30 Poems in 30 Days 2009: Day Twelve
September 12, 2009 by J.C. Hewitt
Rituals give you a feeling of control over your environment. Everyone has rituals. Some are simple and others are complex. It can be as simple as having a set meal for breakfast, a set path to work, or a series of tasks to complete before going to bed (take pills, floss teeth, brush teeth, get undressed, set alarm, kiss spouse). Most religious services have rituals involved. Events such as weddings and funerals are filled with rituals and traditions. Rituals come in many forms such as paths, recipes, instructions, habits, and strategies. Chess, for example, has set opening moves (or gambits). There are only a few common opening gambits, and skilled chess players know that they are and what their responses will be automatically. It isn’t until someone breaks with the ritual that the game truly begins.
Rituals can make for good poetry. This is because rituals have patterns and progression, two key elements of poetry. Rituals involve steps that move you closer to completion of a goal. Those steps tend to echo the previous and future steps. As a simple ritual:
- Unlock the door
- Open the door
- Walk through the door
- Close the door
- Lock the door
Each step is different, and each step progresses you toward a goal, but each step has one thing in common – the door. Most rituals aren’t as straightforward as this, but I hope you get the idea.
As I said earlier, control is a keep aspect of ritual. People perform rituals to give themselves a sense of control over the world around them. In many cases rituals are used to create a sense of control over things that people have little control over. The creation and use of a love potion, for example, is a way to exert control over one of the most difficult and unpredictable of forces, love. There is little rational evidence that a love potion will work, but the thought that there is some magical means to get the love you crave is enough to convince a surprising number of people to try this. If you think a love potion is a silly idea, replace love potion with the eHarmony.com. The statement remains just as true.
Today’s Poetry Prompt
A Ritual Poem takes a ritual (real or imagined) and brings a sense of meaning and reflection to the ritual it describes. Here are some steps to follow (a ritual poem ritual).
- Pick an element of life that has or deserves a ritual
- Decide the result you would want the ritual to produce
- Think of the actions you would take to achieve the result
- Turn the actions into steps or commands
Achieving Freedom
- Lose something you care about
- Reflect on its value until you get angry
- Get over being angry
- Intentionally give up something you love
- Drive a car really fast for at least five miles
- Stand in the rain
- Stop watching television
- Decide what you can do without
- Give it all up
- Wander
- Read a borrowed book in a park
- Do nothing
- Spend time with your friends
- Get tempted to go back
- Go back
- Start over
Making a Friend
1. You stare at each other in class, like they’re a new form of bacteria
Because you have been forced together
By a tiresome teacher- you have ignored each other
In the past
2. You stuff your speech with stiff comments to stay on track, then
3. Relax, let a tiny bit of you escape
Based entirely on your passions of the day
And of course, the weather
4. Class lurches to a grateful halt, a horse finally led to water
5. You part ways, rivers ending in the same ocean.
6. Next class, a smile hedges the lonely houses in your eyes
7. They smile too.
8. But after a while, they are no longer smiling.
9. You give up. You have been hurt too many times before.
10. I mean, come on, you’re fine, you don’t even know this person
11. They’re probably a jerk. You’re probably a jerk. A loser. A fraud.
12. But maybe I could mention how it’s sunnier today.
13. You say something about sunshine
14. They blink.
15. You cringe and rewrite the situation to exclude your innate stupidity
16. They apologize- they’ve had a hard day.
17. They tell you about it.
18. You listen.
19. They notice you listen.
20. You both know that next time, it’s your turn
21. You leave, two feathers on the same bird
22. Rising skyward
Becoming Happy (or at least, Less Miserable)
1. Stop glaring at everything
2. And everyone too, for that matter
3. Take a deep breath
4. Forget about whatever made you mad or sad
5. Smile!
6. Think about your cute little rabbit, cat, or bird
7. Keep smiling
8. Laugh a little
9. Stop worrying whether people think you are nuts
10. Tell a few jokes
11. Laugh some more
12. And do it all over again
Leah, that’s lovely!
As Needed
1. Enter the temple
(Mine is a whole room of my house
But it might be one corner
Or a space outdoors.)
2. Close the door
(I also hang a “Do Not Disturb”
Sign on the outside knob.
You never know.)
3. Take up the wand/athame
(Good to hold and wield,
Its crystal point a laser,
Mine is both at once.)
4. Describe the circle
(Me, I combine Druidry,
High Magick and Wicca
To make a strong, clear light.)
5. Call in the Archangels
(Or nature spirits, or creatures,
According to your training
Or purpose. It all depends.)
6. Perform the core of the ritual
(Make the gestures, say the words,
Create the visuals, absorb
And move the energies.)
7. Close the ritual
(Give thanks for blessings received.
Farewell the Guardians.
Open the circle.)
8. Return to the world
(Put away the athame/wand.
Open the door, take down the sign.
Notice you feel better.)
13/9/09
@All:
After losing a son,
I recommend the following ritual recieve the widest dissemination.
It seems simplistic, but often this is the only way to get through the pain,
Grief Recovery:
Grief can come on suddenly
Grief can take many shapes:
emptiness, anger, depression, crying, apathy
When grief becomes unbearable to the following:
1. Breath in.
2. Breath out.
3. Repeat until concious effort is not needed.
4. Dry eyes.
5. Try to think of something pleasent.
6. Go to step 1 as needed.
7. Continue normal activities.
1. End the pain
2. Scream, shout and cry
3. Stop doing anything
4. Hide from everyone
5. Reflect
6. Mediate
7. Reinvigorate
8. Cleanse
9. Reborn
10. Letting go
11. Go on
12. Live again
13. Be happy
I Want
1. Appeal – Mum, you are my friend and ally, you know me
2. Emotional blackmail – how can you do this to your own son, you want me to be happy right ?
3. Attack character – you lied to me, you are cruel, you don’t care
4. Threaten – don’t restrict me Mum, or you won’t find me
thanks to my 15yr old (wry smile)