?

Here.... there are
no sirens
no fire trucks
no trains rushing overhead.
No one argues
outside your yoga class
where you go
to quiet your mind.

huge sticks take up new residence
on the forest floor, and
birds dive
into bushes, and
a baby dogwood reaches
for the sky.
Rocks crunch
under your feet, and
a daddy long legs runs
for cover.
Raindrops unite
in a spider's web, and there
they glisten.

It's so much easier
to quiet your mind,
to be absorbed by your surroundings,
to hear the squirrel chatter,
to catch that pesky mosquito,
to dodge raindrops that
fall from leaves overhead,
without all the distractions
of the big, beautiful, bustling city
so much.

Yesterday I spent the day at Cantigny Park and Gardens. Part of the Illinois Writing Project Summer Leadership Institute involves one day of Marathon Writing, where writers leave their classrooms for places of great inspiration. We write all through the day, building stamina as we progress. This poem was written there.

Get the details for this challenge here!


  1. I love this poem!

  2. Cantigny is right by where I grew up! I can't believe you were WAY out here and I didn't know! Sad face!

  3. Wonderful post! Thank you for this!


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