Saturday, October 20, 2012

Prompt #123– Something Magical






There’s just no accounting for happiness,
or the way it turns up like a prodigal
who comes back to the dust at your feet …



I still hear his voice urging
me to bring the brush back
to blend the paint into one
continuous stroke of green.
I don’t know why after 50 years
these words remain
like lyrics of a favorite song
but I keep seeing that Saturday …


Here are five tips:



3. Avoid over-use of adjectives 





  1. Adele! How wonderfully beautiful! I'm so happy for you and for the people who heard you read. We don't have anything like the Dodge Festival here in England -- I so wish that we did, and I thank you for sharing this with us.

    1. Thanks so much, Jamie. Your comment is much appreciated. (I read in England some years ago, and found the audience to be very warm and receptive.)

  2. I was there, Adele -- you were fantastic (there was definitely something magical in that auditorium). The whole festival was extraordinary and something to look forward to in 2014.

    1. Thanks so much, Rich. Never having met in person, I didn't realize that you were in the audience!

  3. Adele, I love you! I have no other words about you and your magic.
    Or was it a spell, a charm?

    1. Oh, Jago (Ales)! How sweet of you! The magic is the poetry and the Dodge Festival makes it so special for thousands of people. How is life in Rome?

    2. You know...In Rome the life is sweet (La dolce Vita)

  4. I was at your reading, saw the reactions of people in the audience, and it was definitely magical!

    There's nothing quite like the Dodge Festival for bringing people who love poetry together in a big way. It was great at Waterloo Village, and Martin Farawell has made a huge success of it in Newark.

    1. Thanks so much for the kind words, Bob! You're right, the Newark festivals have their own special and successful "personality" (a kind of coming-of-age).

    2. Ditto to what Bob said!

  5. Máire Ó Cathail (Ireland)October 22, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    Wonderful example poems, especially the Jane Kenyon, which I haven't seen before.

    As you might guess, poetry is often celebrated here in ireland, and we have heard of the Geraldine R. Dodge Festival in the US - I would say that the Dodge Festival is internationally known and respected.

    Thank you, Adele, for your blog and all the poetry sharing!

    For anyone interested, here's the link to a wonderful site dealing with Celtic poetry:

    Máire Ó Cathail (Ireland)

    1. Thanks so much for your comment, Maire—it's always great to hear from you!

      I know there's a big annual poetry festival in Strokestown (Co. Roscommon), the town in which my ancestors were born.


    2. Máire Ó Cathail (Ireland)October 24, 2012 at 3:55 PM

      I've been to the Strokestown festival, and it's grand. (I suspect much smaller than your Dodge Festival, but grand nonetheless.)

  6. I walk down this path
    my life is a mystery
    Autumn chills the air

    1. Wonderful, Risa! I love the nuance you create in so few words. Again, your "to the point style" rocks!

    2. Lovely! Once again you've "said it all" in just a few words, evoking the "spirit" of the autumn season (as a metaphor as well as actual).

      I hope you're planning a book of these short, pithy poems.

    3. Very nice, Risa! The brevity works!

  7. Thank you Adele,Jamie and Rich! Yes, I am planning a book. Since re-connecting with Adele and writing with these wonderful prompts, I have quite a collection. Your kind words are so encouraging.