I AM BEAUTIFUL NOW, a poem and your next Wednesday Writing Prompt

I have been searching

Old Woman

and I find her
in
mySelf

Daughters of Copper Woman, Ann Cameron



In case you haven’t noticed, I’m beautiful now,
beautiful in ways I never was in callow youth …
On fire now with the violet fire of soul speak,
treading a lighter path with a brighter spirit.
·
Sparking pink tourmaline, green jade, amethyst.
Blue sapphire flashing through the cloud of my being,
shooting stars in a cobalt sky of my heart.
I shed the pyrite, lead, hematite, the heavy, the dross.
Lost in a whisper of indigo dreams,
like a gray sparrow feather –
I float through Eternity,
a fragile-strong willow-wisp of joy.
·
In case you haven’t noticed, I am beautiful now,
beautiful in the way of all young women in that
once-upon-a-time when they were old.

© 2019, Jamie Dedes; photograph Beautiful Old Lady from Darap (Sikkim) Village courtesy of Sukanto Debnath from Hyderabad, India under licensed  Creative CommonsAttribution 2.0 Generic.

WEDNESDAY WRITING PROMPT

An old poem shared today, somewhat rewritten in honor of the soon-to-be celebration of my sixty-ninth year. I may be a minority, but I find old-age gratifying.  It some ways, life is easier and things are certainly clearer than they’ve ever been.  How about you? What are your thoughts on aging? Tell us in your poem/s.

Share them on theme in the comments section below or leave a link to it/them. All poems on theme are published on next Tuesday.

 No poems submitted through email or Facebook will be published. 

IF this is your first time joining us for The Poet by Day, Wednesday Writing Prompt, please send a brief bio and photo to me at thepoetbyday@gmail.com to introduce yourself to the community … and to me :-). These are partnered with your poem/s on first publication.

PLEASE send the bio ONLY if you are with us on this for the first time AND only if you have posted a poem (or a link to one of yours) on theme in the comments section below.  

Deadline:  Monday, February 11 by 8 pm standard.

Anyone may take part Wednesday Writing Prompt, no matter the status of your career: novice, emerging or pro.  It’s about exercising the poetic muscle, showcasing your work, and getting to know other poets who might be new to you. This is a discerning non-judgemental place to connect.

You are welcome – encouraged – to share your poems in a language other than English but please accompany it with a translation into English.


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Poet and writer, I was once columnist and associate editor of a regional employment publication. I currently run this site, The Poet by Day, an information hub for poets and writers. I am the managing editor of The BeZine published by The Bardo Group Beguines (originally The Bardo Group), a virtual arts collective I founded.  I am a weekly contributor to Beguine Again, a site showcasing spiritual writers. My work is featured in a variety of publications and on sites, including: Levure littéraure, Ramingo’s PorchVita Brevis Literature,Compass Rose, Connotation PressThe Bar None GroupSalamander CoveSecond LightI Am Not a Silent PoetMeta / Phor(e) /Play, and California Woman. My poetry was recently read by Northern California actor Richard Lingua for Poetry Woodshed, Belfast Community Radio. I was featured in a lengthy interview on the Creative Nexus Radio Show where I was dubbed “Poetry Champion.”


The BeZine: Waging the Peace, An Interfaith Exploration featuring Fr. Daniel Sormani, Rev. Benjamin Meyers, and the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi among others

“What if our religion was each other. If our practice was our life. If prayer, our words. What if the temple was the Earth. If forests were our church. If holy water–the rivers, lakes, and ocean. What if meditation was our relationships. If the teacher was life. If wisdom was self-knowledge. If love was the center of our being.” Ganga White, teacher and exponent of Yoga and founder of White Lotus, a Yoga center and retreat house in Santa Barbara, CA

“Every pair of eyes facing you has probably experienced something you could not endure.” Lucille Clifton