Poetry is for those waiting spaces

April 4, 2009 in Uncategorized

I've no idea why this moved me so.

Perhaps it is the juxtaposition of this poem with those large bug-like sunglasses. Perhaps the recognition that any poetry reading is beautiful. Perhaps the very fact that this woman filled the waiting spaces with poetry as she sat in the car waiting for her husband to finish his doctor's appointment.

What is wrong with him, I wonder? Just a check up? Should we worry?

Or should we, like her, simply read poetry as we wait?

Poetry is transportable; we can carry it wherever we go.

I wonder why we do not read more poetry as we wait in the car.

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

6 comments to " Poetry is for those waiting spaces "


Janet Smith

April 5, 2009 AT 10:13AM

Hmmm. I do read (or write not good when driving) poetry in the car, never do I post to you tube though. I have to work on my sunglasses.

Carla

April 5, 2009 AT 10:31AM

Perhaps also because Mary Oliver is just so movine. And Wild Geese in particular. We don’t have to DO anything; just BE who we are… Powerful!What a great focus for those waiting places… so often filled up with negative self-talk instead.

smallbluebird

April 5, 2009 AT 3:54PM

Aren’t people wonderful and clever and surprising?

Suzanne Deal-Fitzgerald

April 5, 2009 AT 6:40PM

I listen to a book on tape…right now, it’s “Prince of Frogtown,” by Rick Bragg, and crochet or knit. Now, I never meet a traffic jam I can’t enjoy.

Lissa Boles

April 6, 2009 AT 2:40PM

You know, I sorta watched myself have this muted ‘Poetry? Meh’ reaction when I first read of your plan. I didn’t really question it at the time, just carried on with my day and forgot about it.

And then this…

And suddenly I remembered how I’m returned to myself every time I read Rumi.

How soft, willing and receptive I become every time I reread The Prophet.

How I want to just sink into the wonder and power of words when reading books that drip with loving reverence for the lanaguage of deeply honest experience.

I guess you could say I’m not ‘meh’ anymore.

Tim

April 7, 2009 AT 8:59PM

Very cool. I spend a lot of time waiting for my mother at her many doctor’s appointments. This is a reminder to me that we all have opportunities to occupy our minds in a positive manner if we would just pay attention.

BTW, I ordered you book over the holidays and keep it in my nightstand with my other positive books that I read before calling it a day. I am really enjoying it so far.