April . . . is National Poetry Month. Once again, your favorite poetry-nerds (that would be Bonny, Kat, Sarah, Vera and I) put our heads together and came up with a plan for sharing poetry on Thursdays all month long. If you, too, are a poetry-nerd and would like to join in, let me know and I’ll be happy to send you our plan. When it comes to poetry, my motto is always . . . the more the merrier!
For this, the first Thursday in April, we’ll each be sharing poems about hope.
Here is my offering today . . .
Belonging
by Rosemerry Wahtola TrommerAnd if it’s true we are alone,
we are alone together,
the way blades of grass
are alone, but exist as a field.
Sometimes I feel it,
the green fuse that ignites us,
the wild thrum that unites us,
an inner hum that reminds us
of our shared humanity.
Just as thirty-five trillion
red blood cells join in one body
to become one blood.
Just as one hundred thirty-six thousand
notes make up one symphony.
Alone as we are, our small voices
weave into the one big conversation.
Our actions are essential
to the one infinite story of what it is
to be alive. When we feel alone,
we belong to the grand communion
of those who sometimes feel alone—
we are the dust, the dust that hopes,
a rising of dust, a thrill of dust,
the dust that dances in the light
with all other dust, the dust
that makes the world.
I first read this poem on the Grateful Living website. I don’t know if it’s been published in one of the poet’s publications or not, but I couldn’t find evidence of that. For more information about Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, please visit her website.
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I hope you’ll join us in celebrating National Poetry Month each Thursday this month. Bonny will be hosting a link-up on her blog, so please check out all the posts each week — and feel free to share some poetry and join the link up.
This is a useful poem to read right now, when it’s so hard to feel like our efforts as individuals can have any effect. It’s always good to know we’re not alone and that little acts add up!
This is so perfect for life right now, Kym! I had never read this poem before, so thank you for sharing it today! I think that it is the most excellent reminder of yes, we are alone… but not. And that is exactly what I needed to be reminded of today!
How ironic that we both chose poems by the same poet!! I had not heard of her previously and happened upon my poem (Hope) while down a rabbit hole. This poem is wonderful too. I will be searching out a volume of her poetry to enjoy.
Sometimes it is very difficult to remember that we are not alone, but this poem is a lovely reminder that we are all connected. Thanks, Kym
This is quite a hopeful poem and I’m glad you shared it! I especially like the imagery of single blade of grass making up an entire field and 35 trillion RBCs joining in one body, and the coincidence that you and Vera chose poems from the same poet. There were little bits of hope in the news this week and lots of hope in poetry!
Thank you for this poem!
I found this in an email from Image Journal today – I think poetry readers might love it “- April is National Poetry Month! Publishing house Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux is celebrating in old-fashioned style: with a poetry hotline! Every weekday in April, you can call 385-DIAL-FSG (385-342-5374) and hear an FSG author read a poem right into your ear. “