Celebrating National Poetry Month with "Sign of the Covenant"

Sign of the Covenant

Look to the rainbow

the sign of the covenant God said He made

between me, you and every living creature of all flesh

an infusion of mystical particles

magically sprinkling colorful sparkles through the clouds

where rain exits and the sun enters

acknowledging each other’s presence by uniting

forming an arch of unbelievable vibrant colors

admired by those who look up

and recognize the sign of hope and promise

all within the color wheel of a rainbow.

After the great flood in the beginning

lasting forty days upon the earth

waters increasing high above the land

where even the mountaintops could not be seen

as the waters subsided

God commanded Noah and his house to go forth

to breed abundantly

declaring never again shall the mighty waters

of a great flood

come to destroy all flesh and the earth.

Look to the rainbow

tis the sign of promise for all future generations

in all of its magnificence in shades of royal flair

a blessed covenant from God

wrapped in unyielding reassurance

knowing that He will never forsake you

confident He’ll always be there!

*This poem, Sign of the Covenant, is from the book Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit (2009)

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds,

I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

- Genesis 9:12-16 (NIV)

National Poetry Month Poem of the Day: A Flourishing Root System

A Flourishing Root System

What are you grounded in?

What do you feed your soul?

Do you have what it takes to bear good fruit

when the harvest approaches to unfold?

What shows on the outside begins from within

prune to remove the elements that block your growth.

If you feed your spirit with hate

animosity, jealousy, envy and greed

so too shall your soul grow and flourish in these things.

If your spirit is fed with love

sharing, giving, compassion and truth

so too shall your soul be blessed

to grow and flourish in these things.

What you feed yourself with

will be passed on to your offspring

and the legacy continues

growing and flourishing in these things.

From afar

regal and towering

a century year old oak tree stands

swooping branches and sprawling limbs

enduring years of hurricanes, tornados and drought.

What’s the fate of a tree so old

weakening to finally succumb to the elements

yet looking around

at the tender young seedlings underneath

revealing the next generation to carry on.

A seed planted on solid fertile ground

can germinate to shelter, heal or bond.

The tainted seed can debilitate a country

breakup a family

destroy a community

or simply drive you crazy.

A weed will rob nearby energy sources

strengthening its root system

a nuisance multiplying like wild fire

an infestation that needs extermination.

Lack of a good healthy root system

breeds a poison with deadly consequences.

A seed once planted

should not be abandoned

snaking its way in contaminated darkness

give it water and nutrients

fertilize with goodness and understanding

be proud of the abundance that you sow.

“He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
- Jeremiah 17:8 (NIV)

This poem was published in the book "Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit" in 2009.

"Facets of Dawn:" A Poem from the book Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit

“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

- Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

Facets of Dawn

(2006 Grand Prize Winner of the Oneswan Productions

Writing Competition)

Placidly in the call of morning’s innocence

the eastern sun begins to slowly ascend

silence is broken by the stirring of life

familiar sounds declaring night’s impending end.

Flavors of dew sprinkling over the slumbering milieu

delightful aromas permeating fresh air

chromatic mist sparkles like the magic of fairy dust

invigorating zest bursting with psychedelic flair.

A time to pray, reflect and praise

planting, nourishing and reaping

exterminating the weeds of asphyxiation

abundant harvest for sharing not keeping.

Here I am oh gracious and precious LORD

what purpose will you have for me today?

Will it change on tomorrow or remain the same

an assignment too great to ignore or cast away.

Through grace we cannot grow weary

called to do that which is lawfully right

the work of the righteous is not yet finished

dedicated laborers are pleasing in God’s sight.

Time is of the quintessential essence

tides of spiritual vexation are on the rise

beckoning for strength corrupting the enemy’s work

thanksgiving for the ultimate eternal prize.

For the present is past, existing nevermore

look towards the hill, as dusk slowly erases day

a cornucopia of blessings for your faithful work

gratitude that won’t easily fade away.

Celebrating National Poetry Month, we are featuring this poem which appears in the book, Diversities of Gifts: Same Spirit by Author Kym Gordon Moore. (2009)

Movie Trailer for "Poetry" from South Korean Filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong

To continue celebrating National Poetry Month, I wanted to share this touching movie trailer that I came across called "Poetry." This is a movie about loss and discovery. I have not had an opportunity to see the full version of this movie and I don't know if it is available in English, but if anyone runs across the full version, please let me know. It looks like it will be worth seeing.

The movie Poetry, which was written and directed by South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong, recently won the Regard d'Or Award at the Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland. The movie, about a woman in her sixties who decides to take a poetry class at an adult-education center, also took honors for best screenplay at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. I included that trailer below, so please watch and enjoy!

Tea & Poetry Book Club: April is National Poetry Month

Although April is National Poetry Month, we should enjoy the sheer pageantry of words that perform on the pages of many chapbooks and poetry books every day. The Tea & Poetry Book Club encourages you to grab a book of poetry and a cup of tea, and then allow the flavors of the two mediums to transport you to a serene place of enlightenment, enjoyment and education.

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture (poets.org). The Academy of American Poets led this initiative from its inception in 1996 and along the way enlisted a variety of government agencies and officials, educational leaders, publishers, sponsors, poets, and arts organizations to help.

So engage in celebrating the beauty of poetry. Attend a poetry reading, go to the library and check out some books on poetry, go to your neighborhood bookstore and buy a book from your favorite author, organize a group of friends to meet, read and discuss one or a few poems or you can go to this link and subscribe to receiving a Poem-A-Day from the Academy of American Poets http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/345.

Today, I am sipping a cup of Earl Grey Green tea, reading one of my favorite poems “Still I Rise” by my favorite poet, Maya Angelou. Grab yourself a cup of tea and Enjoy!

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

Here's to a cup of tea and a bit of poetry!
http://www.kymgmoore.com/

Tea & Poetry Book Club Celebration



Tea & Poetry Book Club

Who is your favorite poet and what is your favorite poem? As you know, we will celebrate National Poetry Month in April. To me, poetry is the ability to create a literary art form where language makes its unique melody through the aesthetics of words. I always found that regardless of the season, I embrace sipping on a nice cup of one of my favorite flavored hot teas, while reading some poetry. A cup of hot tea and reading your favorite poem are classic traveling companions.

Many individuals, book clubs, libraries and social groups will be celebrating April with a variety of events to embrace and commemorate the fine art of poetry. Throughout the month, I will be highlighting something significant in the world of poetry, whether it’s a book, a poet, an event or a poem.

My Tea & Poetry Book Club Celebration will begin on April 1st. I invite you to share with me the name of your favorite flavor of hot tea, your favorite poet, your favorite poem and your favorite place where you enjoy your delightful cup of tea, when reading your poetry. Stay tuned. There’s more to come from my Tea & Poetry Book Club!

http://www.kymgmoore.com/

April is National Poetry Month!

We are celebrating National Poetry Month during the month of April. In 1996, the Academy of American Poets established this month long national celebration of poetry. According to Poets.org, The concept is to widen the attention of individuals and the media—to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern. To learn more about the Academy of American Poets, visit their website at http://www.poets.org/.

I would also like to share an article listing 12 Ways to Write a Poem, that I found on Oprah.com. This article gives some simple tips if you want to pursue poetry composition. I also urge you to research and learn about the various types of poetry that make up this wonderful craft.

Happy Writing!
From Behind the Pen,
Kym Gordon Moore
http://www.kymgmoore.com/