The challenge: Hindsight, looking back at an earlier poem with, um, 2020 vision
The focal point: Terza rimas about gratitude from, yes, 2016
Whew. OK. I figured it might be time for a terza rima on gratitude, reprised.
Here goes…
Thanksgiving, 2020
In these four years our hearts have all been skewed –
we’re jumpy now, on guard, and sick with doubt.
This is a different kind of gratitude,
the thinnest thread of hope for the devout
atop a baseline of insistent truth.
There’s so much work to do, day in, day out.
It’s not enough, to fill the voting booths,
it’s not enough to pour into the streets.
We heed the urgent gospel cry of youth
(they’ve had it, folks, and they have got receipts).
It’s time to build the stuff that’s right and just,
to make what’s broken finally complete.
Each stone we add, a sign of stable trust.
We’ll find our way to thankfulness – we must.
Visit my pals at:
Sara
Tanita
Laura
Tricia
Kelly
Andi
And Poetry Friday’s at Carol’s Corner.
Be safe and well, everyone.
Your poems a hopeful call which through hindsight moves into the politics of today–for as you perfectly put it,
“There’s so much work to do, day in, day out.”
and after the last four years we still must,
“find our way to thankfulness – we must.
Thanks!
Oooh, appreciating your craft here, Liz, and of course also your message. It IS the young people who lead us now…we middle-aged and older know-it-alls have got to follow gracefully.
I feel the need to drop this somewhere, so you are the lucky recipient. Here is my daughter, editor in chief of the UMD paper, with a gospel cry for equity. https://dbknews.com/2020/11/24/equity-committee-representation-newsroom-history/ Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Oh, Heidi! So proud of your daughter — and not the slightest bit surprised! I so want their promise to be fulfilled….
I can’t even imagine trying to write about this year in something as complicated as a terza rima and yet you have done it. So, so glad it’s almost over. Counting the days until January 21st. Phew.I especially love the second stanza. Think that pretty much captures me in a nutshell right now.
Oh, that ending! We MUST, we must. I don’t know how else we’ll survive. We need justice and hope and trust like water and air. Thank you.
Beautiful!
“They’ve had it, folks, and they have got receipts” – I cracked up. SO true. I love that this poem isn’t vague hopefulness, but makes finding one’s way to gratitude purposeful action. Brava.
Liz, the last stanza holds such truth and a definitive call to action: from thankfulness to we must
Each stone we add, a sign of stable trust.
We’ll find our way to thankfulness – we must
So. Much. Truth.
Wonderful craft and your rhyming words are so rich with meaning. “They’ve had it folks, and they have got receipts,” is such a call for action. Your poem was a good opportunity to read about the form. Thank you for sharing it.
Oh, this is wonderful! I am feeling “the thinnest thread of hope for the devout”–somewhat skeptical of how we can heal from these horrible four years (and knowing it’s not one horrible leader who feels the way he feels but millions of people who agree with him!) but also trying to lean into that bit of hope. This is such a restrained and skillful poem, Liz, a beautiful counterpoint to the extremely emotional topic. Kudos!
These last two lines:
Each stone we add, a sign of stable trust.
We’ll find our way to thankfulness – we must
Here’s to 2021.