by the Read Write Poem Staff
Today’s prompt is from Read Write Poem member Kristen McHenry:
“In ancient times, Persian rug makers were deeply religious and believed that only God could make something perfect. They would deliberately drop in a small faulty stitch, a flaw, into each Persian rug. In doing so, a ‘Persian Flaw’ revealed the rug maker’s devotion to God.” — Karel Weijand
Like many of us, I often struggle with the gremlin of perfectionism. The above quote reminds me that achieving perfection is not my prime directive in life, and that in fact, striving for perfection can be a form of hubris.
Write a poem about flaws and perfection in yourself or in nature or write about how you feel about being imperfect or perfect.
Here are some things you may want to reflect on as you write: Do flaws add beauty to the world? What does it feel like to experience perfection? What is it like to encounter flaws — in our selves, in others, in systems or in objects? As imperfect beings, are we able to adequately judge perfection?
If you’d like, you can try contrasting these both concepts in one poem or just choose the one that you feel most drawn to. There is potential for both perfection and flaws in everything on earth, so there’s no limit to to subject you use to frame your poems.
Reminders for everyone
Read the Read Write Poem NaPoWriMo Challenge Kickoff post for details on how the challenge works — and how you can engage with Read Write Poem this month, no matter what your personal writing challenge is for the month of April.
Please read this page to find out how Read Write Poem’s prompt posts work. Remember that work linked from any post this month is shared in precisely that spirit: sharing, as opposed to critiquing. If you haven’t done so already, please read all the pages under About in the navigation bar.
poem #21:
http://caroleesherwood.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/napowrimo-21/
When I think perfectly flawed, I think freckles.
http://freckledwriter.blogspot.com/2010/04/freckled-woman.html
Perhaps a bit obvious, but I had fun writing it!
http://just-somestuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21-and-so-we-arrive-at.html
Hello, today I’ve got, The Perfect Wife: Cover Version: http://thekitchenbitchponders.blogspot.com/2010/04/national-poetry-writing-month-day_21.html
http://healingforthehealthy.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21-perfectly-flawed.html
The Flaw in the Flower Garden
In my garden the flowers grow and bloom
Without regard to dimensions, form or space
Carelessly they fling their blooms about the yard
Each season is a bright and happy place
If I would plant them lined up in a row
Like little soldiers ready to do harm
To any weed or insect that would dare
To infiltrate their ranks – my swift alarm
Would send me quickly to rescue and remove
Each spot that threatened imperfection
While each bud, blossom, bloom or seed
Stands stiffly for my general inspection.
But nature is not perfect in her ways
Perhaps that’s where her greatest wonder lies
That fields long abandoned sprout and grow
Green shady glades to rest our weary eyes.
pamela sayers replied:
April 21st, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Very pretty Marian!
My poem, Doyle, can be seen at musetomyeyes.blogspot.com
Thanks for the prompt, Kristen. Here’s mine: Beauty Spot
Here’s something: http://disorder1313.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/transliteration-of-catullus-xxi/
Long day, but here’s my poem called “This Is a Draft Because It’s Not Good Enough.”
http://rrosenchang.blogspot.com
http://marcieaf.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-day-21.html
haiku, of sorts — http://another2doors.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/flawed/
So many wonderful posts…so little time!
“Imperfectly Perfect” is located at http://bridgeanna.blogspot.com
Blessings to everyone!
Everyone has written such wonderful posts, as soon as I get my computer working I need to revisit again. It’s all just too much on my iPhone to keep up and leave comments, but I get the computer back today
My #21
http://redshoepoet.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-is-topic-of-discussion-that-i.html
…or the real title “Perfectly Imperfect.”
(Too much time correcting papers this week!)
(Blessed is she who can laugh at herself for she shall always be amused!)
Thanks for the prompt. I liked this one!
http://memali.posterous.com/2130
“New dishes on the menu at the Take A Good Long Look At Yourself cafe”
http://www.redbubble.com/people/nebsy/writing/5047378-napowrimo-21
Robin replied:
April 21st, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Enjoyed this very clever poem! Especially liked the middle lines…”now the poor and hungry can shuffle through his cafeteria
and dine on fresh flavours of disapproval…”
Strange… the last line of my poem from day 13 was
“The memory of imperfect perfection.”
Anywho, here’s another one… about how (I believe) there is divine perfection at the center of all natural things, including human beings.
Seeing the Perfection
I see the green ferns in their quiet shadows
Their every cell contains music
More ancient than Earth
I see the dancer on the beach, twirling
In an orange dress like a poppy or a flame
Her brown arms become wings
I see the owl in the tall pine tree
Holding the secret of dusk
Behind that steady gaze
I see the fireworks reflected in a child’s eyes
The golden sparks
Blooming in her soul
I see the seedling pushing
Through the dark ground, reaching
For the crack of light
today’s contribution: broken home.
Kelly replied:
April 21st, 2010 at 10:50 pm
until the atoms fuse to muted salted
ground …
Love it.
Here’s another Kylie poem.
http://katharinewhitcomb.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21-blossom.html
kinda on theme this time! I’ve got spring on the brain!
