Thursday, April 15, 2010

Dig (a poem)

Dig it
Dig in
dig up
dig out of
this place
where the cool dank smell of earth
is buried beneath this cold hard place
of no fixed address
called
The Street.

C'mon, dig into
yourself
dig into
you
dig into
getting out
getting up
getting on
with living free
of drugs
and alcohol
lies and abuse.

ain't no truth
on the street
to dig into

ain't no place
at rock bottom
to cling to

All ya got is nowhere
and nothing
to dig
but the dirtiness of life
on the edge of nothing.

C'mon
dig in.
Get up
Get out
Get moving
Dig in
and unearth
your essence
buried beneath
the sick foul smell
of lives rotting
beneath the cold hard
truth
buried deep beneath
the street.

Dig.

Over on Glynn's blog, he writes a poem about Roses -- reading about digging into the Missouri earth I was inspired, (and envious. we're still brown and frozen in these northern climes). He wrote his poem from a prompt by Nancy Rosback at The Cunning Poet's Society. Their motto is, "I'd rather be a cunning poet than a dead poet".

So... I got inspired and wrote about the first thing that came to my mind when I read the prompt, "dig".

Telling that I write about homelessness. My work life is immersed in it and, I often feel like homelessness is the mirror of our world. The dark side we don't want to look at, but must, if we are to be 'dig into' our lives and live the life of our dreams! As a friend called to tell me the other day, I write about three things -- my relationships, my work, or my past relationship that was so unhealthy.

Regardless of what I write about -- I write to create value -- in my life, in the lives of those who come to read, (you) and the lives of those who may someday drop in... that value may be felt in laughter, smiles, tears, compassion, empathy, insight, -- regardless of how it is experienced, the value of what I write is felt within me, deeply.

My dream is, you dig what I write and it digs into you!


Nameste.

The Invitation: Try the poetry prompt -- Picture the word 'dig' in your mind, start writing. Don't censor yourself, don't try to write 'pretty'. Just write and be amazed by what appears before your eyes! When you feel 'stuck', keep writing. No censoring. No freezing up and thinking. Just write!

You are amazing!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lg,

yes, digging . .

at the bottom of the barrel, it seems like there is no place to dig

but, if you look over there . . there is a gutter to climb down to

and from the gutter, there is the drain

and then the sewer, the river the sea

you see

it doesn't end with digging

unless it really is the END.

after digging, the way out, the way up, is with climbing

a step

surely more than 12 of them

another step, then another

and a hand

sometimes the climber

needs a hand

wants a hand

could use a hand

.. on any day, most of us have a hand free

what are we doing with that hand?

we could reach over, or down, to let someone hang on, hold on

that's the way I see it from here, and I think I know it, because I used to see it from way way way down there

Have a great day and keep writing,

Mark

Louise Gallagher said...

That was

fabulous

Mark

thank you!

Kathleen Overby said...

@hardlynormal says, "the homeless were already, before they lost their home". Your passion to come alongside them and be with them where they are is evident. One shovelful at a time. There is a natural law of sowing and reaping. You are their home while they learn to crave planting a garden.

Louise Gallagher said...

Kathleen -- what a beautiful thought.

Thank you!

Jeff Jordan said...

I "dig" it and you "dug" into me...
Jeff

Anonymous said...

Glynn's words also inspire me, and so do yours.

I know that your words come through your heart.

The way that you shared the prompt is very exciting. The intertwining of thoughts shared like this is such a special kind of relating.

Glynn said...

And the street -- with its concrete hardness -- is the shell that has to be broken through to reach the stuff that really matters. Nice one, Louise. (And thanks for the link!)

Louise Gallagher said...

Oh -- the idea of the street as concrete hardness, a shell taht must be broken -- nice.

Thanks Jeff! digging your words too.

and nAncY -- your words and thoughts are also such an inspiration!

S. Etole said...

might be fun to try if I weren't leery about digging into something ...

Maureen said...

You help make the digging out easier.

I left my spur-of-the-moment piece on the Society's FaceBook page. Join us there some time.

(I've been down with an awful virus and feel as though I'm having to claw myself back into daylight. The blogposts were pre-scheduled, went on without me. Should be myself soon again. Hugs.)

Louise Gallagher said...

Hope you're feeling dug out soon!

Hugs
Louise