Hello, beautiful readers! Colleen's #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge focused on writing a specific form of poetry this week. Colleen asked Sally Cronin to choose a form, and she chose the Butterfly Cinquain.
Last week, I wrote a Butterfly Cinquain for the #TastetheRainbow challenge. For those of you who missed it, this form is a nine-line poem with a syllabic pattern of 2-4-6-8-2-8-6-4-2. Colleen explains to us that it is technically not a cinquain but rather borrows the Crapsey Cinquain form and then reverses it. Since its form looks like a butterfly's wings, it was given the name Butterfly Cinquain.
This week, I've struggled a bit with how single-minded, closed-minded, selfish, and high-and-mighty some people in our world are and how they don't care how their words and actions affect others. It's made my soul feel heavy, and I've spent many a moment meditating on it.
As an Army brat, I was privileged to live in different countries on various continents because of my father's assignments. I experienced vastly unique cultures and loved them all. I met people from all walks of life, and each setting taught me something new and helped me grow as a person. Even within the USA, each state is unique and beautiful with its different food, music, accents, and landscapes.
Because of my experiences, I've made it my mission to take my son on road trips to every state in our country so that he, too, can understand and appreciate the beauty, wonder, and richness of each place. I want him to realize that people have different viewpoints and experiences which shape them into the people they are. I want him to understand and accept that there is no "one way" that fits all people.
So, when I started contemplating this week's poem, I started off with indignation, but I took a few cleansing breaths and chose to focus on spreading a message of diversity and wonder. Once I changed my mindset, two poems came to me. So, I hope you enjoy them both.
tasty rainbow
some sweet, some savory
each region tantalizes tongues
cuisine
as eccentric as the country
soulful, vibrant, sundry
delicious blends
flourish
wander
to the unknown
see life through new lenses
it's time to add spice to your life
travel
learn from cultures around the world
embrace diversity
open your mind
explore
I'd love to hear about some of your travels and what you've learned from them. Share in the comments below. :-)
I love your poems, Yvette. I lived in Japan for five years and that experience forever changed me. You've captured the uniqueness and preciousness of different cultures -- beautifully. 😊
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gwen! I lived in South Korea for three years as a child when my dad was stationed there. I don't remember everything, but the memories I do have are beautiful. My nanny was a Korean woman who spoke very little English, so she taught us Korean. I wish I would have continued to learn the language after we moved, but sadly, I did not and don't remember any of it. I'm hoping to revisit the country one day. Thank you for sharing your experience with me. :-)
DeleteThose are both lovely poems, Yvette. And yes, sometimes the close mindedness and selfishness of people is a heavy feeling to deal with. I love how you turned those negative feelings around into something positive and beautiful. And I also love that you want your son to experience many different places. You are creating lasting memories. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jan! I've learned that I can control how I react to things, so I'm practicing shifting my mindset so I only carry positive energy (as much as possible). My son and I are now only missing three states - Vermont, Arizona, and Hawaii. We are travelling to Arizona this summer. We hope to hit Vermont in the Fall since he's never seen the changing of the leaves. And Hawaii may be next summer if I can figure out how to save enough money for such a trip. If not, it will be the following summer. Thanks for visiting with me. I always enjoy your company. :-)
DeleteThere’s so much diversity that we must embrace if we’re ever to live in peace. Love these, Yvi 💕🙂 (Harmony Kent)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Harmony! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :-)
DeleteThose spices look tantalizing! How lucky we are to live in a world where we can sample the cuisine of so many cultures. I myself have not traveled much, but living in NYC I have a multitude of cultures all around me. It saddens me as well that so many expect everyone to conform to what they believe, and to live the way they live, as if the world had room for no other ideas or experiences.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Kerfe! I do understand that some people live in a place where they are only surrounded by people who look and think like them, but you and I are privileged to live surrounded by a beautiful multitude of cultures (you in NYC and me in Miami). I find myself blessed to learn from those who are different from me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts today. :-)
DeleteI have yet to visit the UK, but I hope to do so one day. I've been focusing on showing my son our country and will finish before he turns 18. Then, hopefully, I'll get back to exploring other countries. I am blessed that my parents taught me to live within my means and to choose experiences over materialist things. So, every year I save money to go somewhere outside Florida. Every place I've lived and visited has impacted me in some way, and I am grateful for each experience. Thanks for sharing your story with me, Colleen! :-)
ReplyDeleteA well crafted tribute to diversity and open mindedness, Yvette. You're right, we cannot expect everyone to be like us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Mark. I'm happy you enjoyed my poem. :-)
DeleteThis is Jules... From TT/WP
ReplyDeleteI've gotten to go out of the country and to several states for my husbands business (before he retired). I enjoyed seening Pompeii in Italy, and Lake Michigan in Port Washintion, WI.
I've also lived in several state. Sometimes even the neighborhoods in the same states have different 'flavors' :)
You are so right, Jules. Here in Miami, our various neighborhoods literally have different flavors. Lol! You can get Haitian, Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Indian, Greek, and Spanish food depending on which neighborhood you're visiting. The music and culture are also very different in each area. I have yet to visit Pompeii but it's on my list. Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. :-)
DeleteHey, Yvette. I love to know these facts about you. One is really not complete until they’ve seen/felt how others live. When one does the world becomes a much friendlier and more wholesome place. Your two poems are spectacular. You captured this sentiment in your words. Precious form. Amazing, you. Thanks for sharing. Stay sweet. XoXo
ReplyDeleteYou are so kind. I always think of the idiom: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. Our experiences, our culture, our upbringing, and our location shape us into the person we become. Compassion, empathy, and kindness go a long way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me (and for the compliments). :-)
DeleteBoth are amazing Yvette, coming from a similar background I found it then and still do difficult in the face of so much ill conceived bias and bigatory.. Your son is very lucky to have seen how others live and it will stand him in good stead in college and in the wider world.. ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. It is my hope that my son leads his life with respect, compassion, acceptance, and empathy. :-)
DeleteOh, Yvette - I don't think I can fully express in words how much I agree with your thinking... That human diversity is what I most love about our online poetry community.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
David
Thanks for sharing that with me, David. I, too, love our eclectic poetry community. I love seeing life through one another's perspective. :-)
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