I didn’t have to dig too far to find an Imperfect World.
My poem: http://word-painting.blogspot.com/2010/04/bluegrass-music.html
Here’s one from a conversation a few years back: Looking for Flaws, Hoping to Find Some
I taught my students how to create cinquain’s today so I couldn’t get my mind to write any other way.
My poem is called Imperfections: http://goo.gl/fb/LTwjq
I don’t find my imperfections beautiful at all.
(Not my finest, but still.)
http://www.shicho.net/words/?p=1125
Compare and contrast = Rules.
http://pamelavillars.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/april-21-10-rules/
here is mine for #21
http://www.waynepitchko.blogspot.com
zealotry, assignation, and, the better mousetrap
Irony came to mind when I thought of something perfectly flawed so I wrote this poem based on a piece of historical irony. I didn’t quite sink it to my satisfaction yet, but here it is.
Her hair, destroyed
Her makeup, a disgrace
Nothing could erase
The tears on her face
Crystaline drops
Fragile and clear
Those emotions displayed
I want to hold dear
I want to fight
Send away all her tears
#21: Namaste
http://robin-turner.blogspot.com/2010/04/namaste.html
Don’t spend time reading this very flawed poem. Instead, go outside and watch tonight’s meteor showers!
http://theresebroderick.wordpress.com
I’m not sure my previous posting went through. Just in case –
http://theresebroderick.wordpress.com
rallentanda replied:
April 21st, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Brilliant Therese!
My humble offering for April 21:
http://timkeeton.wordpress.com
Tim Keeton
Poet/Wizard/Teller-of-tales
Blind Woman Of Gordes
Angeliad of Surazeus
2010 04 21
http://open.salon.com/blog/surazeus/2010/04/21/blind_woman_of_gordes
Blind woman in tattered brown dress
kneads dough and hums a sweet tune
then slips loaves in an oven to bake
and sits by window knitting a blanket
by narrow town lane where children play.
Little birds twitter on her window sill
and sweet smile beams from her lips
wrinkling her soft apple-red cheeks
when she scatters seeds from her hand
while children clash sticks in a play fight.
Blind woman of Gordes near Avignon
calls to children come eat fresh bread
so they gather around chattering loud
while she cuts slices and dips knife
to spread honey for each child to eat.
Little boy cries so blind woman kneels
caressing his face and wiping away tears
asking what happened to make you cry
and he sniffles boys snatched my bread
so she hugs him and caresses his hair.
Little boy touches deep scars on her eyes
asking what happened to your pretty face
so blind woman smiles but terrible fear
shadows deep sadness on her soft cheeks
but she beams again and kisses little boy.
When I was a young girl many years ago
not much older than you are now in life
my mother was hung for stealing bread
because my father died fighting in a war
and I was locked in a prison without care.
I shared a cell with two angry old women
who called me names and pinched in arms
and never allowed me to eat dry stale bread
or drink water so I became weak and scared
then jailer came in and gave me eggs to eat.
After he left those two bitter old women
beat me in jealousy then one held me down
while other woman raised a pair of scissors
and stabbed out my eyes with vicious hate
screaming in fierce rage as she hacked at me.
I clutched my face streaked with hot blood
lost in mindless eternity of terrible pain
and groped at cold stone walls in horror
and I cried out to God for some reason why
but they mocked me and laughed at my pain.
They were hung for stabbing out my eyes
then I was released and lead to this house
where I have lived many years alone in peace
planting herbs and vegetables in my garden
and listening to happy children like you play.
Little boy reaches up small trembling hand
and touches scars covering over her eyes
then kisses her eyes and takes her hands
and vows I will always take care of you
so whenever you need anything you call me.
My name is Reynard and I will always come
when you call so tell me what you want
and I will do it for you because I love you
then blind woman covers her pretty face
and cries though no tears flow on her cheeks.
Blind woman calls out every day at dawn
Reynard come and tell me what you see
and he stands by her window and describes
people and houses and clouds in blue sky
and animals and plants and wind in trees.
Blind woman never requests anything
rather she asks him to help people in need
please help Catherine stack firewood
and help Pierre hitch horse to his wagon
and help Elaine pull weeds in her garden.
Reynard always kisses her rose cheek
then performs deeds at her request
and brings her flowers and herb seeds
and sits beside her singing at sunset
then gives her water before she sleeps.
Reynard brings her baskets of chicken eggs
and rabbits he catches in forest by a lake
and pungent herbs he gathers in a meadow
and bushels of wheat for her to bake bread
and flowers that smell sweet after a rain.
Reynard finds blind woman of Gordes
shivering as cold wind blows in cracks
so he chops down pines on hill side
and cuts logs into planks smelling sweet
and arrives with wood loaded in a wagon.
Reynard builds sturdy walls and strong roof
into a cute cottage with a table and a bed
and a large kitchen with lots of low shelves
then leads blind woman through open door
explaining I painted flowers in bright colors.
