Hello, beautiful readers! It's been another busy week for me filled with hanging out with family and friends. On Saturday, one of my poets performed in Piano Slam, which is a spoken word competition that also includes music and dance. My poet made the top 13 out of about 200 entries. She performed her poem perfectly, and I'm so proud of her.
Though I missed out on some great prompts last week, I'm starting off this week combining two. The first is dVerse's Quadrille #246: Let's get digging prompt. Punam invites us to write a quadrille (a poem with exactly 44 words) using the word dig. It can be a version of the word or a word with 'dig' inside it. I've chosen to use dug and dignity.
The second prompt is Melissa's Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #369 which provided the image below. I remember seeing displays of blue, iridescent butterflies in cases back in the '80s, and I always felt so bad for those butterflies.
life ended too soon
butterflies in glass coffins
no grave dug to lay them to rest
preserved for their elegance
trophies for selfish collectors
beautifully displayed in row
but no dignity given
if only we could cherish life
as much as we value art
Would you like to write a poem for either of these prompts? Click the links below:
Yvette, congrats to your poet who did so well in competition. Do you teach your students poetry?
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful poem. When art is the body parts of the innocent, no thanks.
Thank you, Lisa! Yes, I teach poetry to my students. I usually only get to one or two poems in my intensive reading classes, but my poetry club reads various poems and writes their own poems as well. I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteIf it is for any other purpose than scientific the practice is terrible.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the idea of them being killed for science, either. I'm okay with them being studied for science once they have died. They don't live long lives, so scientists can wait. Thanks for visiting, Bjorn! :-)
DeleteBeautifully said, Yvette. Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about those displays. Xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, Denise! They always make me sad. I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteGreat piece Yvette 🩷
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ange! I appreciate you visiting. :-)
DeleteCongratulations, Yvette! How wonderful!❤️
ReplyDeleteLove your thoughtful Q. I too don't dig these kind of displays.
Thank you, Punam! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteBeautifully done, Yvette! And congratulations to your poet!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jan! I am very proud of her. Thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeleteA well written poem, Yvette.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maria! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteI saw a similar display at a museum. I wonder how they were collected? Butterflies are meant to be free.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Truedessa! Thanks for visiting! :-)
DeleteYvette, your poem drove home a great point. The part about cherishing life the way we value art! Beautiful poem and something to definitely think about.
ReplyDeleteThank you, O'Nika! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteI too have always hated the practice of killing and 'pinning ' butterflies, any beauty in the display eclipsed by the horror.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Rosemary! Thanks for stopping by. :-)
Deleteloved reading your story/poem to the 'dig' prompt.... love those poetry slams...i've always wanted to go... mark the day but the fear of reading keeps me back... anyhow, your poem about butterflies love it... when i was very young i had a crush on the boy across the street... he was much older than i was... when he showed me his collection of butterflies in glass glasses it was very hard not to start crying... he was so proud... my young heart ached... there were so many individual glass cases and the butterflies were so very very beautiful.... i never felt the same about him and never went back... i have never understood that trophy desire....
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it, either. I'd rather enjoy their beauty while they are alive and flitting about. Thank you for stopping by, Miss Pie! :-)
DeleteBeing killed for being beautiful. It is most disheartening! Love your poem Yvette. It is a thinking poem! It sets us thinking.
ReplyDeleteHank
Thank you, Hank! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteI don't like those displays either!
ReplyDeleteThey are quite saddening. Thanks for visiting, Merril! :-)
DeleteWell written Yvette, and 100% with you...💞
ReplyDeleteThank you, Suzanne! I appreciate your visit. :-)
DeleteBeautifully said, and I agree, Yvette. I simply can't enjoy such a display, There's no art in death as much as collectors would wish it to be so.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Dora! Thanks for stopping by! :-)
DeleteIf only indeed :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Jennifer! :-)
DeleteA great poem, Yvette. Interestingly, when I was at Chateau du Chambord in Loire Valley, France over Easter, I saw a room filled with preserved creatures. It was built as a hunting lodge. I didn't like it and didn't take photographs of that room.
ReplyDeleteI also don't like preserved animals. My heart can't help but hurt for their lost lives. Thanks for visiting, Robbie! :-)
DeletePowerful poetry and message Yvette 💜
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debby! I appreciate your visit. :-)
Delete“if only we could cherish life
ReplyDeleteas much as we value art”
Definitely something to contemplate.
I agree, Melissa! Thanks for stopping by! :-)
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