Turning Toward Wonder

The Poetry of Ada Limon - US Poet Laureate

Poetry has always been a favorite part of my literary adventure. I remember reading “The Song of Hiawatha” by Longfellow with my grandmother, a former teacher, when I was in elementary school and for me, that’s where the magic began. I didn’t memorize the whole poem, but I fell in love with the beauty of his words, the rhythm and rhyme that was so much a part of Longfellow’s poetic writing style. Together we explored the writings of other famous poets and she helped me unravel the mysteries and find the truths revealed in them.

Poetry, to me, is a language that elevates, penetrates, and stirs the stew of feelings we all have deep down. I love the conciseness of the words and phrases, the sounds and patterns, and digging into the mysteries of the meanings behind poems. I immerse myself into the imagery the poets create, the metaphors, the theme and tone and overall message. I love reading a poem and discovering how I can relate to it and applying my own interpretation and meaning. That’s the magic of poetry that some haven’t yet come to appreciate.

My family and friends all know how much I love poetry, reading and writing it. This week my daughter presented me with a very special early Mother’s Day gift. She was so excited to give it to me that she couldn’t wait until May! In her position at Gonzaga University, she has the opportunity to meet some pretty well-known people. She plans large special events and this year she had oversight of their annual gala at which the keynote speaker was the 24^th Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limon. A poet laureate is a position at the Library of Congress, serving as the nation’s official poet and advocate for poetry for a two-year term. There are some pretty famous poets on the list of U.S. Laureates including Robert Frost and Billy Collins. Whitney had the opportunity to meet and interact with her, and she managed to snag a copy of Ada’s latest book and have her sign it for me. The message she wrote blessed me: “Cathey – for poets and mothers and turning toward wonder.” Even her autograph was poetic and magical.

The book, “You Are Here”, edited and introduced by Ada Limon, features fifty previously unpublished poems from some of the nations most accomplished poets. All the poems feature the poets’ viewpoints of nature and how we relate to the natural world around us. When presented with this amazing book I immediately got emotional as it’s a gift right to my heart. I can’t wait to wander through all the writings, chosen specifically and purposefully as a laureate project, and see and feel what gifted poets share about their relationship to nature. Ada’s introduction to the book is just so WOW. I aspire to write in that awe-inspiring way that reaches all the way into the hearts and souls of my readers. Ada has a more “untraditional” style of poetry that I find fascinating. Below is an example of one of her nature poems that I keep rereading as there is so much to digest!

I can hear some of you saying, “I just don’t get poetry and I can never write it.” That says to me that you are intimidated to explore it, come to understand the freedom there is in its lines and verses, and let yourself play with the creativity of allowing your thoughts flow onto paper without adhering to strict rules and styles. Poetry is not one thing. It can range from a couple of lines to a whole sonnet. It can rhyme or not. It can adhere to a certain style or be loosely free. Some of the most profound poems have the fewest words. But what poetry is at its core is a deep expression from our very souls in a way that opens us to sharing our hearts, even if it’s only to an audience of one.

I appreciate all of you who let me share my poetic expressions of the soul here in this space. And it would truly light me up if you started reading the great poets and looking for yourself in their inspirational words. Ada’s book is on Amazon; in it there are fifty poems by master poets to get you started. And then, once you’ve read and felt the magic, maybe you could write a few lines about how you feel about nature. And whether you share them with me, a wider audience, or keep them to yourself, I’d be grateful to know you gave it a go. I believe there’s a poet in all of us and I wish for each of you to “turn toward wonder”.