Reynard falls in love with a pretty girl
so he brings Brigite to small white cottage
where old blind woman touches her face
then hugs him blessing his gentle bride
whispering may you have many children.
Reynard blushes and places a red tulip
in her hair while his bride bakes pecan pie
and Pierre plucks strings on a wood lute
and Catherine sings under a silver moon
as flames flicker gold light on their cheeks.
Blind woman of Gordes in a new dress
that Brigite sews from linen and cotton
cradles their newborn child in her heart
singing as her fingers caress his cheeks
and rocks back and forth in warm gold sun.
Our world is full of suffering and pain
so find love in darkest depth of your heart
to shine as sun kissing flowers and bees
to guide your way through chaos of life
for you create paradise with your hands.
Reynard arrives with basket of river fish
then pauses to listen to her sweet song
while Brigite brings bucket of fresh milk
and they kiss watching her in rocking chair
cradle their cute child in cool twilight glow.
Done. Finally.
http://paperdreams-jgc.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-21-first-loves-are-far-from-perfect.html
http://eveningpoems.blogspot.com/
God is not perfect: http://web.me.com/susansonnen/Susan_Sonnens_musings/Blog/Entries/2010/4/21_NaPoWriMo%2C_Day_21.html
http://wintermintfruit.blogspot.com/2010/04/committing-to-failure.html Yeah, I kinda interpreted the prompt in my own little way…
My mind was kind of all over the place today, and I think I want to try this prompt again to get it right – which is kind of ironic, actually.
http://cosmicmermaid.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/unlikely/
http://sky-lined.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-day-21.html the second one.
http://kolokoli.blogspot.com/2010/04/poetic-apprehension.html
http://wp.me/pGBCb-20
rather late tho the stars agree tonight’s tide
I’m earlier than last night, but that’s not saying much.
My offering for tonight is Our Perfect World.
Now to bury my aching head in my pillow.
Poem #21. “Dead-center Heart.”
This began as a poem about The Child’s anatomically dead-center heart and went elsewhere. I followed.
Posted at: http://troysworktable.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21.html
I couldn’t do what I wanted with this…blech.
http://mylineofwords.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21.html
Thrashed around a bit in the in-between spaces, and ended up with: Charm Point.
NaPoWriMo #21 Prodigal child
I didn’t use the hero prompt yesterday, so I used it today.
http://www.mayaganesan.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21.html
http://seashelllz.livejournal.com/117314.html
There’s ten minutes left in my time zone. If that isn’t a flaw, I don’t know what is! Here’s Overwinding the Watch… a definite draft but one I hope to develop on.
http://rustbloommansions.blogspot.com/2010/04/day-twenty-one-poem-21-overwinding.html
Here we go:
http://alienfireworks.blogspot.com/2010/04/according-to-their-years.html
My poem is here:
http://ragbone.wordpress.com
http://self-intoxication.deviantart.com/art/JB-161565567
Cy Twombly’s “The Rose”
“Of her usual routine the blooming rose is the omen of her immeasurable endurance” – Rainer Maria Rilke
No matter the translation, Rilke’s words flicker
on the side of Plato’s cave, coalescing into petals
which smell like velvet and feel fragrant enough
to justify how Twombly’s paint streams thick tears
from each flower. Everything is flawed, at least
once removed from an ideal which philosophers claim
can’t be known, so the artist paints the poet’s lines
in loose script on canvases adorned with massive roses
because language copied, repeated over and over
remains as close to truth as ever, but no closer.
http://thebooklife.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/4-21/
http://amylevy.com/wp/2010/04/napowrimo-21-where-are-the-pearls/
Oh I LOVED LOVED LOVED this prompt! it gave me the poem I’ve been wanting to write all month! Thank you!
http://mylineofwords.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-22-sunset.html
Topical – an Earth Poem : http://umaathreya.blogsome.com/2010/04/23/a-fist-of-earth/
Dear Reader
http://scriptophobe.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-21.html
Perfected Flaw (day 21 poem)
There is a before and after
where we get up each morning after we’ve fallen
coffee is brewed and cats are fed
dog is walked
laundry is clean
the sun that shone a year before shines today
and will not stop shining
There is the after
where we can run against the wind and
take our second chance
we try to walk alone; to carry a burden
we want no one else to see
to pick up our crosses so that we
can feel no guilt, no shame
but there will be the shadow
carrying you silently along
the friend and sister
who won’t ever let you walk alone
There will be more afters
year by year
day by day
where we wake up each sunrise
and watch each sunset
There will be a day the before will seem so distant
it is a dot in our beautiful artwork of life,
a small flaw only we can make out;
see it? We’ll ask, this flaw, this ink blot
see this thread in this tapestry of my life
that doesn’t belong?
There will be the perfect flaw that only we can see
and touch
There is after and there is before
it all adds up so much
I don’t see the flaw, I see perfection in the making
I see god’s handy work weaving through as we
hang to this flawed thread
pulled through the valleys of
dark and fear and pain
So that in these days we call After
we won’t make the same mistakes again
http://poetry-life-distilled.blogspot.com/2010/04/napowrimo-day-21.html